Dear Donor,
At the end of 2021, we received the generous contribution of $386 which pushed us over our $10,000 goal! We’ve continued to fundraise since then, but experimented with other approaches and venues. We did start a new project on GlobalGiving, so head over and check it out.
This time last year, I was preparing to resume in-person programming in partnership with a high school science teacher who was willing to open her garden to us. Believe it or not, schools have pretty strict rules about access, so there are only a handful of schools in Napa that offer gardens for rent for public use (and, as a side note, part of why we maintain liability insurance).
The 2022 Dirt Girl season started April 18th and ran through June 10th of 2022. It was a blast and I learned a lot. One lesson I took away is that it’s tough to run a program on a drop-in basis. Not being able to see the garden day-to-day was different, as was schlepping my supplies to and from the car twice weekly.
Recruitment was also a challenge. As the world got safer, it also got busier. Many people returned to former habits, which meant also resuming out-of-school time programming. Without an already-established presence or dedicated marketing team, we only drew eight kids to sign up. Three families paid the extremely low-cost of $5 per session, but the remaining participants joined us free of charge thanks to your donations.
We engaged one returning student from 2021 and two students from teacher recommendations. We also welcomed our youngest Dirt Girls ever. Three first grade students, all children of school district employees, joined us for the season and one kindergarten sibling joined us on Mondays. One parent, a school counselor, would arrive about 30 minutes late on Friday afternoons, but her daughter would beg to come to the sessions because she loved it.
Some other fortuitous things also came about. Our season was subsidized by a generous contribution of supplies funded by a local chapter of DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). A good friend, and former coworker, also a Dirt Girl donor, can trace her lineage to a patriot in the Revolutionary War (and we've had great discussions about this). I gave a talk, we drank tea, and they made a commitment of $500 above their donation budget to Dirt Girls!!! It was such a treat to be among a group of progressively-minded, historically-grounded women and to be present in real life.
Due to a few personal and logistical challenges, it was late summer before I realized that this funded project would no longer receive reports or updates, so I’m posting this final report with an ask to follow our ongoing progress at Dirt Girl Diary, a blog that lives on The School Garden Doctor’s website. You can find the link below for curated posts since 2016.
We’re still actively pursuing our next Dirt Girl venture, which wouldn’t be possible without your generosity.
Thank you so very much for your ongoing support.
Carrie
Links:
The Dirt Girls program turns five years old this fall!
What initially began as a way to maintain a school garden quickly grew into a unique program for empowering youth through outdoor science education. Since 2016, 58 girls have engaged in garden-based learning and leadership, many of them for multiple sessions or years. Together, we've spent nearly 600 hours tending a school garden.
Four of the original girls stayed in the program for nearly every session from the time they started in 2nd grade until they were promoted from 5th grade in 2020. Now in seventh grade, their moms report they are doing well academically, though the last year has been tremendously difficult socially and emotionally. At least one of the original participants is taking a gardening class as an elective in middle school. Unfortunately, this opportunity doesn't exist at all schools.
Even fewer girls have access to science learning outside of school. More than a quarter of parents surveyed in 2021 report that their daughters do not have "sufficient opportunity to learn science" elsewhere.
Prior to the pandemic, the Dirt Girls program was positioned to grow to two new sites. However, school closures put a pause on that plan. During spring of 2021, Dirt Girls Grow Indoors reached 12 girls, filling a critical gap in social connection and emotional resilience through a houseplant-based virtual program.
As the end of 2021 approaches, we are exploring partnerships that will enable a strong Dirt Girl comeback! Stay tuned for one last project update and end of year giving campaign. We're only $605 away from meeting our $10,000 goal!
We couldn't do this work without your generous support!
Rooted in Gratitude,
Carrie
Links:
Dirt Girls Grow Indoors was designed to offer a "pandemic-proof" version of the popular after school garden club, Dirt Girls, which has been planting empowerment through outdoor science education since 2016. This FREE program provided plants for youth to tend indoors until in-person outdoor interaction could resume.
Since February of 2021, Dirt Girls Grow Indoors reached more than a dozen youth, providing 100 plants, 36 virtual sessions, 1 in-person field trip, and 3 meetups in the park. Through monthly themes, we explored breathing with air plants, stress-busting succulents, fern fitness, and creative gifting to learn how to care for houseplants, ourselves, and the world.
Working with houseplants has been shown to be therapeutic, improve air quality, and spark joy! Dirt Girls Grow Indoors provided all of this and more! Participants received the tools and materials they needed to nurture a connection with indoor plants. Interactive sessions offered a much-needed social and emotional connection to reduce while fostering an appreciation for horticulture.
Parents' feedback was overwhelminingly positive and encouraging. One parent shared this comment with me via email: "I wanted to thank you for the wonderful dirt girl classes. S. loves it and talks about women scientists you discuss and how positive and inspiring you are." Another parent sent this note: "E. explores the surrounding plants everywhere we go.Thank you for inspiring her curiosity."
These impressions are especially important becuase only 14% of parents surveyed reported that their participating daughter has sufficient opportunity to learn science in the community. Dirt Girls can change that!
This twelve-week program was made possible through the contributions of donors like you, as well as from a GlobalGiving COVID-19 hardship microgrant. On behalf of the Dirt Girls, thank you for your plantastic support!
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Just over a year ago, I couldn't envision how to provide the popular after school garden club, Dirt Girls, without being able to gather in person. Being resilient means overcoming obstacles by leaning in and thinking creatively.
Since my last report, a dozen girls have participated in virtual sessions to learn how to care for houseplants, themselves, and each other. A fifth grader from one school signed herself up and connected weekly on her own. A first grader insisted on joining our sessions, even after she started attending day care! One parent reported, "My daughter loves this class! It teaches her independence, self care, being excited about science and has many positive women role models to inspire. Thank you!"
Because of your contributions and a generous Covid-19 Relief Grant from GlobalGiving, classes and materials were FREE. Each month, air plants, succulents, or fern plants were delivered to participants' homes along with the materials or tools to tend their plants at home. Each session engaged girls in STEM activities and mindfulness practices.
As more individuals received vaccinations and more students returned to school, I could sense the demand for an in-person event. Thanks to the collaborative spirit of the Napa Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, I found a solution!
On April 24th, eight Dirt Girls gathered at the Martha Walker Native Habitat Garden for a safe, in-person field trip to culminate the April cycle of "Dirt Girls Grow Indoors." For two hours, we explored nature, identified plants, and connected socially.
Together we're growing resilient Dirt Girls!
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To date, one dozen eager girls have participated in Dirt Girls Grow Indoors, the "pandemic proof" version of the popular after school garden club that has been growing resilience since 2016.
During February, each participant received a mail-order box containing a pair of air plants. During virtual sessions, we engaged in discussion and activities to learn how to care for our air plants, and ourselves. One parent reported, Caroline had such a good time and she loves her air plants!
Each weekly lesson includes science learning, social connection, and mindfulness practice. For example, the first week introduced how to create a structure for displaying an air plant using everyday materials. We talked about three reasons scientists think plants are good for us and practiced "triangle breathing."
February's focus includes:
In March, the program will move on to "Stress-Busting Succulents'' in which we will explore the resilient features of drought tolerant echeverias, haworthias, and sedums. To prepare for the March program, Dirt Girls will receive custom "grow indoors'' kits complete with potting oil, a set of mini-tools, terra cotta pots, a water bottle, and other fun items to foster their love of indoor gardening. All materials are provided FREE thanks to your generosity!
In April, we'll explore "Fitness with Ferns" by observing graceful movement and mindful motivations. The final growing cycle in May will engage participants in a "terrarium challenge" to design an appealing and thoughtful display that enlivens an indoor space while creating the right growing conditions for a range of plants.
I look forward to sharing more pictures and stories in June!
With Dirt Girl Gratitude for your ongoing support,
Carrie
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
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