Kelleymontana, Neighbor

We are West County DIGS (Developing Instructional Gardens in Schools) providing resources, advocacy and partnerships to support school gardens in the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) in Richmond, CA.

We are sowing seeds of hope and making our schools beautiful places to connect with nature. By mobilizing a team of volunteers, businesses and community leaders, we now have gardens in 30 schools, offer training and coaching to teachers, grow plants in our own DIGS greenhouse and run a model green business curriculum. This is the story of transforming barren fields into living laboratories where learning is meaningful and relevant.

West County DIGS was formed in 2007 by dedicated educators who work hard on something we are very passionate about, connecting children to nature and healthy food. We are teachers who understand the challenges and what it takes to make lasting change in a district facing poverty, food deserts, racial tension and low achievement. We are marshaling every resource and many partners to build healthy, resilient school garden programs.