Client
Services
Year
Visit
Nurture
Nurture is an innovative food producing program that supports youth-led gardens across Waterloo Region.
About this project
Nurture’s goal is to foster positive mental health among youth by making Waterloo Region a sustainable food forest. Nurture was built out of the GreenHouse Initiative, a social impact incubator based at the University of Waterloo.
Nurture won GreenHouse People's Choice in Winter 2022. After that, Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab took on Nurture as one of our primary youth engagement projects. This came about in response to increased youth demand for garden spaces to support mental health, coupled with emerging food production innovations by youth connected to the lab.
In 2023, we partnered with Seeds of Diversity's Youth in Food Sytems program to distribute food from Nurture gardens through their youth-led food markets and collaborate on educational programming.
Our goal is to grow 50% of Waterloo Region's food through front yard, back yard, and community gardens led by youth.
10 gardens and counting!
- Franklin Public School
- St. Daniel Catholic Elementary School
- Centennial Public School
- Floradale Public School
- Prueter Public School
- Rockway Public School
- Glencairn Public School
- St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School
- Resurrection Catholic Secondary School
- Eastwood Collegiate Institute
Want to start a garden in your community?
We're always looking to create more garden spaces!
If you have a space for a youth-led garden or are interested in being part of one please email Nikola at nbarsoum@regionofwaterloo.ca.
Latest works
