About this project

1) Description of a reGeneration :

All across the world, youth are beginning to take action. 

Kids are building gardens, sharing stories, inspiring friends and family to change the way we relate to our food, to our community and ultimately, to our planet. 

Our unique documentary project provides children with gardening supplies and cameras, and allows them to share the story as they learn to compost, plant seeds and ultimately harvest food they've grown themselves. 

Throughout the project, footage will be shared on Leave It Better, so you can follow the incredibly inspiring youth who are the stars and co-directors of our documentary. 

Starting in New York City, we will see the story grow organically as kids share stories with other youth gardeners in other states, countries, and continents.  

In the 2010-2011 school year, our pilot/research year, we've given gardens and cameras to 10 schools in New York. We're aiming to raise enough money to provide more gardens and more cameras to more students, allowing us to expand the scope, audience and impact for our story when we begin production next school year.

All contributions are tax-deductible.

Interested in participating in the documentary? Let us know! We're looking for students and schools to star :)

2) How will we do this?

We've got a lot of momentum! 

In 2009, the idea was born, when Leave It Better was part of the Producer's Institute at BAVC. There, we worked with mentors from around the world. One mentor, Lynette Wallworth helped us conceptualize new ways of engaging our audience, allowing them space to participate in the filmmaking process.

We started putting cameras in the hands of students at 2 schools that fall, and the following year expanded to 10 schools. We're partnered with a number of incredible organizations, including Bronx Green-Up, Grow to Learn, New York Botanical Garden, NYC Compost Project, Windowfarms and Chipotle...

3) What the money is for:

The money will go towards gardens and small HD cameras for the schools featured in the documentary that starts full production next school year. Money will also go towards salary for directors, producers, and outreach coordinators who will help find schools, and facilitate the instruction of students in cinematography and story telling.

Leave It Better Foundation is a non-profit organization, so:

All contributions are tax-deductible.

Thank you so much for taking the time to check out our project. 

If you can't donate, you can help us out in many other ways: 

1) Smile

2) Tell a friend about our program

3) Post our Kickstarter page on your profile

Finally, please share one thing you do to leave the environment better with us!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

First off, would like to send a big thank you to all of the students, teachers and administration who have welcomed our program into their schools! There are too many to name, but you've all been so incredible to work with, and are such an inspiration :)

Secondly, a big thank you to all of the Leave It Better ReGeneration Corps, Cary, Emma, Jen, Roz; Dominique Bouillon, for her tireless commitment as Community Outreach Coordinator and to all the incredible volunteers, who have done such incredible work. Thanks to Kei and Joe for their great work with the website... There's so much incredible work that's been done. Thanks so much to everyone who has helped out, to our partners. And thanks so much to my family, and to my friends who have made this happen. 

Thirdly, Thanks to all of our incredible partners. Steve, Mark, Tim, Jessica & Ashley at Chipotle; Ursula, Toby, Jamie, Jennifer, Sara & Annie @ Bronx Green-up/ NYBG, Andrew, Jodie & Aki at NYC  Compost Project, Erica and Marcel at Grow To Learn, Britta @ Windowfarms, 

Finally, thanks to Zach Timm for additional cinematography (the non-student footage), and Fish N Chips who provided the inspirational music.

April 25th video update: