Verdi EcoSchool

Why do people live where they live?

According to Gallup and Knight Foundation, opportunities for participation are one of the top qualities that make an area attractive to singles and families in search of a home. More than the aesthetics of the local parks or beaches, the next generation home buyer is looking for ways to connect more deeply to the place they call home.

It’s not a coincidence that we dug the dirt for Florida’s first Urban Farm School, Verdi EcoSchool, with community participation in mind. It’s rooted into the fabric of everything we do. 

Our mission is to invite young people to contribute to the vitality of their community and cultivate a tradition of curiosity and creativity. By supporting us through the Community Thrives Challenge, you can bring our community engagement curriculum to schools everywhere and give emerging educators step-by-step models to help young people solve community challenges alongside diverse community stakeholders.   

The early successes we’ve had in the last three years are a model that is repeatable in any community and, with your help, we’re excited to offer it to educators everywhere. 

Verdi step-by-step project guides to include: 

• Regenerative Agriculture - Agriculture that builds and healths a community
• Creative Placemaking - Use design thinking skills to solve community challenges via a connection to the arts
• Verdi Innovation Workshops - Develop a mentor team, launch a project, and discover how to master work-life balance 

When we chose to build  Verdi EcoSchool in the Eau Gallie Arts District (EGAD), we knew we needed our place-based school to bring value to the local community through project-based learning (...because everyone’s hands belong in the dirt!). We also knew that in order for that to work, the community had to be open to receive us. Now that we’ve done this once and more than 500 students and educators of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds have benefitted, we’re excited to repeat and scale the model so that EVERY community can THRIVE.  

For anyone that’s able to give $229 or more today, you and a guest will be invited to join us for Pumpkin Pie and Our Reason ‘Why’, a blended virtual and in-person panel discussion this Thursday, Nov 5th where we’ll reveal what’s next alongside our founders, educators, and students -- oh, and eat pumpkin pie made with PUMPKIN from our community garden (delivery options available).   

Customized project plans will be made available to private and corporate donors who are able to give $25,000 or more to this effort. For more information, please contact ayana@verdiecoschool.org 

We're excited to invite you to GROW with us. Literally. 

How can you help? 

We need you and your friends to join us in spreading the word and make a Community Thrives donation online before October 16th! This is a national competition for nonprofits across the United States. For every fundraising milestone we achieve together, matching funds and bonus challenges will help us get closer and closer to our $100,000 goal. 

It will take a village! It will take a community that's willing to work together to accomplish great things! We believe in you and cannot WAIT to collaborate. 

Learn more about Verdi community programs on our website

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