OUT TEACH: Form 990, tax year 2012
View the entire original 990 at ProPublica ↗
- Organization
- OUT TEACH (EIN 20-5946552)
- Tax period
- 2012-07-01 to 2013-06-30
- Filed
- 2014-03-26
- IRS object ID
- 201420859349300202
- Schema version
- 2012v2.3
- Source
- Download XML · Original 990 at ProPublica
Every field in the e-filed return. Faint text is the IRS element name, for citing.
Return header ReturnHeader
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Timestamp | 2014-03-26T07:26:44-05:00 | Timestamp |
| Tax Period End Date | 2013-06-30 | TaxPeriodEndDate |
Preparer Firm PreparerFirm
Preparer Firm Business Name PreparerFirmBusinessName
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name Line1 | BKD LLP | BusinessNameLine1 |
Preparer Firm US Address PreparerFirmUSAddress
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Address Line1 | 14241 DALLAS PARKWAY SUITE 1100 | AddressLine1 |
| City | DALLAS | City |
| State | TX | State |
| ZIP Code | 75254 | ZIPCode |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Return Type | 990 | ReturnType |
| Tax Period Begin Date | 2012-07-01 | TaxPeriodBeginDate |
Filer Filer
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| EIN | 205946552 | EIN |
Name Name
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name Line1 | REAL SCHOOL GARDENS | BusinessNameLine1 |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| In Care Of Name | % JEFF CROSS | InCareOfName |
| Name Control | REAL | NameControl |
| Phone | 8173488102 | Phone |
US Address USAddress
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Address Line1 | 1700 UNIVERSITY DRIVE 260 | AddressLine1 |
| Address Line2 | Suite | AddressLine2 |
| City | FORT WORTH | City |
| State | TX | State |
| ZIP Code | 76107 | ZIPCode |
Officer Officer
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Name | JEANNE MCCARTY | Name |
| Title | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | Title |
| Phone | 5013721040 | Phone |
| Date Signed | 2014-03-05 | DateSigned |
| Authorize Third Party | true | AuthorizeThirdParty |
Preparer Preparer
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 9727028262 | Phone |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Tax Year | 2012 | TaxYear |
| Build TS | 2015-11-30 17:44:51Z | BuildTS |
Form 990 IRS990
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Name Of Principal Officer Person | JEANNE MCCARTY | NameOfPrincipalOfficerPerson |
Address Principal Officer US AddressPrincipalOfficerUS
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Address Line1 | 1700 UNIVERSITY DRIVE 260 | AddressLine1 |
| City | FORT WORTH | City |
| State | TX | State |
| ZIP Code | 76107 | ZIPCode |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Receipts | 1402278 | GrossReceipts |
| Group Return For Affiliates | false | GroupReturnForAffiliates |
| Organization501c3 | X | Organization501c3 |
| Web Site | WWW.REALSCHOOLGARDENS.ORG | WebSite |
| Type Of Organization Corporation | X | TypeOfOrganizationCorporation |
| Year Formation | 2007 | YearFormation |
| State Legal Domicile | TX | StateLegalDomicile |
| Activity Or Mission Description | WE CREATE LEARNING GARDENS THAT GROW SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS. | ActivityOrMissionDescription |
| Nbr Voting Members Governing Body | 8 | NbrVotingMembersGoverningBody |
| Nbr Independent Voting Members | 7 | NbrIndependentVotingMembers |
| Total Nbr Employees | 13 | TotalNbrEmployees |
| Total Nbr Volunteers | 1840 | TotalNbrVolunteers |
| Total Gross UBI | 0 | TotalGrossUBI |
| Net Unrelated Business Txbl Income | 0 | NetUnrelatedBusinessTxblIncome |
| Contributions Grants Prior Year | 1692892 | ContributionsGrantsPriorYear |
| Contributions Grants Current Year | 1339673 | ContributionsGrantsCurrentYear |
| Program Service Revenue Prior Year | 68359 | ProgramServiceRevenuePriorYear |
| Program Service Revenue CY | 41253 | ProgramServiceRevenueCY |
| Investment Income Prior Year | -10838 | InvestmentIncomePriorYear |
| Investment Income Current Year | -14897 | InvestmentIncomeCurrentYear |
| Other Revenue Prior Year | 3296 | OtherRevenuePriorYear |
| Other Revenue Current Year | 1882 | OtherRevenueCurrentYear |
| Total Revenue Prior Year | 1753709 | TotalRevenuePriorYear |
| Total Revenue Current Year | 1367911 | TotalRevenueCurrentYear |
| Grants And Similar Amnts Prior Year | 0 | GrantsAndSimilarAmntsPriorYear |
| Grants And Similar Amnts CY | 0 | GrantsAndSimilarAmntsCY |
| Benefits Paid To Members Prior Year | 0 | BenefitsPaidToMembersPriorYear |
| Benefits Paid To Members CY | 0 | BenefitsPaidToMembersCY |
| Salaries Etc Prior Year | 714140 | SalariesEtcPriorYear |
| Salaries Etc Current Year | 821956 | SalariesEtcCurrentYear |
| Total Prof Fundrsng Exp Prior Year | 4017 | TotalProfFundrsngExpPriorYear |
| Total Prof Fundrsng Exp CY | 0 | TotalProfFundrsngExpCY |
| Total Fundrsng Exp Current Year | 199737 | TotalFundrsngExpCurrentYear |
| Other Expense Prior Year | 522978 | OtherExpensePriorYear |
| Other Expenses Current Year | 527650 | OtherExpensesCurrentYear |
| Total Expenses Prior Year | 1241135 | TotalExpensesPriorYear |
| Total Expenses Current Year | 1349606 | TotalExpensesCurrentYear |
| Revenues Less Expenses Prior Year | 512574 | RevenuesLessExpensesPriorYear |
| Revenues Less Expenses CY | 18305 | RevenuesLessExpensesCY |
| Total Assets BOY | 1072393 | TotalAssetsBOY |
| Total Assets EOY | 1101673 | TotalAssetsEOY |
| Total Liabilities BOY | 31756 | TotalLiabilitiesBOY |
| Total Liabilities EOY | 42731 | TotalLiabilitiesEOY |
| Net Assets Or Fund Balances BOY | 1040637 | NetAssetsOrFundBalancesBOY |
| Net Assets Or Fund Balances EOY | 1058942 | NetAssetsOrFundBalancesEOY |
| Info In Schedule O Part III | X | InfoInScheduleOPartIII |
| Mission Description | WE CREATE LEARNING GARDENS THAT GROW SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS. REAL SCHOOL GARDENS PARTNERS WITH COMMUNITIES TO BUILD LEARNING GARDENS IN LOW-INCOME ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND ESTABLISH AN OUTDOOR CURRICULUM THAT PRODUCES PROVEN ACADEMIC AND HEALTH BENEFITS. REAL SCHOOL GARDENS BEGAN WITHIN THE DALLAS AND FORT WORTH, TX SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND NOW HAS GARDENS IN 88 SCHOOLS, TRAINS 2,700 TEACHERS, AND ENSURES THAT MORE THAN 49,000 STUDENTS ARE RECEIVING OUTDOOR LEARNING TIME AND ROBUST HANDS-ON INSTRUCTION TO HELP THEM SUCCEED ACADEMICALLY AND PERSONALLY. | MissionDescription |
| Significant New Program Services | false | SignificantNewProgramServices |
| Significant Change | false | SignificantChange |
| Expense | 208348 | Expense |
| Revenue | 2703 | Revenue |
| Description | SCHOOL GARDEN INSTALLATION AND SUPPORT - SEE SCHEDULE O FOR FURTHER DETAILS | Description |
Activity2 Activity2
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Expense | 411251 | Expense |
| Revenue | 38550 | Revenue |
| Description | EDUCATOR TRAINING AND RESOURCES - SEE SCHEDULE O FOR FURTHER DETAILS | Description |
Activity3 Activity3
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Expense | 419871 | Expense |
| Description | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT - SEE SCHEDULE O FOR FURTHER DETAILS | Description |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Program Service Expense | 1039470 | TotalProgramServiceExpense |
| Described In501 C3 | true | DescribedIn501C3 |
| Schedule B Required | true | ScheduleBRequired |
| Political Activities | false | PoliticalActivities |
| Lobbying Activities | false | LobbyingActivities |
| Subject To Proxy Tax | false | SubjectToProxyTax |
| Donor Advised Funds | false | DonorAdvisedFunds |
| Conservation Easements | false | ConservationEasements |
| Collections Of Art | false | CollectionsOfArt |
| Credit Counseling | false | CreditCounseling |
| Term Or Permanent Endowments | false | TermOrPermanentEndowments |
| Report Land Bldg Equip | true | ReportLandBldgEquip |
| Report Invest Oth Securities | false | ReportInvestOthSecurities |
| Report Prog Rel Invest | false | ReportProgRelInvest |
| Report Other Assets | false | ReportOtherAssets |
| Report Other Liabilities | false | ReportOtherLiabilities |
| Report Fin48 Footnote | false | ReportFin48Footnote |
| Independent Audit Financial Stmt | true | IndependentAuditFinancialStmt |
| Consolidated Audit Financial Stmt | false | ConsolidatedAuditFinancialStmt |
| School | false | School |
| Foreign Office | false | ForeignOffice |
| Foreign Activities | false | ForeignActivities |
| More Than5000 K To Organizations | false | MoreThan5000KToOrganizations |
| More Than5000 K To Individuals | false | MoreThan5000KToIndividuals |
| Professional Fundraising | false | ProfessionalFundraising |
| Fundraising Activities | false | FundraisingActivities |
| Gaming | false | Gaming |
| Hospital | false | Hospital |
| Grants To Organizations | false | GrantsToOrganizations |
| Grants To Individuals | false | GrantsToIndividuals |
| Schedule J Required | false | ScheduleJRequired |
| Tax Exempt Bonds | false | TaxExemptBonds |
| Excess Benefit Transaction | false | ExcessBenefitTransaction |
| Prior Excess Benefit Transaction | false | PriorExcessBenefitTransaction |
| Loan To Officer Or DQP | false | LoanToOfficerOrDQP |
| Grant To Related Person | false | GrantToRelatedPerson |
| Bsnss Rltnshp With Organization | false | BsnssRltnshpWithOrganization |
| Bsnss Rltnshp Thru Family Member | false | BsnssRltnshpThruFamilyMember |
| Officer Entity With Bsnss Rltnshp | false | OfficerEntityWithBsnssRltnshp |
| Deductible Non Cash Contributions | false | DeductibleNonCashContributions |
| Deductible Contributions Of Art | false | DeductibleContributionsOfArt |
| Terminated | false | Terminated |
| Partial Liquidation | false | PartialLiquidation |
| Disregarded Entity | false | DisregardedEntity |
| Related Entity | false | RelatedEntity |
| Related Org Controlled Entity | false | RelatedOrgControlledEntity |
| Transfers To Exempt Non Chrtbl Org | false | TransfersToExemptNonChrtblOrg |
| Activities Conducted Partnership | false | ActivitiesConductedPartnership |
| Schedule O Required | true | ScheduleORequired |
| Number Forms Transmitted With1096 | 19 | NumberFormsTransmittedWith1096 |
| Number W2 G Included | 0 | NumberW2GIncluded |
| Number Of Employees | 13 | NumberOfEmployees |
| Employment Tax Returns Filed | true | EmploymentTaxReturnsFiled |
| Unrelated Business Income | false | UnrelatedBusinessIncome |
| Foreign Financial Account | false | ForeignFinancialAccount |
| Prohibited Tax Shelter Trans | false | ProhibitedTaxShelterTrans |
| Taxable Party Notification | false | TaxablePartyNotification |
| Non Deductible Contributions | false | NonDeductibleContributions |
| Quid Pro Quo Contributions | false | QuidProQuoContributions |
| Form8282 Property Disposed Of | false | Form8282PropertyDisposedOf |
| Funds To Pay Premiums | false | FundsToPayPremiums |
| Premiums Paid | false | PremiumsPaid |
| Indoor Tanning Services | false | IndoorTanningServices |
| Info In Schedule O Part VI | X | InfoInScheduleOPartVI |
| Nbr Voting Governing Body Members | 8 | NbrVotingGoverningBodyMembers |
| Number Independent Voting Members | 7 | NumberIndependentVotingMembers |
| Family Or Business Relationship | false | FamilyOrBusinessRelationship |
| Delegation Of Management Duties | false | DelegationOfManagementDuties |
| Changes To Organizing Docs | false | ChangesToOrganizingDocs |
| Material Diversion Or Misuse | false | MaterialDiversionOrMisuse |
| Members Or Stockholders | false | MembersOrStockholders |
| Election Of Board Members | false | ElectionOfBoardMembers |
| Decisions Subject To Approval | false | DecisionsSubjectToApproval |
| Minutes Of Governing Body | true | MinutesOfGoverningBody |
| Minutes Of Committees | false | MinutesOfCommittees |
| Officer Mailing Address | false | OfficerMailingAddress |
| Local Chapters | false | LocalChapters |
| Form990 Provided To Governing Body | true | Form990ProvidedToGoverningBody |
| Conflict Of Interest Policy | true | ConflictOfInterestPolicy |
| Annual Disclosure Covered Persons | true | AnnualDisclosureCoveredPersons |
| Regular Monitoring Enforcement | true | RegularMonitoringEnforcement |
| Whistleblower Policy | true | WhistleblowerPolicy |
| Document Retention Policy | true | DocumentRetentionPolicy |
| Compensation Process CEO | true | CompensationProcessCEO |
| Compensation Process Other | true | CompensationProcessOther |
| Investment In Joint Venture | false | InvestmentInJointVenture |
| Upon Request | X | UponRequest |
The Books Are In Care Of TheBooksAreInCareOf
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Name Person | JEFF CROSS | NamePerson |
| Telephone Number | 8173488102 | TelephoneNumber |
Address US AddressUS
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Address Line1 | 1700 UNIVERSITY DRIVE 260 | AddressLine1 |
| City | FORT WORTH | City |
| State | TX | State |
| ZIP Code | 76107 | ZIPCode |
Form990 Part VII Section A Form990PartVIISectionA (9 entries)
| TitleTitle | Average Hours Per WeekAverageHoursPerWeek | Individual Trustee Or DirectorIndividualTrusteeOrDirector | OfficerOfficer | Reportable Comp From OrganizationReportableCompFromOrganization | Reportable Comp From Related OrgsReportableCompFromRelatedOrgs | Other CompensationOtherCompensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEANNE MCCARTY | ||||||
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40.0 | X | X | 121943 | 0 | 4664 |
| FRED THOMPSON | ||||||
| BOARD CHAIR | 5.0 | X | X | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DELAINE EASTIN | ||||||
| VICE CHAIRMAN | 2.0 | X | X | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ROBERT MENZI | ||||||
| TREASURER | 2.0 | X | X | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| KELLY GARRETT | ||||||
| BOARD MEMBER | 2.0 | X | X | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| KAREN DIELMAN | ||||||
| BOARD MEMBER | 2.0 | X | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| CAROLINA M MATA-TOVAR | ||||||
| BOARD MEMBER | 2.0 | X | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| JULIE NEIMAT | ||||||
| BOARD MEMBER | 2.0 | X | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| JEFF CROSS | ||||||
| DIR OF FINANCE/OPERATIONS | 40.0 | X | 77142 | 0 | 7864 | |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Reportable Comp From Org | 199085 | TotalReportableCompFromOrg |
| Total Reportable Comp Frm Rltd Orgs | 0 | TotalReportableCompFrmRltdOrgs |
| Total Other Compensation | 12528 | TotalOtherCompensation |
| Number Individuals GT100 K | 1 | NumberIndividualsGT100K |
| Formers Listed | false | FormersListed |
| Total Comp GT150 K | false | TotalCompGT150K |
| Compensation From Other Sources | false | CompensationFromOtherSources |
| Number Of Contractors GT100 K | 0 | NumberOfContractorsGT100K |
| All Other Contributions | 1339673 | AllOtherContributions |
| Noncash Contributions | 12619 | NoncashContributions |
| Total Contributions | 1339673 | TotalContributions |
Program Service Revenue ProgramServiceRevenue (2 entries)
| DescriptionDescription | Business CodeBusinessCode | Total Revenue ColumnTotalRevenueColumn | Related Or Exempt Function IncomeRelatedOrExemptFunctionIncome |
|---|---|---|---|
| PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES | 900099 | 38550 | 38550 |
| GARDEN PROJECTS PROGRAM FEES | 900099 | 2703 | 2703 |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Program Service Revenue | 41253 | TotalProgramServiceRevenue |
Investment Income InvestmentIncome
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue Column | 2286 | TotalRevenueColumn |
| Related Or Exempt Function Income | 0 | RelatedOrExemptFunctionIncome |
| Unrelated Business Revenue | 0 | UnrelatedBusinessRevenue |
| Exclusion | $2,286 | ExclusionAmount |
Income From Invest Bond Proceeds IncomeFromInvestBondProceeds
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue Column | 0 | TotalRevenueColumn |
Royalties Revenue RoyaltiesRevenue
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue Column | 0 | TotalRevenueColumn |
Rental Income Or Loss RentalIncomeOrLoss
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Real | 0 | Real |
| Personal | 0 | Personal |
Net Rental Income Or Loss NetRentalIncomeOrLoss
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue Column | 0 | TotalRevenueColumn |
Gross Amount Sales Assets GrossAmountSalesAssets
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 17184 | Other |
Less Cost Oth Basis Sales Expenses LessCostOthBasisSalesExpenses
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 34367 | Other |
Gain Or Loss GainOrLoss
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Other | -17183 | Other |
Net Gain Or Loss Investments NetGainOrLossInvestments
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue Column | -17183 | TotalRevenueColumn |
| Related Or Exempt Function Income | 0 | RelatedOrExemptFunctionIncome |
| Unrelated Business Revenue | 0 | UnrelatedBusinessRevenue |
| Exclusion | -$17,183 | ExclusionAmount |
Net Income From Fundraising Events NetIncomeFromFundraisingEvents
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue Column | 0 | TotalRevenueColumn |
Net Income From Gaming NetIncomeFromGaming
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue Column | 0 | TotalRevenueColumn |
Net Income Or Loss NetIncomeOrLoss
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue Column | 0 | TotalRevenueColumn |
Other Revenue Misc OtherRevenueMisc
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Description | OTHER REVENUE | Description |
| Business Code | 900099 | BusinessCode |
| Total Revenue Column | 1882 | TotalRevenueColumn |
| Exclusion | $1,882 | ExclusionAmount |
Miscellaneous Revenue MiscellaneousRevenue
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue Column | 1882 | TotalRevenueColumn |
| Exclusion | $1,882 | ExclusionAmount |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Other Revenue | 1882 | TotalOtherRevenue |
Total Revenue TotalRevenue
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue Column | 1367911 | TotalRevenueColumn |
| Related Or Exempt Function Income | 41253 | RelatedOrExemptFunctionIncome |
| Unrelated Business Revenue | 0 | UnrelatedBusinessRevenue |
| Exclusion | -$13,015 | ExclusionAmount |
Grants To Domestic Orgs GrantsToDomesticOrgs
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Grants To Domestic Individuals GrantsToDomesticIndividuals
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Foreign Grants ForeignGrants
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Benefits To Members BenefitsToMembers
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Comp Current Officers Directors CompCurrentOfficersDirectors
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 237285 | Total |
| Program Services | 144918 | ProgramServices |
| Management And General | 56677 | ManagementAndGeneral |
| Fundraising | 35690 | Fundraising |
Comp Disqual Persons CompDisqualPersons
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Other Salaries And Wages OtherSalariesAndWages
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 479357 | Total |
| Program Services | 371360 | ProgramServices |
| Fundraising | 107997 | Fundraising |
Pension Plan Contributions PensionPlanContributions
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 14065 | Total |
| Program Services | 10451 | ProgramServices |
| Management And General | 88 | ManagementAndGeneral |
| Fundraising | 3526 | Fundraising |
Other Employee Benefits OtherEmployeeBenefits
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 48832 | Total |
| Program Services | 31393 | ProgramServices |
| Management And General | 6387 | ManagementAndGeneral |
| Fundraising | 11052 | Fundraising |
Payroll Taxes PayrollTaxes
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 42417 | Total |
| Program Services | 32921 | ProgramServices |
| Management And General | 391 | ManagementAndGeneral |
| Fundraising | 9105 | Fundraising |
Fees For Services Management FeesForServicesManagement
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Fees For Services Legal FeesForServicesLegal
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Fees For Services Accounting FeesForServicesAccounting
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Fees For Services Lobbying FeesForServicesLobbying
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Fees For Services Prof Fundraising FeesForServicesProfFundraising
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Fees For Services Invst Mgmnt Fees FeesForServicesInvstMgmntFees
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Fees For Services Other FeesForServicesOther
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 124817 | Total |
| Program Services | 97696 | ProgramServices |
| Management And General | 20755 | ManagementAndGeneral |
| Fundraising | 6366 | Fundraising |
Advertising Advertising
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Office Expenses OfficeExpenses
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 32362 | Total |
| Program Services | 22342 | ProgramServices |
| Management And General | 5081 | ManagementAndGeneral |
| Fundraising | 4939 | Fundraising |
Information Technology InformationTechnology
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Royalties Royalties
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Occupancy Occupancy
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 85596 | Total |
| Program Services | 63309 | ProgramServices |
| Management And General | 11655 | ManagementAndGeneral |
| Fundraising | 10632 | Fundraising |
Travel Travel
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 27360 | Total |
| Program Services | 22063 | ProgramServices |
| Management And General | 1620 | ManagementAndGeneral |
| Fundraising | 3677 | Fundraising |
Travel Entrtnmnt Public Officials TravelEntrtnmntPublicOfficials
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Conferences Meetings ConferencesMeetings
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Interest Interest
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Payments To Affiliates PaymentsToAffiliates
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Depreciation Depletion DepreciationDepletion
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 26611 | Total |
| Program Services | 21225 | ProgramServices |
| Management And General | 1225 | ManagementAndGeneral |
| Fundraising | 4161 | Fundraising |
Insurance Insurance
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 5939 | Total |
| Program Services | 1932 | ProgramServices |
| Management And General | 4007 | ManagementAndGeneral |
| Fundraising | 0 | Fundraising |
Other Expenses OtherExpenses (4 entries)
| DescriptionDescription | TotalTotal | Program ServicesProgramServices | Management And GeneralManagementAndGeneral | FundraisingFundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GARDEN MATERIALS | 167058 | 167058 | ||
| EDUCATION PROGRAMMING/TRAINING | 48314 | 48314 | ||
| COMMUNITY OUTREACH | 9127 | 4225 | 2438 | 2464 |
| . |
All Other Expenses AllOtherExpenses
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 466 | Total |
| Program Services | 263 | ProgramServices |
| Management And General | 75 | ManagementAndGeneral |
| Fundraising | 128 | Fundraising |
Total Functional Expenses TotalFunctionalExpenses
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 1349606 | Total |
| Program Services | 1039470 | ProgramServices |
| Management And General | 110399 | ManagementAndGeneral |
| Fundraising | 199737 | Fundraising |
Cash Non Interest Bearing CashNonInterestBearing
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 200455 | BOY |
| EOY | 74899 | EOY |
Savings And Temp Cash Investments SavingsAndTempCashInvestments
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 456326 | BOY |
| EOY | 738577 | EOY |
Pledges And Grants Receivable PledgesAndGrantsReceivable
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 300500 | BOY |
| EOY | 223217 | EOY |
Accounts Receivable AccountsReceivable
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 21205 | BOY |
| EOY | 2000 | EOY |
Receivables From Officers Etc ReceivablesFromOfficersEtc
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Receivables From Disqual Persons ReceivablesFromDisqualPersons
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Other Notes Loans Receivable Net OtherNotesLoansReceivableNet
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Inventories For Sale Or Use InventoriesForSaleOrUse
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 349 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Prepaid Expenses Deferred Charges PrepaidExpensesDeferredCharges
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 11229 | BOY |
| EOY | 8295 | EOY |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Land Buildings Equipment Basis | 281707 | LandBuildingsEquipmentBasis |
| Land Bldg Equipment Accum Deprec | 227022 | LandBldgEquipmentAccumDeprec |
Land Buildings Equipment Basis Net LandBuildingsEquipmentBasisNet
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 82329 | BOY |
| EOY | 54685 | EOY |
Investments Pub Traded Securities InvestmentsPubTradedSecurities
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Investments Other Securities InvestmentsOtherSecurities
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Investments Program Related InvestmentsProgramRelated
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Intangible Assets IntangibleAssets
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Other Assets Total OtherAssetsTotal
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Total Assets TotalAssets
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 1072393 | BOY |
| EOY | 1101673 | EOY |
Accounts Payable Accrued Expenses AccountsPayableAccruedExpenses
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 31756 | BOY |
| EOY | 42731 | EOY |
Grants Payable GrantsPayable
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Deferred Revenue DeferredRevenue
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Tax Exempt Bond Liabilities TaxExemptBondLiabilities
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Escrow Account Liability EscrowAccountLiability
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Loans From Officers Directors LoansFromOfficersDirectors
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Mort Notes Pybl Secured Invest Prop MortNotesPyblSecuredInvestProp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Unsecured Notes Loans Payable UnsecuredNotesLoansPayable
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Other Liabilities OtherLiabilities
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Total Liabilities TotalLiabilities
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 31756 | BOY |
| EOY | 42731 | EOY |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Follow SFAS117 | X | FollowSFAS117 |
Unrestricted Net Assets UnrestrictedNetAssets
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 650637 | BOY |
| EOY | 820704 | EOY |
Temporarily Restricted Net Assets TemporarilyRestrictedNetAssets
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 390000 | BOY |
| EOY | 238238 | EOY |
Permanently Restricted Net Assets PermanentlyRestrictedNetAssets
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 0 | BOY |
| EOY | 0 | EOY |
Total Net Assets Fund Balances TotalNetAssetsFundBalances
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 1040637 | BOY |
| EOY | 1058942 | EOY |
Total Liab Net Assets Fund Balances TotalLiabNetAssetsFundBalances
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | 1072393 | BOY |
| EOY | 1101673 | EOY |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Reconcilation Revenue Expenses | 18305 | ReconcilationRevenueExpenses |
| Method Of Accounting Accrual | X | MethodOfAccountingAccrual |
| Accountant Compile Or Review | false | AccountantCompileOrReview |
| FS Audited | true | FSAudited |
FS Audited Basis FSAuditedBasis
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Statement Separate | X | FinancialStatementSeparate |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Audit Committee | true | AuditCommittee |
| Federal Grant Audit Required | false | FederalGrantAuditRequired |
Schedule A IRS990ScheduleA
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Publicly Supported Org170b1 Avi | X | PubliclySupportedOrg170b1Avi |
Gifts Grants Contrib Received170 GiftsGrantsContribReceived170
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Current Tax Year Minus4 Years | 1209077 | CurrentTaxYearMinus4Years |
| Current Tax Year Minus3 Years | 1087934 | CurrentTaxYearMinus3Years |
| Current Tax Year Minus2 Years | 1198804 | CurrentTaxYearMinus2Years |
| Current Tax Year Minus1 Year | 1692892 | CurrentTaxYearMinus1Year |
| Current Tax Year | 1339673 | CurrentTaxYear |
| Total | 6528380 | Total |
Tax Rev Levied For Org Benefit170 TaxRevLeviedForOrgBenefit170
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Value Srvc Fclts Furnished By Govt ValueSrvcFcltsFurnishedByGovt
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Total170 Total170
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Current Tax Year Minus4 Years | 1209077 | CurrentTaxYearMinus4Years |
| Current Tax Year Minus3 Years | 1087934 | CurrentTaxYearMinus3Years |
| Current Tax Year Minus2 Years | 1198804 | CurrentTaxYearMinus2Years |
| Current Tax Year Minus1 Year | 1692892 | CurrentTaxYearMinus1Year |
| Current Tax Year | 1339673 | CurrentTaxYear |
| Total | 6528380 | Total |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Amounts Subst Contributors Total | 4092554 | AmountsSubstContributorsTotal |
| Public Support Total170 | 2435826 | PublicSupportTotal170 |
Gross Investment Income170 GrossInvestmentIncome170
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Current Tax Year Minus4 Years | 55571 | CurrentTaxYearMinus4Years |
| Current Tax Year Minus3 Years | 46992 | CurrentTaxYearMinus3Years |
| Current Tax Year Minus2 Years | 31846 | CurrentTaxYearMinus2Years |
| Current Tax Year Minus1 Year | 2936 | CurrentTaxYearMinus1Year |
| Current Tax Year | 2286 | CurrentTaxYear |
| Total | 139631 | Total |
Net UBI NetUBI
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 0 | Total |
Other Income170 OtherIncome170
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Current Tax Year Minus4 Years | 803 | CurrentTaxYearMinus4Years |
| Current Tax Year Minus3 Years | 348 | CurrentTaxYearMinus3Years |
| Current Tax Year Minus2 Years | 18600 | CurrentTaxYearMinus2Years |
| Current Tax Year Minus1 Year | 2796 | CurrentTaxYearMinus1Year |
| Current Tax Year | 1882 | CurrentTaxYear |
| Total | 24429 | Total |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Support | 6692440 | TotalSupport |
| Gross Receipts From Admissions Etc | 148272 | GrossReceiptsFromAdmissionsEtc |
| Public Support Pertcentage170 | 0.36397 | PublicSupportPertcentage170 |
| Public Support Pertcent Prior Year | 0.24142 | PublicSupportPertcentPriorYear |
| Thirty Three Percnt Tests CY170 | X | ThirtyThreePercntTestsCY170 |
Schedule B IRS990ScheduleB
Contributor Info ContributorInfo
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Contributor Number | RESTRICTED | ContributorNumber |
Contributor Name Business ContributorNameBusiness
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name Line1 | RESTRICTED | BusinessNameLine1 |
Contributor Address US ContributorAddressUS
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Address Line1 | RESTRICTED | AddressLine1 |
| Address Line2 | RESTRICTED | AddressLine2 |
| City | RESTRICTED | City |
| State | RESTRICTED | State |
| ZIP Code | RESTRICTED | ZIPCode |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate Contributions | RESTRICTED | AggregateContributions |
Schedule D IRS990ScheduleD
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Art Public Exhibition Amts | ArtPublicExhibitionAmts | |
| Held Works Of Art Amts | HeldWorksOfArtAmts | |
| Current Year Minus3 Years | CurrentYearMinus3Years | |
| Current Year Minus4 Years | CurrentYearMinus4Years | |
| Land | Land | |
| Buildings | Buildings | |
| Leasehold Improvements | LeaseholdImprovements |
Equipment Equipment
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Investment Cost Or Other Basis | 0 | InvestmentCostOrOtherBasis |
| Other Cost Or Other Basis | 238819 | OtherCostOrOtherBasis |
| Depreciation | 207125 | Depreciation |
| Book Value | 31694 | BookValue |
Other Land Buildings OtherLandBuildings
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Other Cost Or Other Basis | 42888 | OtherCostOrOtherBasis |
| Depreciation | 19897 | Depreciation |
| Book Value | 22991 | BookValue |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Of Book Value Land Buildings | 54685 | TotalOfBookValueLandBuildings |
| Tot Revenue Etc Audited Fincl Stmt | 1407594 | TotRevenueEtcAuditedFinclStmt |
| Donated Srvc And Use Of Facilities | 22500 | DonatedSrvcAndUseOfFacilities |
| Revenue Not Rptd F990 | 22500 | RevenueNotRptdF990 |
| Revenue Subtotal | 1385094 | RevenueSubtotal |
| Other Revenues Not Included | -17183 | OtherRevenuesNotIncluded |
| Revenue Not Rptd On Fin Stmt | -17183 | RevenueNotRptdOnFinStmt |
| Total Revenue Per Form990 | 1367911 | TotalRevenuePerForm990 |
| Tot Expenses Etc Audited Fincl Stmt | 1389289 | TotExpensesEtcAuditedFinclStmt |
| Donated Services Use Of Facilities | 22500 | DonatedServicesUseOfFacilities |
| Other Expenses Included | 17183 | OtherExpensesIncluded |
| Expenses Not Rptd F990 | 39683 | ExpensesNotRptdF990 |
| Expenses Subtotal | 1349606 | ExpensesSubtotal |
| Total Expenses Per Form990 | 1349606 | TotalExpensesPerForm990 |
Form990 Schedule D Part XIII Form990ScheduleDPartXIII (2 entries)
| IdentifierIdentifier | Return ReferenceReturnReference | ExplanationExplanation |
|---|---|---|
| EXPENSE INCLUDED IN EXPENSES PER AUDIT, INCLUDED IN REVENUE PER RETURN | FORM 990, SCHEDULE D, PART XI, LINE 4B | LOSS ON SALE OF FIXED ASSETS -$17,183 |
| EXPENSE INCLUDED IN EXPENSES PER AUDIT, INCLUDED IN REVENUE PER RETURN | FORM 990, SCHEDULE D, PART XII, LINE 2D | LOSS ON SALE OF FIXED ASSETS $17,183 |
Schedule O IRS990ScheduleO
General Explanation GeneralExplanation (7 entries)
| IdentifierIdentifier | Return ReferenceReturnReference | ExplanationExplanation |
|---|---|---|
| AUTHORITY TO ACT ON BEHALF OF GOVERNING BODY | FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION A, LINE 8B | THERE ARE NO COMMITTEES WITH AUTHORITY TO ACT ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNING BODY. |
| REVIEW OF FORM 990 | FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 11B | THE FORM 990 IS INITIALLY REVIEWED BY THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND OPERATION AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. THE DOCUMENT IS REFINED, IF NECESSARY, AND THEN PROVIDED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS - FINANCE CHAIR FOR REVIEW AND COMMENT. THE DOCUMENT IS REFINED, IF NECESSARY, AND THEN DISTRIBUTED TO THE FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR REVIEW AND COMMENT. THE FORM 990 IS THEN FINALIZED AND SUBMITTED TO THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE. |
| CONFLICT OF INTEREST | FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 12C | ALL NEW EMPLOYEES ARE BRIEFED ABOUT THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY AS PART OF AN ORIENTATION ABOUT STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT FOR THE ORGANIZATION. THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY IS REVIEWED WITH ALL EMPLOYEES AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS EACH JUNE, AS THE ORGANIZATION PREPARES TO KICK-OFF A NEW FISCAL YEAR. AT THIS TIME, EACH DIRECTOR, OFFICER, AND EMPLOYEE IS ASKED TO ACKNOWLEDGE IN WRITING THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE POLICY. IN ADDITION, EACH DIRECTOR, OFFICER AND EMPLOYEE IS ASKED TO COMPLETE A DISCLOSURE FORM THAT IDENTIFIES ANY RELATIONSHIPS, POSITIONS, OR CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MIGHT REPRESENT A CONFLICT OF INTEREST. THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND OPERATIONS SERVES AS THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER FOR THE ORGANIZATION, INVESTIGATING ANY REPORTED VIOLATIONS TO THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY. FINDINGS ARE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, INCLUDING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND APPROPRIATE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS ARE DETERMINED. |
| REVIEW OF COMPENSATION | FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 15A & 15B | THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, LED BY THE BOARD CHAIRMAN, ESTABLISHES COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND OPERATIONS AT REAL SCHOOL GARDENS. A COMPENSATION SURVEY OR STUDY IS USED DURING THIS PROCESS (I.E., PHILANTHROPY ROUNDTABLE'S COMPENSATION REPORT) TO DETERMINE A MARKET RANGE, AS IN BENCHMARKING WITH SELECT NON-PROFITS, INCLUDING THOSE WITH AN OUTDOOR LEARNING MISSION FOCUS. COMPENSATION IS FINALIZED WITHIN THE MARKET RATE RANGE BASED ON EXPERIENCE, EARNINGS HISTORY, AND RESULTS THE SELECTED CANDIDATE DEMONSTRATED IN RECENT ROLES. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVES THE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS PACKAGE FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND OPERATIONS. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND OPERATIONS ESTABLISHES COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS FOR OTHER KEY EMPLOYEES IN THE ORGANIZATION, BASED ON MARKET RATE RANGE, EXPERIENCE, EARNINGS HISTORY, AND RESULTS DEMONSTRATED BY THE CANDIDATE. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PRESENTS EMPLOYEE PROMOTION AND COMPENSATION RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR APPROVAL. |
| AVAILABILITY OF DOCUMENTS | FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION C, LINE 19 | THE ORGANIZATION'S GOVERNING DOCUMENTS, CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY, AND FINANCIAL POLICY ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC UPON REQUEST. THESE DOCUMENTS ARE PROVIDED EITHER ELECTRONICALLY OR VIA US MAIL, BASED ON THE PREFERENCE OF THE REQUESTOR. |
| OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE | FORM 990, PART XII, LINE 2C | THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ASSUMES RESPONSIBILITY FOR OVERSIGHT OF THE AUDIT AND SELECTION OF THE INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANT. THIS PROCESS HAS NOT CHANGED FROM THE PRIOR YEAR. |
| PROGRAM SERVICE DESCRIPTIONS | FORM 990, PART III - PROGRAM SERVICE, LINES 4A-4C | PROGRAM OVERVIEW WE CREATE LEARNING GARDENS THAT GROW SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS. REAL SCHOOL GARDENS PARTNERS WITH COMMUNITIES TO BUILD LEARNING GARDENS IN LOW-INCOME ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND ESTABLISH AN OUTDOOR CURRICULUM THAT PRODUCES PROVEN ACADEMIC AND HEALTH BENEFITS. REAL SCHOOL GARDENS BEGAN WITHIN THE DALLAS AND FORT WORTH, TX SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND NOW HAS GARDENS IN 88 SCHOOLS, TRAINS 2,700 TEACHERS, AND ENSURES THAT MORE THAN 49,000 STUDENTS ARE RECEIVING OUTDOOR LEARNING TIME AND ROBUST HANDS-ON INSTRUCTION TO HELP THEM SUCCEED ACADEMICALLY AND PERSONALLY. COMMUNITY DESIGN REAL SCHOOL GARDEN DESIGN EXPERTS WORK WITH SCHOOL STAFF, PARENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OUR CORPORATE FUNDING PARTNERS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE KIDS THEMSELVES TO DESIGN A LEARNING GARDEN THAT'S FUNCTIONAL, BEAUTIFUL, AND TAILORED TO EACH SCHOOL'S SPECIFIC NEEDS. CHILDREN DESIGN THEIR DREAM GARDENS BY MEASURING OUT THE SPACE, PLOTTING THEIR DESIGNS OUT TO SCALE ON GRAPH PAPER, OR EVEN MAKING 3D MODELS. AFTER THE CHILDREN VOTE ON THEIR FAVORITES, OUR GARDEN EXPERT WORKS WITH ALL OUR PROJECT PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT EACH GARDEN IS UNIQUELY TAILORED TO THE TEACHERS' NEEDS. BY INVOLVING EVERYONE WHO WILL BE USING AND CARING FOR THE GARDEN EARLY ON, THIS INCLUSIVE DESIGN PROCESS GENERATES A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP AND PRIDE. EVERYONE INVOLVED HAS A STAKE IN THE SUCCESS OF THE GARDEN, AND BECOMES INVESTED IN ITS USE, CARE AND MAINTENANCE. A THOUSAND PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN OUR DESIGN PROCESS THIS YEAR! THE BIG DIG! AFTER OUR PARTNER SCHOOLS HAVE DESIGNED THEIR LEARNING GARDENS, IT'S TIME TO BUILD THEM DURING OUR BIG DIG! ON THE DAY OF THE BIG DIG, BETWEEN 200-300 VOLUNTEERS INCLUDING FUNDING PARTNERS, KIDS, THEIR PARENTS AND TEACHERS GET TO WORK, INSTALLING THE LEARNING GARDEN IN JUST ONE DAY. OUR BIG DIGS PROVIDE A TURNKEY DAY OF COMMUNITY SERVICE FOR OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS, AND REAL SCHOOL GARDENS TAKES CARE OF ALL THE PREPARATIONS, LAYING OUT THE PLANS AND MATERIALS AND PROVIDING THE EXPERTISE TO ENSURE THE BIG DIG GOES SMOOTHLY AND THE GARDEN IS BUILT TO LAST FOR YEARS TO COME. IN ADDITION TO PLANTING VEGETABLES AND PERENNIALS, TEAMS INSTALL SHADE STRUCTURES, SEATING AREAS, PATHWAYS, AND RAIN COLLECTION SYSTEMS. VOLUNTEERS OF EVERY AGE CONTRIBUTE VALUABLE WORK ON TEAM PROJECTS, TRANSFORMING A WASTED SPACE INTO A BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN A SINGLE DAY. NOT ONLY IS THE BIG DIG A FULFILLING DAY OF VOLUNTEERISM, BUT THE LEARNING GARDENS CREATED PRODUCE REAL LONG-TERM RESULTS FOR LOW-INCOME SCHOOLS. REAL SCHOOL GARDENS HELD BIG DIGS IN SEVEN SCHOOLS LAST YEAR, WITH ALMOST 2,000 PLANTING HUNDREDS OF VEGETABLES, HERBS, PERENNIALS, AND TREES, AND BRINGING IN MORE THAN 120 YARDS OF SOIL, AND ALMOST 200 SEATING BOULDERS. OUR VOLUNTEERS CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS, ONE BOULDER AT A TIME. TEACHER TRAINING OUR ACCREDITED THREE YEAR TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM PROVIDES CONTINUING EDUCATION TO TEACHERS IN OUR ON-SITE, HANDS-ON DEMONSTRATION SESSIONS IN A STANDARDS-BASED CURRICULUM DESIGNED TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN SCIENCE, MATH, READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS. BEFORE THE GARDEN IS INSTALLED, TEACHERS RECEIVE LESSON PLANS ALIGNED WITH ACADEMIC STANDARDS, SO THEY'RE READY TO START USING THE GARDEN ON DAY ONE. REAL SCHOOL GARDENS THEN SENDS OUR CERTIFIED TEACHER-TRAINERS OUT TO THE SCHOOLS TO DEMONSTRATE LESSONS LINKED TO THEIR CORE CURRICULUM. 90% OF TEACHERS SAY THAT REAL SCHOOL GARDEN TRAININGS ARE DIRECTLY ALIGNED WITH CURRENT ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND OUR LESSONS ARE EASY TO IMPLEMENT WITH STUDENTS. SCHOOLS THAT ALREADY HAVE A LEARNING GARDEN MAY ALSO BENEFIT FROM OUR CURRICULUM AND OUR PROVEN TEACHER TRAINING SERVICES. REAL SCHOOL GARDENS TRAINED ALMOST 700 TEACHERS THIS YEAR. IN ADDITION TO OUR ON-SITE LESSON DEMONSTRATIONS, WE ALSO HELD 17 OFF-SITE TRAINING SESSIONS FOR TEACHERS FROM MULTIPLE SCHOOLS. LEARNING GARDEN USEAGE LIKE ALL GOOD EDUCATORS, WE KNOW THAT ATTENDANCE IS CRITICAL FOR SUCCESS, SO WE CAREFULLY TRACK HOW MANY TEACHERS AND STUDENTS USE THE GARDENS WE HELP CREATE. OUR MOST RECENT GROUP OF SCHOOLS IN THE REAL SCHOOL GARDEN PROGRAM SAW 58% OF THEIR TEACHERS USING THE GARDENS TO TEACH. AND 97% OF OUR GARDENS ARE WELL-USED AND WELL-MAINTAINED. IN FACT, GARDENS THAT HAVE BEEN IN OUR NETWORK FOR 10 YEARS ARE STILL GROWING STRONG. EVERGREEN SUPPORT REAL SCHOOL GARDENS PRODUCES LIFE-LONG LEARNING RESULTS BECAUSE WE INVEST HEAVILY IN LONG-TERM LEARNING GARDEN SUPPORT AND TEACHER TRAINING. EACH OF OUR 88 SCHOOLS WITH A REAL SCHOOL GARDEN ELECTS ONE "GARDEN COORDINATOR" AS THE SCHOOL'S POINT PERSON AND LEADER OF THE OUTDOOR LEARNING PROGRAM. AND AFTER ALL THE OTHER TEACHERS FINISH OUR RIGOROUS THREE-YEAR TRAINING PROGRAM, IT'S THE GARDEN COORDINATOR'S JOB TO ENSURE THE GARDEN IS IN TIP-TOP SHAPE, IS WELL-USED, AND CONTINUES TO THRIVE. THEY RECEIVE NEW PLANTS AND GARDEN SUPPLIES, PARTICIPATE IN CONTINUING EDUCATION SESSIONS, MEET WITH EXPERTS AND MENTORS, CONNECT WITH A NETWORK OF PEERS, APPLY FOR GARDEN ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS AND HOST CORPORATE VOLUNTEERS. REAL SCHOOL GARDENS EVEN HOSTS SEVERAL CELEBRATIONS EVERY YEAR TO HONOR ALL OUR DEDICATED PARTNERS. ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING IN ADDITION TO BUILDING LEARNING GARDENS AND TRAINING TEACHERS, WE ALSO OFFER OUR PARTNERS SEVERAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS TO FURTHER ENRICH STUDENTS' LEARNING EXPERIENCE. THESE INCLUDE: SCHOOLYARD HARVEST -- ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS PLANT AND GROW VEGETABLES AND HERBS, THEN PROFESSIONAL CHEFS SHOW KIDS HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING FOR A BIG COMMUNITY DINNER. THIS SEED TO TABLE PROCESS CONNECTS CHILDREN TO THE FOOD THEY EAT, ENCOURAGING THEM TO COOK THEIR OWN MEALS AND EVEN GROW THEIR OWN NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS FOOD. CHILDREN WHO NEVER DREAMED OF EATING TURNIPS, GREEN BEANS, AND LETTUCE TAKE PRIDE IN PREPARING THEIR VEGGIES FOR A FUN COMMUNITY DINNER. SMART POTATOES - REAL SCHOOL GARDENS PARTNERS WITH SCHOOLS AND THE BOTANICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF TEXAS TO HAVE CHILDREN SPEND 100 DAYS GROWING POTATOES TO DONATE TO LOCAL FOOD PANTRIES. THIRTY SCHOOLS PARTICIPATED THIS YEAR, AND REAL SCHOOL GARDENS EQUIPPED TEACHERS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF LESSON PLANS SPECIFIC TO POTATOES. IN THE END, ALMOST 3,000 KIDS GREW 621 POUNDS OF SPUDS TO DONATE, AND IN ADDITION TO THEIR ACADEMIC LESSONS, THEY LEARNED THAT FEELS GREAT TO GIVE TO THOSE IN NEED. REAL SCHOOL GARDENS, REAL RESULTS AT REAL SCHOOL GARDENS, OUR VISION IS TO ENRICH EVERY CHILD'S EDUCATION THROUGH LEARNING GARDENS. TO ACHIEVE THIS, WE BUILD LEARNING GARDENS IN LOW-INCOME SCHOOLS AND TRAIN TEACHERS HOW TO USE THEM SO THAT STUDENTS BECOME SMARTER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE. SMARTER AFTER GIVING CHILDREN HANDS-ON OUTDOOR LESSONS IN SCIENCE, MATH AND LANGUAGE ARTS, REAL SCHOOL GARDENS TEACHERS HAVE SEEN A MARKED INCREASE IN STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, A KEY INDICATOR IN LONG-TERM ACADEMIC SUCCESS. STUDIES SHOW THAT REAL SCHOOL GARDENS INCREASE STUDENT TEST SCORES, A PRIORITY FOR LOW-INCOME SCHOOLS. CHILD-EDUCATION EXPERTS HAVE DESIGNED OUR CURRICULUM TO EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE STUDENTS SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THEIR LESSONS MORE FULLY. OUTDOOR LEARNING SPARKS CHILDREN'S NATURAL CURIOSITY, BRINGING BACK THE JOY OF DISCOVERY THEY CRAVE. HEALTHIER IN ADDITION TO THE ACADEMIC BENEFITS OF LEARNING OUTDOORS, REAL SCHOOL GARDENS ALLOW CHILDREN TO GROW THEIR OWN PRODUCE. STUDIES SHOW THAT CHILDREN WHO GROW THEIR OWN FOOD ARE MORE LIKELY TO EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, SHOW HIGHER LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT NUTRITION AND ARE MORE LIKELY TO CONTINUE HEALTHY EATING HABITS THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. AND SIMPLY SPENDING TIME OUTSIDE WORKING IN THE GARDEN INCREASES STUDENTS' VITAMIN D LEVELS, REDUCES SYMPTOMS OF ADD AND ADHD, REDUCES STRESS, AND IMPROVES STUDENT BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL INTERACTIONS. ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE EVERY REAL SCHOOL GARDEN IS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE SCHOOL'S ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT BY COLLECTING RAINWATER, PREVENTING RUNOFF AND EROSION, CREATING COMPOST AND SUPPORTING NATIVE PLANTS AND WILDLIFE. IN ADDITION TO IMPACT OF EACH PROJECT, EVERY REAL SCHOOL GARDEN STUDENT WILL BE IMMERSED IN AN ENGAGING CURRICULUM THAT PROMOTES ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP FOR YEARS TO COME. CHILDREN IN LOW-INCOME SCHOOLS OFTEN HAVE LITTLE ACCESS TO A GREEN ENVIRONMENT, AND KNOW LITTLE ABOUT THEIR ROLE IN KEEPING THEIR ENVIRONMENT GREEN AND HEALTHY. THEIR REAL SCHOOL GARDEN GIVES THEM A SENSE OF THEIR PLACE IN THE WORLD, AND A SENSE OF PRIDE IN TAKING CARE OF IT. |
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