THE GREENHOUSE
A Community Transformed, One Life at a Time
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The GreenHouse is within a community that is home to more than one thousand people, living side by side in high-density apartments in the richly diverse community of Gardenland/Northgate in Sacramento. Of the thousand people living on this block, about four hundred and fifty are children under the age of 18, making this place one of the highest density of children per capita in the six-county Sacramento region. There are many struggles on this block- abandoned vehicles, the disrepair of unresponsive landlords, food scarcity issues and the communal fear and trauma when local violence flares up- just to name a few. And children everywhere you look, growing up in the midst of it all. That's where The GreenHouse comes in...We were founded in this unique location 21 years ago! We are at the heart of this block, and from that place our mission is to nurture young people holistically -- emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, and physically as they grow to their full potential.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Evergreen
Evergreen is an after-school tutoring and enrichment program that provides first through sixth graders with a safe, fun, and nurturing environment to do homework, improve academic skills, and participate in recreational activities. Children are paired with a volunteer "Study Buddy" who helps them with homework and reading, while forming a mentoring relationship with them. Evergreen students also participate in workshops such as community gardening, cooking, soccer, basketball, and science workshops.
R4
R4 is a teen after-school program for 7th-9th grade students. The youth in R4 have access to qualified tutors and volunteers who not only help their academic learning, but also walk with them as they develop emotionally and socially. R4 also goes on fun and educational field trips to college campuses, local farms, and other fun places around Sacramento.
Oasis
Evening youth group for junior and senior high students, focused on character formation, cultivation of ethical lens for personal decision making, building healthy relationships with adults and peers, and leadership development.
Club 56
Club 56 is a leadership and character development program for 5th and 6th graders in the neighborhood.
Encore
Encore is a leadership development program for high school students. Participants meet biweekly to discuss relevant topics, learn life skills, and participate in community projects and service activities. Mentors and teens also have opportunities to volunteer for The GreenHouse’s annual events, lead activities in the broader GreenHouse community, and go on special field-trips.
Liquid
Liquid is a free summer program that provides 7th-9th graders with regular opportunities to learn, be creative, develop academic and interpersonal skills, and build positive relationships with their peers and community.
Summer Internships
Summer internships for 10th-12th graders provide forty hours of hands-on career exploration and learning during the summer in fields like web design, culinary arts, photography and digital communications, and recreation leadership. Teens build skills, develop their resumes, and receive a stipend at the completion of the internship.
Adventure Zone
Adventure Zone is a summer day camp with two three-week session. This program provides kids with recreation, academic enrichment, arts workshops, pool days, and field trips through the summertime.
Where we work
Awards
Capitol Region Pillar of Promise Award 2010
Emerge
Affiliations & memberships
Christian Community Development Association - Member 2014
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Goal 1: Improved academics, combined with improved academic self-confidence & enjoyment.
Goal 2: Increased vision for positive life-outcomes and pathways to achieve those outcomes. Examples include awareness of college pathways, identifying areas of strength and passion, and having healthy adults invested in the lives of youth long-term.
Goal 3: Leadership development and the formation of an ethical lens for making important life choices, especially for our 5th and 6th graders and our teens. We use mentoring, leadership development activities, and a nationally recognized character building curriculum that increases the self-worth of youth and helps them to reflect on the difficult ethical choices they face every day.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
GreenHouse staff and volunteers will implement the following program strategies to achieve our goals:
1. Academic supports during the "Evergreen" and "R4" programs in the form of tutoring and mentoring three days per week from local university students and retired teachers, with reading/math enrichment workshops twice per week.
2. Year-Round life skill building workshops such as healthy eating, photography, cooking, science, sports, and music.
3. Regular field trips to gain exposure to resources and opportunities outside of the neighborhood.
4. Character formation through critical reflection on peer pressures and life choices, using a nationally-recognized curriculum in Club 56, as well as through service projects with infirm elderly patients at a local assisted living facility.
5. Strong relationships with healthy adults who serve as role models, and who reinforce the positive values of parents.
6. A safe and well-designed facility for youth, situated in the center of a neighborhood infamous for drugs, street violence, and gang activity.
7. Youth Leadership Development: We offer a leadership and civic advocacy program for high school students that provides a safe and encouraging environment for exploring academic goals, and coaches students to develop their passion for community service. Our Leaders in Training program ensures our students complete high school with self-confidence and a sense of ownership for their community's positive development.
8. A new Healthy Lifestyle Program: The GreenHouse has implemented three programs that promote healthy exercise, access to freshly farmed produce, and nutritional classes that help families understand how to make healthy choices.
a. Youth Soccer Team: In 2023, we launched a youth soccer team that not only teaches 5th & 6th grade students how to work as a team and provides leadership lessons, but also promotes regular physical activity in a fun context. Research shows that young children are more likely to make exercise a part of their daily routine when it is anchored in an activity deemed to be fun.
b. Community Garden: We recently renovated a community garden that serves as an outdoor classroom for our youth. Through the garden, our students gain access to fresh produce and learn how to plant, maintain and harvest seasonal vegetables. This program not only build each students understanding of how they are connected to the food they eat, but gives them an opportunity provide for their own families.
c. Healthy Living Workshops: Through our program targeted at high school students, we hold Healthy Living Workshops that focus on helping our students make good health decisions. In addition to helping students develop a healthy diet, the Healthy Living workshops take students through an anti-tobacco course, build an awareness of the dangers of drugs and alcohol and provide coaching on how to de-escalate violent altercations.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Director of Elementary Programs - 12 years experience, college graduate
Director Youth/Teen Programs - 5 years experience, college graduate, working on masters degree
Parent & Family Engagement Director-A GreenHouse Grad that has been around since its inception in 2002, 4 years of experience, college graduate
Teen Internship Coordinator- A GreenHouse student, 5+ years experience, in college
Volunteer Coordinator who oversees recruitment & management of program volunteers, as well as data collection and program evaluation - 2 years experience, college graduate
Executive Director who provides staff support, organizational strategy, program development, and fundraising & administrative infrastructure.
50-60 weekly volunteers recruited from local universities, businesses, high schools, and churches
Research partnerships with CSU Sacramento and UC Davis to support program evaluation and program improvement
Strong, consistent, energetic board of directors
21 year track-record of effective programming & trusting relationships built with community members
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Goal 1 Results:
A. Improved Academics: Of the students that we were able to obtain grade reports from the beginning and end of the year:
● 75% saw grade improvements in at least one of their academic areas
● 50% saw grade improvements in two or more of their academic areas
● 25% saw grade improvements in three or more of their academic areas.
● 25% either had no change in their grades or saw a decrease over the academic year.
B. Academic Self- Confidence and Enjoyment: KidzLit and KidzMath Pre and Post Tests:
Elementary-aged students in our Evergreen after-school program reported increases in several areas of academic self-confidence and enjoyment over the academic year.
As mentioned previously, the school environments of these children are not always positive, and they consistently receive a steady stream of “messages" that they are not smart, and this is often reflected in the grades they bring home to their parents. In fact, only 76% of students report that they like going to school. The GreenHouse works hard to build upon the academic strengths of these kids; and ongoing challenge when most of their parents are limited in their ability to help them with their school work because of language difference at home.
Goal 2 Results: Using a variation of the "Developmental Assets" pre- and post-test survey using by youth development agencies around the world (The Me and My World Survey - Search Institute, 2015), we were able to point to some areas where our programs made a direct impact on students' lives. For example:
● For elementary students in our Evergreen after-school program, there was a 12% average increase (from 88% to 100%) over the academic year in the students saying they can “do something well", which is a 26% increase from this time last year.
● A 2% increase (to 96%) of students who self report that “I feel good about myself".
● 100% of students now say that they can “do great things with their lives", which is a 10% increase from this time last year.
● 96% of students report feeling safe at The GreenHouse and 96% report that “people are kind to me at The GreenHouse". Minor bullying being the complaint from the one student who reported not feeling safe, which is an issue that has since been addressed.
● 84% of elementary students report being “very productive" on their homework and academic enrichment activities at The GreenHouse, with 12% report being “kind of productive", and 4% report being “not very productive".
It is significant to observe that students are self-reporting overall increases in their sense of self-confidence and enjoyment of math and reading, and a majority are seeing their grades improve, while at the same time reporting decreases in their enjoyment of going to school and whether they are receiving help to improve from their teachers.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Language barriers
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
THE GREENHOUSE
Board of directorsas of 12/22/2023
David Guerrero
Division of the State Architect
Term: 2020 - 2024
Michael Benson
North American Baptist Conference
Kimberly Winkleman
Self
Lupita Cabrera
GreenHouse Graduate
Rachel Timms
Placer United Soccer Club
Rena Crocker
Executive Director of The GreenHouse
Anthony Martinez
PepsiCo
Dr. David Narita
Aspire Healthcare
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Not applicable -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data