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Knowledge Quest (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
To help more South Memphis families access fresh food, Knowledge Quest made upgrades the hydroponic system at its Green Leaf Learning Farm, installing fifty new grow towners onsite. The infrastructure improvements allow the three-acre urban farm to produce more vegetables, which Knowledge Quest makes available to local lower-income families. Project organizers say the farm's increased capacity also allows them to offer more farming and nutrition education programming, which helps community members become more self-reliant. Today the farm is an agritourism destination, hosting school field trips related to beekeeping, vegetable growing, aquaponics, green building and more.
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Long Beach, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: In Long Beach, older adults lacked spaces for cultural connection in a neighborhood marked by poverty and pollution. Placemaking US built a traditional communal comal using techniques developed long ago, and hosted tortilla-making workshops where elders taught masa preparation. More than 100 participants, including local chefs and volunteers, joined intergenerational sessions that celebrated heritage and sustainability. The project created lasting programming at Rancho Los Cerritos, turning it into a hub for cultural exchange and reducing isolation. One participant shared, "I didn't realize how much I missed this until I felt the heat from the comal and smelled the fresh masa."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Tucson, AZ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: The Blue Moon Community Garden in Tucson is located next a 17-story apartment building with hundreds of residents, many of whom are older adults. However, the garden lacked shade and amenities, including public bathrooms and benches, which discouraged potential volunteers. Community Gardens of Tucson, which manages twenty gardens across the city, installed tables, benches and pop-up shade structures. They also built raised garden beds, improved pathways and added a compostable toilet onsite. The improvements allow garden to offer more diverse programming for community members, which has led to more volunteer engagement.
Aztec, NM
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Aztec lacked inclusive spaces for older adults to gather and reconnect after years of isolation. The Leanor was renovated with ADA features, indoor seating and outdoor upgrades including a pergola, firepit and six garden spaces for flowers and vegetables. Pop-up craft fairs and coffee gatherings brought residents together during renovations. The space now hosts storytelling, artisan markets and intergenerational programs, with older adults leading gardening and art activities. One organizer noted teens move furniture were eager to help and loved visiting with them, generating community engagement.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Memphis, TN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Vacant parcels will be cleared and rebuilt as green space with accessible paths, seating and garden areas for everyday use. These improvements will provide neighbors with a comfortable place to gather, rest outdoors and attend small events together.
Memphis, TN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: In South Memphis, many older adults lacked computer skills, leaving them disconnected from telehealth, finances and job opportunities. Mustard Seed addressed this by hosting a six-week course at its ACTION Center, covering internet safety, smartphone basics and fraud prevention, with one-on-one support from volunteers. The curriculum, co-designed with older adults and delivered in partnership with CodeCrew, gave participants practical skills for banking, shopping and virtual meetings. Graduates now feel confident using technology, and demand for intermediate classes is growing. One participant noted how much he enjoyed the class, and mentioned that the instructors were very helpful and the class made things much easier for him.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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