Santa Cruz-based nonprofit Life Lab recently announced that it is focusing its efforts on training school garden educators and appointing Whitney Cohen as its new executive director.

Cohen served as Life Lab’s director of education for 17 years.

“I have invested more than 20 years in the school gardening movement and have seen firsthand how school gardens help young people grow into confident leaders who are inspired, creative, collaborative, scientifically literate and excited about fresh, nutritious food,” Cohen said in a statement. “Students, especially those who struggle in traditional classrooms, also experience real joy in school gardens. That’s why I’m thrilled to lead Life Lab as we invest in our train-the-trainers model and expand our support for school gardens nationwide. I dream of a day when every young person in every school has access to a vibrant, living outdoor garden classroom.”

Life Lab’s program re-orientation comes after Pajaro Valley Unified School District incorporated garden-based learning into its extended learning program. This came after nearly a decade of Life Lab programming directly with Pajaro Valley, including in-school gardening classes and farm programs in the Watsonville Blooming Classroom. After two years of grant-funded Life Lab technical assistance for school gardens in Live Oak and Santa Cruz City schools, those districts are continuing this work as well.

“Streamlining our programs and services with a focus on ‘Train the Trainer’ brings Life Lab back to its original roots,” says John Brissenden, Life Lab Board Member. “The Board is committed to supporting Whitney and her amazing staff as they position Life Lab for the greatest possible future impact.”

In the first half of 2024, Life Lab says it has trained nearly 1,000 educators and school garden trainers, reaching more than 5,000,000 students across the country.

Cole appointed to the board of the Foundation for America’s Public Lands

Santa Cruz businessman Val Cole – a recently retired Apple executive who now works as a sales and marketing consultant for clients including Airbnb, Spotify and Disney – has been appointed to the board of the Foundation for America’s Public Lands.

Cole currently serves as co-chair of the Trust for Public Land’s California Advisory Board and has been a leading fundraiser for equity projects. Cole served on the board of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County for nine years, most recently as vice chair. He has also served on several other nonprofit boards, including Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and DigitalNEST.

As the official nonprofit partner of the Bureau of Land Management, the foundation’s board is appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. Scott Gwilliam, Laurel Sayer and Paul Vigano were also recently appointed to the board.

“The Foundation for America’s Public Lands is entering a new and exciting phase of growth that will allow us to continue to advance access, awareness and stewardship of our Bureau of Land Management lands and waters,” said Governor Steve Bullock, chairman of the board, in a statement. “Val, Scott, Laurel and Paul are exactly the type of visionary leaders who will help ensure the Foundation delivers excellence as we meet the needs of our public lands and waters.”

CASA of Santa Cruz County appoints Raymond to board

The Santa Cruz County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) recently appointed Kayla Raymond to their board.

According to CASA of Santa Cruz County, Raymond brings a wealth of experience in assisting youth who have fallen into the addiction and juvenile justice system. She currently serves as a mental health specialist in the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District and previously worked with transition-age youth at Encompass Services, helping them develop skills for independent living. Raymond has also been actively involved with CASA for several years, including serving on its Legislative Action Team.