Cultivating Community Portland

     Proposing a new Public Charter School

     Building on the existing after school and summer programs for at risk kids in Portland, we propose a middle school with approximately 150 pupils (50/grade 6-8).

     Like our youth development programs, the learning in the school will be highly experiential, grounded in the authentic task of growing food for the school community and for the greater community beyond.

     From this real work rooted in real need will flow the academic explorations in language arts, social studies, science, and math.

     Cultivating Community was founded in 2001 by Craig Lapine, Executive Director, as an extension of his decade-long work with youth as a coach, mentor, community gardener, and, for eight years, a high school English teacher.

     Before founding Cultivating Community, Craig had developed and taught a number of innovative curricula related to food and sustainability, including an experiential language arts curriculum for Boston's Food Project.

     Cultivating Community is growing sustainable communities. We use organic, sustainable practices to grow food in our community and school gardens and at partnering farms. That food feeds those among us who are most vulnerable.

    And we use our community food work as an engine for high-impact youth and community development programs that reconnect people to the natural and social systems that sustain us all.

    We work with schools and youth-serving organizations to create school-day and after-school garden programs that are high-impact, hands-on, and fun!

 Students dig in with seeds, seedlings, and garden work and are challenged to think critically about issues of social and environmental justice, self-sufficiency, and ecological sustainability. They have opportunities to help alleviate hunger and give back to their communities.

 We are available to create on-site programs, or to mentor and provide technical assistance to teachers interested in garden-based education. And we can help connect garden programs to the Maine Learning Results and ensure that the garden is an integral part of the learning environment.