Where Learning Grows: One Cool Earth’s Impact on Students and Schools

One Cool Earth (OCE) is a SLO County based nonprofit that creates garden based education programs that grow happy, healthy and smart youth. One Cool Earth partners with public schools to maintain outdoor garden classrooms and places Garden Educators at each site to teach one or two days per week. Currently, One Cool Earth is partnered with 34 schools across SLO County with district wide partnerships in PRJUSD, AUSD, SMJUSD, Coast USD and Shandon USD. OCE supports 70% of elementary schools in the county working with 14,000 students. Each week students visit the garden to learn Next Generation Science Standards aligned curriculum. Additionally, the gardens are interdisciplinary spaces used for art, poetry, math and history but one area the gardens thrive is supporting social emotional wellbeing of the school community.

Gardens are spaces where students can slow down, connect with themselves, and feel a sense of belonging. In the rhythm of planting, watering, and harvesting, there is an opportunity for students to regulate their nervous systems, build confidence, and experience joy in learning.

For many students, science is not always most easily learned within the four walls of a classroom. Many students are better able to latch on to science concepts through the hands-on investigations that school gardens offer. Students who may struggle in traditional classroom settings, dual immersion students, or have learning disabilities often find success and pride in the garden.

When it comes to student wellness, Garden Educators intentionally weave teachings on well-being into every lesson. Whether students are tasting something they grew for the first time, working together to solve a problem, or caring for a living system, they are practicing skills that support emotional resilience. These experiences help build self-esteem, strengthen peer relationships, and create positive associations with school.

Gardens also offer a unique space for co-regulation and connection. With limited counseling resources in many schools, outdoor classrooms can serve as an additional layer of support. Students have a place to process emotions, resolve conflicts, and reconnect with their peers in a calm and grounded environment. Para educators will use the garden as tool to support students needing regulation. Teachers often share that time in the garden leads to fewer behavioral challenges, fewer absences, and a stronger sense of community in their classrooms.

One Cool Earth supports the whole child. By integrating hands-on learning with opportunities for reflection, movement, and connection to nature, OCE is helping to nurture not just healthy students, but resilient and compassionate individuals. OCE partners with schools across San Luis Obispo County to ensure that every student has access to spaces that support their well being, both inside and outside the classroom.