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

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

“Having invested more than 20 years in the school garden movement, I have seen first-hand how school gardens help young people grow into confident leaders who are inspired, creative, collaborative, scientifically literate, and excited about fresh, nourishing foods,” Cohen said in a statement. “Students, especially those struggling in traditional classrooms, also experience genuine joy in school gardens. This is why I am thrilled to lead Life Lab as we invest in our train-the-trainers model, and to expand our support of school gardens nationally. I dream of a day when every young person, in every school, has access to a vibrant, living outdoor garden classroom.”

Life Lab’s refocused programming comes after Pajaro Valley Unified School District institutionalized garden-based learning into its Expanded Learning programming. It comes after close to a decade for Life Lab of direct programming with Pajaro Valley, including in-school garden classes and farm programs in the Watsonville Blooming Classroom. Following two years of grant-funded technical assistance provided by Life Lab to school gardens in Live Oak and Santa Cruz City Schools, those districts are also continuing this work.

“Streamlining our programs and services to 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 positioning Life Lab for the greatest future impact.”

In the first half of 2024, Life Lab said it trained nearly 1,000 school garden educators and trainers, reaching more than 5,000,000 students across the country in the first half of 2024.Cole named to Foundation for America’s Public Lands board

Santa Cruz businessman Val Cole — a recently retired Apple executive now working as a sales and marketing consultant with clients such as Airbnb, Spotify and Disney — was named to the Board of Directors for the Foundation for America’s Public Lands.

Cole is currently the co-chair of the Trust for Public Land’s California Advisory Board and has been a lead 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 been on several other nonprofit boards including Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and the DigitalNEST.

As the official charitable 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 named to the board.

“The Foundation for America’s Public Lands is embarking on a new and exciting phase of growth that will allow us to continue driving greater access, awareness, and stewardship of our Bureau of Land Management lands and waters,” said Gov. Steve Bullock, chair of the Board of Directors, in a statement. “Val, Scott, Laurel, and Paul are exactly the kind of visionary leaders that will help ensure the Foundation excels as we serve the needs of our public lands and waters.”

CASA of Santa Cruz County names Raymond to board

The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Santa Cruz County recently named Kayla Raymond to its Board of Directors.

According to CASA of Santa Cruz County, Raymond brings a wealth of experience in supporting youth involved in the dependency and juvenile justice systems. Currently, she is a mental health specialist for the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District and has previously worked with Transition Age Youth at Encompass Services, helping them develop independent living skills. Raymond has also been actively involved with CASA for several years, including serving on its Legislative Action Team.