Green Thumb Challenge Overview

Mission

GEF unites youth gardening efforts nationwide with the purpose of empowering children to help themselves and the planet by incorporating healthier habits into their daily lives. Among kids and adults, there is often a curiosity about gardening, but also a certain lack of confidence. GEF believes that gardening does not require an advanced set of skills, but instead depends on having passion and taking interest. Plants, like pets, need attention and care - once the commitment is made to tend to the garden from seed through fruition, the foundation for a thriving garden is in place. Whether you would like to grow a garden to harvest your own food, to green a space and welcome wildlife, or to create hands-on learning opportunities for students year after year, even beginner gardeners can get results when supplied with the right resources.

GEF's "turn-key" garden approach provides communities with straightforward instructional resources to start and maintain a garden of any size. Gardening is made more accessible with top recommendations for youth gardens that are easy to implement, budget-friendly and kid-friendly. The Green Thumb Challenge website is designed to be a one-stop resource for your gardening needs. In addition to this aim, GEF has set out to connect participants in meeting the following objectives:

Promote improved nutrition and habits of well-being in American children. Currently one in three American children are overweight or obese - medical experts are predicting that this generation is likely to have a shorter lifespan than their parents, for the first time in U.S. history. Elementary school aged children are suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol and painful joint conditions, and statistics reflect a soaring incidence of type 2 diabetes (Source: Washington Post). Planting gardens with children provides opportunities for increased physical activity, and promotes improved habits in nutrition and well-being. Studies show that children are more likely to eat vegetables that they have grown themselves - not only do they become engaged in the process of tending their gardens, but they can also taste and enjoy the difference in the food that they grow.

Connect children with nature through hands-on activity. A main objective of the Green Thumb Challenge program is to address the trend that has been termed "Nature-Deficit Disorder". Current research indicates that children learn better and have fewer emotional problems when they have regular exposure to nature. Meanwhile, according to recent studies, American children between the ages of 8 and 18 spend almost 8 hours a day with electronic media. Gardening provides ideal opportunities for kids to get outside and interacting with the natural world.

Work with children to address issues of domestic and global hunger. One in four children are currently hungry in America. President Obama and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack are spotlighting the hunger crisis, calling on the nation to end childhood hunger by 2015. Through service-learning projects and community service initiatives, GEF will provide the resources necessary for participants to plant with a purpose, working with area food shelters with the intention of growing fresh produce to meet their needs. There has never been a more critical time to teach kids how to grow and sustain food gardens; to keep up with the growth in human population, more food will have to be produced worldwide over the next 50 years than has been during the past 10,000 years combined.

To learn more about the mission of the Green Thumb Challenge, visit Why Plant 10,000 Gardens?

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Green Thumb Challenge Overview

Mission