Global Children's Gardens has a mission to cultivate relationships among children worldwide through natural gardening. Their community gardens and greenhouses teach children about food sources and sustainability while connecting them to nature and each other. They have built over a dozen partnership projects across North America and are expanding internationally. Their goal is to establish 100 gardens globally in 5 years to promote environmental stewardship, healthy living, and cultural exchange among youth.

1. seeds of promise
planting gardens of hope
Global Children’s Gardens

2. “We have forgotten who we are, we have lost our sense of wonder
and connectedness, we have degraded the earth and our fellow creatures,
and we have nowhere else to go ...”
Earth Charter

3. We have lost our way.
Increasingly, humanity has lost its connection with the natural
world, its gratitude for the gift of life, and its sense of community.
The result? On a scale never experienced before, both the natural
world and the human race are becoming ever more degraded,
impoverished, and unsustainable.
How can we change course?

4. “My hope, is that through children, they will begin to educate their families
and that will, in turn, begin to educate our communities.”
Michelle Obama, speaking about the White House organic garden

5. Take a better path.
Global Children’s Gardens has a simple, yet transforming
mission: To cultivate harmonious and beneficial relationships
among the children of the world through the wonders, wisdom,
and nourishment of natural gardening.
Our community-based gardens and greenhouses are places
where children and youth of all ages learn about food sources
and the resources needed to produce them. In turn, children
learn about the relationship between humanity and the earth,
and about the opportunities for greater sustainability and
global connection.
These are more than beautiful gardens of sustenance. They are
the seeds for a future of promise; a promise of a more peaceful,
equitable, and sustainable future.

6. “We need a new environmental consciousness on a global basis.
To do this, we need to educate people.”
Mikhail Gorbachev

7. One Garden, One Promise at a Time
Our first bio-harmonious greenhouse was built in
Evergreen, Colorado. It took four years of Sundays
to construct and as amazing as it is, it was not
duplicable on a global scale. The ensuing search for a
more appropriate solution led us to Growing Spaces,
a Colorado company that creates geodesic dome
greenhouse kits. These kits integrate seven solar
energy features into an energy efficient Growing Dome
that produces optimal results. Additionally, they can be
constructed in a matter of days with kid or community
energy along with the guidance of an experienced
GCG dome builder supervising the flow and engaging
everyone in a meaningful and productive way. When
constructed, Growing Domes are beautiful structures
that are durable and easily maintained for years of
productive operation.
Global Children’s Gardens are:
Youth Directed
Community Guided
Adult Mentored
Entrepreneurial
International in Spirit and Practice
Bio-Harmonious

8. “We still have to learn how to live peacefully, not only with our fellow men
but also with nature and, above all, with those Higher Powers which have
made nature and have made us.”
E.F. Schumacher

9. One Garden, One Promise at a Time (cont)
To date we have thirteen successful partnership projects that continue to evolve into
programs of significance and positive impact for the diverse communities served.
Here are but a few highlights:
Southern Ute Academy
Ignacio, CO - 2006
Constructed with the dual purposes of
preserving the wisdom of tribal elders related
to traditional medicinal herbs and to provide
a sustainable source of organic produce
to be served in the school lunch program.
The Southern Ute Community is facing the
additional challenges of youth obesity and
diabetes, so they are adopting a proactive
approach that focuses on diet and exercise –
and their Growing Dome is proving to be an
important asset in this work.
Dandelion Project –
Troy Chavez Peace Garden
Denver, CO – 2007
This Growing Dome represents collaboration
between two established horticultural therapy
programs. The year-round functioning
greenhouse allowed both horticultural therapy
programs to expand to year-round services.
Dandelion works with children who have been
victims of abuse or neglect and were referred
by the judicial system. Troy Chavez works with
at-risk inner city youth, providing opportunities
for positive gardening experiences to defend
against the attraction ofdrugs, gangs
and violence.

10. “The old Lakota was wise. He knew that man’s heart, away from nature,
becomes hard; he knew that lack of respect for growing, living things soon
led to lack of respect for humans too.”
Luther Standing Bear

11. Salida, Colorado
- 2008
A large, community-sized Growing
Dome constructed and owned by
GCG. This year-round facility
supports a collaborative organic
gardening effort between three
local schools, all within walking
distance of their greenhouse.
The motivation is to develop
a viable seed to school lunch
program that will foster healthy
attitudes and behaviors related
to diet and exercise. This dome
is developing as a model of
sustainability that demonstrates
the wisdom and practicality of
year-round, locally-grown produce
without reliance on pesticides,
chemical based fertilizers or
fossil fuels to heat or cool the
greenhouse.
Teech Nos Pos, Arizona
Navajo Nation – 2008
An innovative and holistic project
initiated by Jamie Oliver, the
iconic British chef and author. The
Growing Dome and organic farm
program is intended to provide a
healthy, traditional Navajo diet
to a generation of youth at risk
of developing obesity and/or
diabetes. It is located within easy
walking distance of the elementary
school and the students are
already engaged in their first
spring planting. Adjacent farm
land is available for transplanting
greenhouse-produced starter
plants with the expectation of
increasing both the growing
season and the harvest yields
which are usually limited by the
high altitude.
Cienega, Mexico
Middle School - 2008
The motivation for this Growing
Dome is to cultivate vegetable
starter plants during winter/
spring. The students will then
plant them in their home gardens
to allow for individual family
harvests of nutritional vegetables
and herbs. This project was the
dream of an American college
professor who desired to provide
for more sustainable lifestyles in
Mexican communities that will
help youth resist the enticing
but illegal (and dangerous) pull
to migrate to the U.S. GCG is
currently evaluating requests from
additional communities for similar
Growing Domes and organic
gardening programs in
northern Mexico.

12. “The ecological crisis is doing what no other crisis in history has ever done —
challenging us to a realization of a new humanity.”
Jean Houston

13. Expanding international
Growing Dome and
Organic Garden projects —
in several countries including
Afghanistan, Pakistan Mongolia,
Tanzania, Mexico, and Costa Rica.
Developing and evolving
Growing Dome and
Organic Garden projects —
throughout the United States
for schools, community centers,
and health based programs.
Growing network of
individual donors and
supporters —
actively organized and engaged
in furthering GCG’s mission.
GCG International Music
and Harvest Festivals —
annual events scheduled on
the same day in multiple
communities around the world.
The festivals will create awareness
for GCG’s international programs
and projects as well as
generate revenue.
Local Circles of Support
operating in communities
around the world —
meeting monthly to plan
educational and fund raising
events, and organize insight trips to
support and build Growing Domes.
GCG School and University
Clubs throughout U.S. and
internationally —
organized by students to nurture
evolving garden and Growing Dome
projects, generate awareness of
sustainability issues and options,
and raise funds to support GCG’s
global mission.
The Promise Grows. Five Year Goals:

14. “Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the people of the earth.
Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it.”
Chief Seattle

15. Breaking New Ground
A few of the GCG partnerships and projects slated for 2009/2010
Buchanan Park, Evergreen,
Colorado —
to be developed as a working model of
Bio-Harmonious sustainability including a
Growing Dome and community garden plots.
Community Learning Center,
Portland, Oregon —
Middle school for youth with learning
disabilities – a Growing Dome is to be
integrated into science and math curricula.
Guapiles, Costa Rica —
a proposed partnership with Rotary
International at a rural elementary school
for indigenous students.
Puebla, Mexico —
at Juconi, a residential treatment program
for previously homeless children – providing
therapeutic methodologies that are effective
at integrating these children into school
and helping them lead productive and
happy childhoods while striving to end
intergenerational cycles of violence and
substance abuse.
Cuauhtemoc, Mexico —
at San Rafael, a boarding school for
Tarahumara Indians in the Sierra Madre
Mountains – providing fresh vegetables and
teaching organic gardening skills.
Clear Creek High School,
Evergreen, Colorado —
to be developed through the biology
department.

16. “The greatest delight the fields and woods minister is the suggestion of an occult
relation between man and the vegetable. I am not alone and unacknowledged.
They nod to me and I to them.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

17. For 14 years, Allan Werthan, the founder of Global
Children’s Gardens, owned and operated a popular
natural-food restaurant called River Sage in Evergreen,
Colorado. Over the years, talented chefs at River Sage
developed numerous original and wonderful recipes,
some of which today are available in a line of bottled
dressings and sauces named River Sage Xuberants.
This product line is currently sold at Whole Foods
Markets in the Rocky Mountain region.
Xuberants will soon be re-branded to become an
instrumental funding stream for CGC, as well as a tool
for educating and raising awareness. Like the highly
successful Newman’s Own line of products, consumers
will choose Xuberants for its quality, taste, and mission
to give 100% of the profits to Global Children’s Gardens.
Future distribution plans include national availability
through Whole Foods Markets.
GCG Funding Sources
Xuberants sales -
100% of profits
Seeds of Promise sales -
100% of profits
GCG School/University Clubs
GCG International Music and
Harvest Festivals
Contributions from Individuals
Grants from Foundations and
Corporations
Sustainable Funding Plan

18. “Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents.
It was loaned to you by your children.”
Kenyan Proverb

19. The journey has begun.
The perilous challenges the world faces today only serve
to illuminate the inextricable bond humanity has with the
earth and all that lives from it. It is our vision to see us take
the path to a more harmonious relationship with the natural
world, cultivating a global community based on respect and
sustainability along the way.
Please join with us on this journey in partnership and support.
Together, we will plant gardens of hope for the children of earth
and create a more promising future for humanity.

20. Global Children’s Gardens
5098 White House Trail,
Evergreen, CO 80439
303-378-6923
allan.werthan@globalchildrensgardens.com
www.globalchildrensgardens.com
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