Black Girls with Green Thumbs

As educators and pediatricians have often emphasized, outdoor learning and nature-based education benefits children across all areas of their development. These learning experiences promote health and wellness, foster scientific inquiry, strengthen community ties and so much more.

University of Delaware alumna Latiaynna King and Pamia Coleman, the co-founders of the Philadelphia-based nonprofit Black Girls with Green Thumbs, see the benefits of gardening and outdoor learning every day. King and Coleman offer inclusive and accessible gardening, nutrition and yoga programming to K-12 students and community members of all ages.

"Grounded in our work is an understanding that we are impacting family systems and nurturing the mental and social development of people across the lifespan," said King, who graduated from the College of Education and Human Development's (CEHD) master's in human development and family sciences program. "As an urban garden and wellness organization, we are committed to building strong, resilient communities using wellness as a lens."

Building strong, resilient communities is a thread that runs through all of Black Girls with Green Thumbs' programming, from its partnership with Philadelphia elementary schools to its "Grow and Walk" events across the region. For example, their "Green Thumbs in Your School" program couples nutrition and gardening education with yoga instruction led by teachers certified in trauma-informed yoga. Their Gardeners Without Borders program, which teaches teens to run their own local farmstands, positions gardening as a tool for self-reliance and community building.

"My master's degree set me up to build the foundation and grow Black Girls With Green Thumbs," King said. "I studied and researched resilience, family systems, community development and more while at UD. I now apply that learning every day within the operation of our organization."