One Green Step

One Green Step is committed to educating, inspiring, and getting the youth involved in helping the environment. It is a fully youth-led nonprofit, founded by a high schooler at Oak Ridge. We have helped both Oak Ridge and Golden Sierra High Schools accomplish their xeriscaping project—transforming the decorative lawn to low water-usage plants. With 4,100 sqft xeriscaped, we are saving around 200,000 gallons of water a year. 

With the $3,000, we want to establish a garden at Oak Ridge High School with a partnership with Project Green. Community gardens are hubs for connecting. Currently, Oak Ridge students connect through their phones. They learn science from online labs. They go to wellness-counseling in a gray, portable classroom. We want to change that.

This garden will be a place for the whole student body: "outdoor lab" for science students; serene space for wellness-counseling; accessible hands-on place for special education; garden to establish a green-thumb; and ingredients for culinary classes. It’s not just about gardening; it’s about creating a platform for all students to learn, heal, and grow. 

1st Xeriscaping Project - 2023
2nd Xeriscaping Project - 2024Garden Vision (designed by students)

"The One Green Step Club has successfully completed many projects on our campus.  They are uniquely passionate about making our school as environmentally friendly as possible.  They have taken grass planters and transformed them into spaces that save money, water, and are useable for students.  I am excited about their desire to educate students through a garden on campus."

- Aaron Palm (Oak Ridge High School Principal)