seeds of promise planting gardens of hope

Global Childrens Gardens

We have forgotten who we are, we have lost our sense of wonder and connectedness, we have degraded the earth and our fellow creatures, and we have nowhere else to go ...
Earth Charter

We have lost our way. Increasingly, humanity has lost its connection with the natural world, its gratitude for the gift of life, and its sense of community. The result? On a scale never experienced before, both the natural world and the human race are becoming ever more degraded, impoverished, and unsustainable. How can we change course?

My hope, is that through children, they will begin to educate their families and that will, in turn, begin to educate our communities.
Michelle Obama, speaking about the White House organic garden

Take a better path. Global Childrens Gardens has a simple, yet transforming mission: To cultivate harmonious and beneficial relationships among the children of the world through the wonders, wisdom, and nourishment of natural gardening. Our community-based gardens and greenhouses are places where children and youth of all ages learn about food sources and the resources needed to produce them. In turn, children learn about the relationship between humanity and the earth, and about the opportunities for greater sustainability and global connection. These are more than beautiful gardens of sustenance. They are the seeds for a future of promise; a promise of a more peaceful, equitable, and sustainable future.

We need a new environmental consciousness on a global basis. To do this, we need to educate people.
Mikhail Gorbachev

One Garden, One Promise at a Time

Our first bio-harmonious greenhouse was built in Evergreen, Colorado. It took four years of Sundays to construct and as amazing as it is, it was not duplicable on a global scale. The ensuing search for a more appropriate solution led us to Growing Spaces, a Colorado company that creates geodesic dome greenhouse kits. These kits integrate seven solar energy features into an energy efficient Growing Dome that produces optimal results. Additionally, they can be constructed in a matter of days with kid or community energy along with the guidance of an experienced GCG dome builder supervising the flow and engaging everyone in a meaningful and productive way. When constructed, Growing Domes are beautiful structures that are durable and easily maintained for years of productive operation.

Global Childrens Gardens are: Youth Directed Community Guided Adult Mentored Entrepreneurial International in Spirit and Practice Bio-Harmonious

We still have to learn how to live peacefully, not only with our fellow men but also with nature and, above all, with those Higher Powers which have made nature and have made us.
E.F. Schumacher

One Garden, One Promise at a Time (cont)

To date we have thirteen successful partnership projects that continue to evolve into programs of significance and positive impact for the diverse communities served. Here are but a few highlights:

Southern Ute Academy

Ignacio, CO - 2006

Dandelion Project Troy Chavez Peace Garden

Denver, CO 2007 This Growing Dome represents collaboration between two established horticultural therapy programs. The year-round functioning greenhouse allowed both horticultural therapy programs to expand to year-round services. Dandelion works with children who have been victims of abuse or neglect and were referred by the judicial system. Troy Chavez works with at-risk inner city youth, providing opportunities for positive gardening experiences to defend against the attraction ofdrugs, gangs and violence.

Constructed with the dual purposes of preserving the wisdom of tribal elders related to traditional medicinal herbs and to provide a sustainable source of organic produce to be served in the school lunch program. The Southern Ute Community is facing the additional challenges of youth obesity and diabetes, so they are adopting a proactive approach that focuses on diet and exercise and their Growing Dome is proving to be an important asset in this work.

The old Lakota was wise. He knew that mans heart, away from nature, becomes hard; he knew that lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to lack of respect for humans too.
Luther Standing Bear

Teech Nos Pos, Arizona

Navajo Nation 2008

Cienega, Mexico
Middle School - 2008

Salida, Colorado
- 2008

An innovative and holistic project initiated by Jamie Oliver, the iconic British chef and author. The Growing Dome and organic farm program is intended to provide a healthy, traditional Navajo diet to a generation of youth at risk of developing obesity and/or diabetes. It is located within easy walking distance of the elementary school and the students are already engaged in their first spring planting. Adjacent farm land is available for transplanting greenhouse-produced starter plants with the expectation of increasing both the growing season and the harvest yields which are usually limited by the high altitude.

The motivation for this Growing Dome is to cultivate vegetable starter plants during winter/ spring. The students will then plant them in their home gardens to allow for individual family harvests of nutritional vegetables and herbs. This project was the dream of an American college professor who desired to provide for more sustainable lifestyles in Mexican communities that will help youth resist the enticing but illegal (and dangerous) pull to migrate to the U.S. GCG is currently evaluating requests from additional communities for similar Growing Domes and organic gardening programs in northern Mexico.

A large, community-sized Growing Dome constructed and owned by GCG. This year-round facility supports a collaborative organic gardening effort between three local schools, all within walking distance of their greenhouse. The motivation is to develop a viable seed to school lunch program that will foster healthy attitudes and behaviors related to diet and exercise. This dome is developing as a model of sustainability that demonstrates the wisdom and practicality of year-round, locally-grown produce without reliance on pesticides, chemical based fertilizers or fossil fuels to heat or cool the greenhouse.

The ecological crisis is doing what no other crisis in history has ever done challenging us to a realization of a new humanity.
Jean Houston

The Promise Grows. Five Year Goals:

Expanding international Growing Dome and Organic Garden projects
in several countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan Mongolia, Tanzania, Mexico, and Costa Rica.

Growing network of individual donors and supporters

actively organized and engaged in furthering GCGs mission.

Local Circles of Support operating in communities around the world

meeting monthly to plan educational and fund raising events, and organize insight trips to support and build Growing Domes.

Developing and evolving Growing Dome and Organic Garden projects

throughout the United States for schools, community centers, and health based programs.

GCG International Music and Harvest Festivals

annual events scheduled on the same day in multiple communities around the world. The festivals will create awareness for GCGs international programs and projects as well as generate revenue.

GCG School and University Clubs throughout U.S. and internationally

organized by students to nurture evolving garden and Growing Dome projects, generate awareness of sustainability issues and options, and raise funds to support GCGs global mission.

Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the people of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it.
Chief Seattle

Breaking New Ground

A few of the GCG partnerships and projects slated for 2009/2010

Buchanan Park, Evergreen, Colorado

to be developed as a working model of Bio-Harmonious sustainability including a Growing Dome and community garden plots.

Puebla, Mexico
at Juconi, a residential treatment program for previously homeless children providing therapeutic methodologies that are effective at integrating these children into school and helping them lead productive and happy childhoods while striving to end intergenerational cycles of violence and substance abuse.

Community Learning Center, Portland, Oregon

Middle school for youth with learning disabilities a Growing Dome is to be integrated into science and math curricula.

Cuauhtemoc, Mexico
at San Rafael, a boarding school for Tarahumara Indians in the Sierra Madre Mountains providing fresh vegetables and teaching organic gardening skills.

Guapiles, Costa Rica

a proposed partnership with Rotary International at a rural elementary school for indigenous students.

Clear Creek High School, Evergreen, Colorado

to be developed through the biology department.

The greatest delight the fields and woods minister is the suggestion of an occult relation between man and the vegetable. I am not alone and unacknowledged. They nod to me and I to them.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sustainable Funding Plan

For 14 years, Allan Werthan, the founder of Global Childrens Gardens, owned and operated a popular natural-food restaurant called River Sage in Evergreen, Colorado. Over the years, talented chefs at River Sage developed numerous original and wonderful recipes, some of which today are available in a line of bottled dressings and sauces named River Sage Xuberants. This product line is currently sold at Whole Foods Markets in the Rocky Mountain region. Xuberants will soon be re-branded to become an instrumental funding stream for CGC, as well as a tool for educating and raising awareness. Like the highly successful Newmans Own line of products, consumers will choose Xuberants for its quality, taste, and mission to give 100% of the profits to Global Childrens Gardens. Future distribution plans include national availability through Whole Foods Markets.

GCG Funding Sources Xuberants sales 100% of profits Seeds of Promise sales 100% of profits GCG School/University Clubs GCG International Music and Harvest Festivals Contributions from Individuals Grants from Foundations and Corporations

Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children.
Kenyan Proverb

The journey has begun. The perilous challenges the world faces today only serve to illuminate the inextricable bond humanity has with the earth and all that lives from it. It is our vision to see us take the path to a more harmonious relationship with the natural world, cultivating a global community based on respect and sustainability along the way. Please join with us on this journey in partnership and support. Together, we will plant gardens of hope for the children of earth and create a more promising future for humanity.

Global Childrens Gardens

5098 White House Trail, Evergreen, CO 80439 303-378-6923 allan.werthan@globalchildrensgardens.com www.globalchildrensgardens.com

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