The Isla Vista Green Project

Goals

The Isla Vista (I.V.) Green Project ams to raise awareness of the garden managed by the Edible Campus Program (ECP) and encourage community members to grow their own food. The series addresses food insecurity among college students in Isla Vista while promoting hands-on learning that is achievable for all. Gardens are not just spaces for growing food; they are places that build community through collective effort. 

Learning these skills can help save money on groceries, especially for those who may not have access to food assistance resources like CalFresh. While some students may feel they lack the resources to grow their own food, this workshop series aims to show them that they can. 

The Isla Vista Green Project promotes the campus community gardens to foster engagement and teach community members to develop the skills to grow their own food affordably and accessibly. It is a collaboration between Associated Students (AS), the Edible Campus Program (ECP), and the Office of the Internal Vice President. Workshops are hosted across many of ECP’s gardens and partner gardens, including Methodist Community Garden, St. Michael’s Community Garden, Greenhouse and Garden Project, West Campus Family Student Housing Garden, Storke Family Student Housing Garden, and the Student Farm. By holding workshops at different locations, participants can explore a variety of garden spaces and develop a positive, hands-on connection with each one. 

This collaboration began through AS’s goal of increasing awareness and use of campus community gardens. ECP, who has years of experience hosting gardening educational workshops, was approached for partnership. After discussion, ECP offered to partner with AS to host a gardening workshop program in collaboration with AS. AS would provide essential funding and support while ECP contributed staff and their expertise in running workshops. Alexia Mendez, a Garden Educator with ECP, plans and leads the Isla Vista Green Project Workshops. These workshops occur once a week throughout the duration of Winter 2026. Once AS joined the collaboration, Alexia began brainstorming workshop ideas with them in November 2025. 

At the start of Winter Quarter, the first workshop, centered on tea-making, was hosted at the Methodist Church. Participants harvested herbs from Methodist Community Garden and could choose from a variety of options, such as lavender and mint. Using jamaica flowers provided by ECP, attendees used the church's kitchen to wash and place their gathered herbs into reusable tea bags, which they took home along with a potted plant. The second workshop focused on growing microgreens, with Alexia teaching participants how to develop them with microgreen trays. Attendees took these trays home, along with guidance on caring for the plants. Other workshops include  “Not Your Average Garden,” which will combine macrame and arts and crafts, and a composting workshop in collaboration with the AS Department of Public Worms.