[The following final update was written by the organization and then sent to us for further sharing.]

Adventures to Dreams Enrichment (AtDE) empowers youth in Long Beach through hands-on activities in gardening, art, and STEM. Our mission is rooted in the belief that “busy hands = busy minds.” By giving students the opportunity to explore, create, and learn through direct experience, we nurture curiosity, creativity, and confidence.

Our 10,000-square-foot garden serves as the heart of our programs, providing a safe and inspiring space for youth to connect with nature while learning valuable academic and life skills. During this grant period, we sought to expand the reach of our enrichment model by partnering with local schools in Long Beach. Additionally, AtDE continues to offer meaningful work experiences for college interns who gain hands-on skills in organic gardening, youth engagement, and community service.

In total, AtDE engaged over 450 students ages 5-17 this year across our various offerings, including the Adventure Lab, Saturday Garden Adventures, Summer Art and Science Camp, and several seasonal community events. Each of these programs provided youth with interdisciplinary experiences that blended gardening, art, and STEM in ways that made learning active and enjoyable.

In the Garden

Our Saturday Garden Adventures are the cornerstone of our programming, held twice each month at our garden in Long Beach. These sessions are designed to fully embody our “busy hands = busy minds” philosophy, engaging youth in activities that promote both academic learning and personal growth. Gardening has proven to be an especially powerful educational tool, as it helps students understand topics such as plant biology, biodiversity, sustainability, and nutrition while fostering patience, teamwork and environmental stewardship.

This year, more than 150 students participated in Saturday Garden Adventures. Each session invited students to plant seeds, care for crops, and harvest produce, which they were then able to take home to share with their families. These experiences deepened their understanding of how food is grown and encouraged healthier eating habits.

Our 2025 Summer Art and Science Camp was another major success, serving over 60 students across four weeks of immersive activities. This camp is always a highlight because it allows youth to engage more deeply over a longer period of time. Students explored a wide range of art, gardening, and STEM projects, with one of the most popular being a skateboard design and building activity. Through this project, participants practiced fine motor skills, design thinking, and problem-solving, while also experiencing the pride of creating something they could use and enjoy.

Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive. In post-program surveys, 100% of participants indicated that they would return for next year’s camp. One student shared, “Everything was amazing,” while another said, “I loved it all.” These testimonials reflect the camp’s impact in building student confidence, creativity, and a genuine love for learning.

Adventure Lab

A major accomplishment during this grant period was the launch of our Adventure Lab, made possible through the generous support of LA2050. The Adventure Lab brought AtDE’s hands-on learning model into a school setting for the first time.

The program was implemented at Washington Middle School, where we provided a series of sessions that integrated gardening, art, and STEM-based learning. While our initial plan envisioned multiple school sites, we made the strategic decision to focus on one school for this pilot phase to ensure quality, consistency and success.

From January to May 2025 and for two Fridays each month, we worked with 100 sixth- and eighth-grade students, of whom 75 attended at least 85% of the sessions. Participation was voluntary, which makes this level of engagement especially meaningful. Activities included seed planting, small-scale engineering challenges, and creative art projects. Among the most beloved activities were sewing and ceramics, which provided students with both a creative outlet and practical skill-building. Four garden beds were built on campus, which served as the core of the gardening component for the Adventure Lab. Students worked together to plant seeds of their choice and to paint their garden beds.

Students designed and created their own pillows and clay art pieces, learning not only fine motor skills but also patience, planning, and perseverance. These projects also helped relieve stress and encouraged self-expression, while introducing students to new potential career paths in areas such as design and craftsmanship.

College Interns

Another key component of our mission involves creating opportunities for college students to gain meaningful work experience. During this grant period, a total of 30 interns from CSU Long Beach, Long Beach City College, and UC Irvine contributed to our programs. Their academic backgrounds ranged from psychology to environmental science, bringing a diverse set of perspectives to our team.

Interns played essential roles in facilitating student activities, maintaining the garden, and providing mentorship to youth participants. Many arrived with little or no prior gardening experience, but through our training they learned to perform critical tasks such as watering, pruning, compost preparation, pest management, and harvesting.

Our internship program not only benefits our organization but also helps prepare students for future careers. Of the 30 interns, five were hired onto our staff team following their internship, which is an achievement that demonstrates our commitment to supporting the academic and professional growth of young adults. Interns collectively contributed over 1,500 hours of service this year, greatly expanding our capacity to deliver high-quality programs for ages 5-17, learning while having fun.