Who We Are | The Green Heart Project

Mission & History

The Green Heart Project builds garden-based experiential learning projects and school garden programs to educate students connect people and cultivate community through growing, eating, and celebrating food.

The Green Heart Project was founded in 2009 as a small school garden at Mitchell Elementary School in downtown Charleston with the intention of reconnecting their students with fresh, locally-grown produce. As a Title-1 public school in a labeled food desert, the majority of Mitchell Elementary students come from low-income households that lack access to the whole, fresh fruits and vegetables that we all need to lead a healthy lifestyle. With this knowledge, local neighborhood residents Karalee Nielsen and Chauncey Jordan founded the Project with the hopes of changing those facts. Together with a group of friends, and an open-minded principal looking for alternative ways to teach and inspire, they devised a plan to build an urban garden with a group of 3rd grade students, utilizing the experience as a service-learning project to teach students the value of growing your own food.

In the first year, the Project quickly became more than an experiment in urban gardening. With students and volunteers working in the garden together, a mentorship was fostered. It was soon realized that the students were growing personally and socially, just as the vegetables were growing big in the garden. The urban farm became an organic example of an important life lesson -- through hard work, teamwork and respect for the process, you can literally bear the fruits of your labor. The volunteers became “Green Heart Buddies” – mentors students could count on and learn with as they worked together in the garden. And it is from this model in volunteer-assisted service-learning that the Green Heart Project's mission and educational program was founded.

Garden Locations

Mitchell Elementary School

2 Perry Street, Charleston, SC 29403

Sanders Clyde Creative Arts School

805 Morrison Dr, Charleston, SC 29403

Sullivan’s Island Elementary School

2015 I'on Avenue, Sullivan's Island, SC 29482

Meeting Street Academy at Singleton Park

Corner of Nassau and Conroy Streets, Charleston, SC 29403

Meeting Street Elementary at Brentwood

2685 Leeds Ave, North Charleston, SC 29405

Memminger Elementary School

20 Beaufain St, Charleston, SC 29401

Meeting Street Elementary at Burns

3750 Dorchester Rd, North Charleston, SC 29405

James Simons Montessori School

(use the Urban Farm at Enston Home as a school garden)

Charleston Catholic School

(use the Urban Farm at Enston Home as a school garden)

Burke High School

244 President Street, Charleston, SC, 29403

Green Heart Team

Jesse Blom

Executive Director

Jesse serves the Green Heart Project as its Executive Director, overseeing all facets of the organization. For more than a decade, Jesse has used urban agriculture as a tool for building community and for inspiring curiosity and learning in people of all ages. Prior to joining the Green Heart Project, he managed an educational urban farm project for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD and before then, led urban agriculture, education, and training projects for Sweet Water Foundation in his hometown of Milwaukee, WI. Jesse is honored to be serving the Charleston community and would love to hear from you. You can reach him directly at jesse@greenheartsc.org.

Kimberly Perrineau-Jackson

Operations Director

Kimberly believes in promoting the welfare of others and passionately serves with that at heart. In addition to her work as Operations Director, she hopes to enhance awareness of the role food plays in cultivating communities. Coupled with the teachings from her loving parents, Kimberly credits her love for people and the community to growing up in Charleston’s inner-city. When not at Green Heart, you can find her volunteering, working with youth, attending football games, and spending time with her family. kim@greenheartsc.org

Sean Murray

Farmer

Sean is a passionate farmer who loves his local community. In 2015, upon completing the Growing New Farmers program through College of Charleston he began his farming career. Sean operated Murray Heirlooms, a farm focused on growing organic, heirloom vegetables for some of the best restaurants in Charleston. He is eager to share his knowledge with others in the community and inspire a new generation to understand where their food comes from. When Sean’s hands aren’t in the dirt, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and watching the Boston Red Sox. sean@greenheartsc.org

Erin Snow

Program Director

Before joining the Green Heart team full-time, Erin was an elementary school teacher for 10 years. Her Kindergarten class became part of the first group of students to participate in The Green Heart Project at Meeting Street Academy in 2015, and she has been a champion of the organization ever since. One of her favorite qualities in others is curiosity, and she loves the way a garden sparks endless questions in children and adults! As the Program Director, Erin enjoys working closely with Green Heart’s talented staff and volunteers and our amazing community of program partners. erin@greenheartsc.org

Lilly Smith

Garden Educator

Lilly brings a passion for hands-on learning and community connection to her role as Garden Educator. A graduate of the College of Charleston, with a background in recreation and education, Lilly is committed to creating inclusive, joyful spaces where young people can grow and thrive. A strong believer in the power of outdoor education, she’s excited to help students connect with their food, their community, and the natural world. When she’s not in the garden, you can find her exploring local parks or baking something sweet to share. lilly@greenheartsc.org

Alexandra Booker

Development Coordinator

Alexandra brings heart, creativity, and a belief in community to her role as Development Coordinator at The Green Heart Project. With a background in nonprofit development and a lifelong commitment to volunteering, she is passionate about building meaningful relationships, cultivating positive change, and strengthening the organization’s reach. Alexandra is driven to expand green spaces and foster environments where people can connect and create something meaningful, all while supporting a more sustainable and vibrant world. She is thrilled to be part of the team and to support the continued growth of The Green Heart Project.

alexandra@greenheartsc.org

Iliana Pate

Green Heart Apprentice

Along with a wealth of gardening knowledge, Iliana brings a passion for hands-on learning, community connection, and growing food to the Green Heart team. This Tennessee native not only has experience as a garden educator at Fauna Forest Farm, but she was also a Forest School Instructor, bringing in a new set of skills. In both positions, she worked closely with children of all ages, guiding them through outdoor explorations. She believes that growing and sharing food is one of the most powerful ways to bring people together and build healthy communities. In Iliana’s free time, you can find her tending her own garden, exploring the outdoors, or diving into a creative craft project. iliana@greenheartsc.org

Lilli Paige Ganstrom

Garden Educator

With a background in environmental studies and a concentration in environmental education focused on permaculture, Lilli Paige is one of our dedicated Garden Educators. Before joining us, Lilli Paige worked as an environmental educator with Coastal Expeditions and as a garden educator at Naples Botanical Garden. She has a passion for teaching others about the wonders of plants and how they can inspire us, and she’s thrilled to finally combine her plant-focused lifestyle (and love!) with her career, surrounded by people who share her enthusiasm. Lilli Paige spends her free time tapping into her creative side through gardening, printmaking, and cross-stitching, along with thrifting and exploring fashion. She also keeps 3 fish tanks at home, including one semi-aquatic tank that she built herself! lillipaige@greenheartsc.org