What We Do

The Charleston Area Children's Garden Project works to provide kids with a community-based outdoor learning experience. Most of our gardens are planted in neighborhoods where problems such as crime, poor health, or financial hardship are part of everyday life for many youngsters.

The Project fosters open inquiry and "hands on" experience and encourages good workmanship, pride of accomplishment and self-worth.

The Charleston Area Children's Garden Project (CACGP) addresses undereducated, low income neighborhoods who are largely absent from the understanding and participation in their own community environment. The knowledge and process of growing edible foods gives the children a hands-on ownership and protection of their community, an integral awareness of what maintains health, and teaches how all living things are inter-related. We have a vision of not only creating safe and beautiful places, but now more than ever of fighting childhood hunger, childhood obesity, and childhood diabetes through hands-on experiences and guided information about good food through growing a garden. During 2009, more than 900 children and youth were taking part in the Project at sites all over the metropolitan area - on the Peninsula, James Island, Johns Island, West Ashley, and North Charleston.

Our Central Theme

Children's observations and sense of wonder in a garden can lead naturally to a whole world of learning — from plant origins to geography and history, from growth stages and cycles to mythology, science and mathematics.

The gardens are open activities — not clubs — and free to everyone. The children take home the food they grow.