Our Vision

At The Wild Classroom Project, we believe that a thriving future—for people, plants, and all living beings—depends on a deeper, more connected understanding of what we call the Whole Community. This holistic vision isn’t just something to be valued—it must be taught.

Through joyful, place-based learning rooted in ecological awareness, cultural history, and care, we aim to empower the next generation with the knowledge, curiosity, and sense of stewardship they need to thrive as community builders and changemakers.

Our vision is that one day soon, our Whole Community Curriculum and Living Classrooms will be a vibrant part of every school in LAUSD—and beyond—inspiring students from all backgrounds to see themselves as active members of a truly interconnected world.

A Note From Our Founder

Sometimes big ideas start in your own backyard. In 2013, we moved into a small house near a busy street in a neighborhood we loved, with a beat-up backyard we had no idea what to do with. My wife was pregnant with our first child, and I knew only one thing: I wanted to create a haven for kids and nature alike, in what little space we had.

I did homework. I created a wildlife habitat through experimentation and lots of trial and error. (I confess: many plants died along the way). But soon, birds and bees showed up, lots of them, few of which I recognized. After a life thinking I was savvy about the natural world, I quickly came to see there was a whole lot I had missed. I documented everything and watched with joy as my kids chased alligator lizards under the sage, peered in awe at monarch caterpillars and shouted hello to the Cooper’s hawks in the toyon. To have a refuge in the middle of noisy, urban Los Angeles was a powerful revelation.

When friends and neighbors saw our yard, they started asking me to help them do the same. I started consulting, realizing that if I planted for wildlife and my neighbors did the same, we could create wildlife corridors through urban areas. The project grew and my work expanded, learning from those who’d come before me, designing for families across the city and speaking to anyone who’d listen about the power of converting urban and suburban spaces into habitat.

This work led to thinking about schools. Here in Los Angeles, some 200 schools in the district have not even one tree. Too many urban kids have no access to the natural world, no connection to the living systems that surround and support them. In short, no real sense of place. The dream for the Wild Classroom Project was born: What if we could create living classrooms where kids could learn in vibrant, local habitats while following a curriculum focusing on the natural and cultural history of their homes? The combination of these living classrooms along with this curriculum could be engines for a more compassionate, holistic kind of community building, a deepening of our kids’ connection to the earth and to each other.

In robust collaboration with the principal, parents and teachers, the first of these gardens were installed at Toland Way Elementary in 2023. A little overgrown lot beside a paved-over schoolyard was quickly transformed into a vibrant classroom, small but mighty, teeming with life and plenty of room to learn. Two years later, the classroom hosts our Whole Community Curriculum for 5th and 6th grade while also offering a quiet space for conflict resolution and respite for kids seeking a break from the rigors and pressures of daily school life.

Emboldened by the success of the Toland Way living classroom, the Wild Classroom Project 501(c3) was officially established in fall of 2024. Our second living classroom was completed at Eagle Rock Elementary in December 2024. Just one year later, more than 600 kids have gone through the classes in the gardens, and well over 200 parents and teachers. In the 2025-2026 school year, we plan to double that. We hope you can join us.

David Newsom