Empowering youth to be the green leaders for tomorrow.
Thanks to a $20,000 Keep America Beautiful MLK Grant, we are mobilizing Green Schools from a pilot program to an on-going effort!
Because of our tremendous partners, National Women in Agriculture, Rapoport Academy, and Waco Downtown Farmer’s Market, we are bringing stronger impact starting summer 2026 through spring 2027 for Green Schools. This grant is restricted to the MLK Corridor and surrounding areas, adding strategic beautification and efforts in East Waco.
Upcoming volunteer workdays to help these students learn through outdoor classrooms can be found here.
Collaborating to educate and empower our youth to be the green leaders of tomorrow.
Through a collaborative partnership with National Women in Agriculture, the Waco Downtown Farmers Market, and Rapoport Academy, the Raven’s Green Team is creating a farm-to-market pipeline. This initiative leverages their outdoor garden at The Garrison Garden in East Waco as a hub for growth and learning. Educational efforts are led by Chisa Brigham, fostering hands-on engagement and community impact.
2025 Pilot Program: In 2025, Green Schools launched 2 successful cohorts, taking education to outside, from garden to market, learning about establishing garden beds, fundamentals of gardening, maintaining and harvesting.
Students sold their produce at the Waco Downtown Farmer’s Market, creating a stronger pipeline of education for entreprenuralism, bringing real-world knowledge in the hands of these amazing students!
More about the Keep America Beautiful MLK Grant
We're passionate about empowering the next generation of environmental leaders, and this initiative is creating a strong foundation for hands-on outdoor education at The Garrison Community Garden. Thanks to the Keep America Beautiful MLK Grant, we are deploying $20,000 of grant funds to the Garrison Garden to bring outdoor education to life for the Rapoport Academy students. This grant is restricted to the MLK Corridor and surrounding areas, tying in a stronger, more passionate beautification project for East Waco and it’s residents.
Volunteer days over the summer of 2026 will help get the area ready for the fall cohort. Learn more and see upcoming opportunities here.
Thank you to our collaborative partners!
Growing Green Schools beyond East Waco.
Keep Waco Beautiful gave $500 of delegated beautification funds to support Lake Air Montessori’s Outdoor Classroom Initiative! These educators have really transformed outdoor learning to a whole new level, integrating Montessori methods for all age ranges. To support their efforts, Keep Waco Beautiful gave a small portion of designated beautification funding to help grow their outdoor classrooms. Potential volunteer workdays may be available in Fall 2026, learn more here.
What’s next for Green Schools
Our vision is to see Green Schools across Waco! As we are focusing on the MLK Grant from summer 2026-spring 2027, we are hoping to build off this programs formation to bring Green School opportunities across the city.
Thank you to our areas passionate educators who are making this program possible. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to have Green Schools at your campus!
We are a proud partner of the Texas Children in Nature Network.
This initiative is part of Keep Waco Beautiful's broader mission to foster a more vibrant and sustainable community. By involving students in practical, STEAM-powered activities, the program not only imparts essential environmental knowledge but also instills a sense of responsibility and connection to their local environment. Through these efforts, Keep Waco Beautiful aims to cultivate a generation that values and actively contributes to the beauty and sustainability of Waco.
