The Garden School is an educational organization, and people of all backgrounds and perspectives are welcome here. We strive to foster an environment in which original thinking is encouraged and dogma is not imposed. Each person has the opportunity to cultivate their own philosophy of living, and we understand that sincere people will have different world-views. We hope that through sharing life and through dialoging together, we can each benefit from one another’s outlooks and experiences. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

While the organization itself isn’t religious, the leadership and the mission of the organization are greatly inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus taught that each person is a beloved child of God, and he revealed that profound joy attends working with God to love and care for other people. To us, the work of creating this school and growing healthy food for the local community is an expression of our gratitude to God and an effort to do a small part in making “Earth as is it is in Heaven”.

I don’t expect participants to be followers of Jesus or to be religious at all, but it is my hope that through working creatively in service to each other and to the community, participants will experience the joys of social service. I hope that by glimpsing the ecological wonders in the gardens and landscape, participants will feel more connected to the Source of Life and feel more at home in the universe. And I hope that by having space and encouragement to cultivate the inner life and to ask the deep questions, participants will connect with the Divine spark within them that can sustain an eternal career of adventurous exploration, thrilling service, and spiritual growth.

-Ben Zoba, Director of Programs