Neighborhood Nonprofit Spotlight: Urban Green Lab

NASHVILLE, TN - Patch talks to Urban Green Lab about the work they're doing to improve the well-being and over all quality of Nashville through sustainable living.

Patch: Tell Patch a little bit about your organization!

Urban Green Lab: Urban Green Lab (UGL) is dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of Nashville and its citizens through sustainability. The organization fills a gap by offering programs that inspire people of all ages to incorporate sustainability into their daily lives. UGL’s mission is to facilitate a range of educational and social programs that inspire participants from all socioeconomic backgrounds to implement sustainability practices—in their homes, neighborhoods, and businesses.

Patch: How does your organization help to strengthen the local community?

Urban Green Lab: Urban Green Lab recently launched the Mobile Sustainability Laboratory. UGL’s Mobile Lab is a traveling environmental science classroom that fills a gap in sustainability and science education in Nashville public schools and provides a valuable resource for residents who strive for a more cohesive, cooperative, and healthy community. Nashville’s economically disadvantaged areas -- such as Southeast Nashville where the Urban Farm is located -- are disproportionately affected by environmental challenges such as pollution and natural disasters, and individuals in these communities often lack exposure to sustainable practices that save money, improve health, and protect local ecosystems.

UGL supports the Nashville community by identifying the connections between human and environmental health, focusing on practical and approachable solutions, and developing future leaders in the field of sustainability. Presently, the organization visits the Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) system’s schools free of charge, with a focus on providing enrichment opportunities to under-served and, often, impoverished students. Of 83,000 MNPS students, over 70% are considered economically disadvantaged. By focusing on middle and high school education, UGL equips students with the knowledge and inspiration to get involved in their community and work together towards positive change. Mobile Lab visits, which annually impact over 1,500 youth, offer a unique educational tool to schools that cannot fund out-of-class activities. Powered by solar panels, UGL’s 26’ x 8.5’ Mobile Lab trailer features nine (9) stations with informative panels and corresponding, hands-on activities, as well as outdoor group activities. The curriculum is aligned with state and national science and math standards and is focused on five (5) categories: Water, Food and Agriculture, Green Building, Energy, and Transportation.

The informative graphic panels are easily interchangeable, allowing UGL to tailor topics to unique classroom lessons and provide easy curriculum expansion in the future. Each of the panels is designed to introduce practical methods that improve health, save money and protect the planet, while developing science, math, reading comprehension and problem solving skills. The panels and hands-on activities introduce students to lifestyle choices and innovative technologies that can reduce their carbon footprint. UGL’s Mobile Lab leads by example; its construction incorporated sustainable practices and it is equipped with double-paned windows for better insulation, recycled rubber flooring, and solar panels that supply most of its energy needs. UGL hopes to nurture passionate environmental stewards focused on minimizing their communities’ carbon footprints by encouraging information-sharing among families and communities, among other positive behaviors.

The interactive nature of the Mobile Lab’s individual stations captures the imaginations of young people and accommodates varying learning styles. For instance, “Green Passports” feature reflective questions that challenge students to think critically and creatively about each panel and activity, and take that information back to their classrooms and homes as a reference, sustainability guide, or graded assignment. The Mobile Lab pays visits to schools, after-school programs, and summer camps throughout the year.

Patch: What is the biggest struggle your organization faces?

Urban Green Lab: Like many non-profit organizations we work very hard to maintain a sustainable funding and donor base.

Patch: What do you hope for the future of your nonprofit?

Urban Green Lab: We hope to broaden and deepen our impact in the community as well as help to change the culture surrounding sustainability in Nashville.

Learn more about the free resources that Patch offers to Nashville Nonprofits: 5 Ways Patch Can Help Nashville Nonprofits

Photo by Urban Green Lab