CommUniverCity: Growing Sustainably

The Authority helped to fund Veggielution’s Eastside Explorers, an experiential, hands-on field trip program which engages hundreds of middle school students each year. Field trip activities are centered around collaborative group tasks focused on urban agriculture, nutrition, human impacts, and ecological interconnections. Veggielution's historical location in East San José encourages discovery while pushing students and teachers to develop a sense of teamwork and fostering a strong sense of place.

The Authority contributed funds to Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful's Coyote Meadows Park Community Planning and Concept project. In the heart of the City of San Jose, Coyote Meadows (formerly known as a homeless encampment named "The Jungle") is a nearly 50-acre parcel of land designated as open space owned by the City of San Jose along Coyote Creek. This land is a linchpin for connecting the community in an east-west and north-south route as a trail corridor. Together with the City of San Jose, community members seek to activate this area as a natural park adjacent to a neglected waterway. This project will provide community planning and conceptual designs, with the end result of a urban open space park with native plants, passive recreational uses, and a strong stewardship infrastructure.

Garden to Table Silicon Valley's Growing Our Urban Roots Youth Education Program provides a hands-on learning opportunity for students to step into leadership roles, become environmental stewards, and build community resilience. It empowers middle school and high school students as leaders in their community to grow food sustainability while providing mentorship and teaching opportunities for our next generation.