Seed Your Future has launched “From Classroom to Career: Grow the Next Generation,” a 2026 year-end fundraising campaign. The organization aims to raise $50,000 by Dec. 31, 2026, and to help at least 50,000 young people discover opportunities in horticulture.
For as little as $8.50, a donation can help Seed Your Future reach one teacher with free Seed to STEM lessons and horticulture career resources. Those educators can then introduce entire classrooms to career paths in plant science, technology, design, business, production and sustainability. The campaign’s premise is that one teacher with the right materials can spark interest in an industry many students may never have considered.
What donations support
Seed Your Future outlines several giving levels and the activities it says they can support:
- $85 equips 10 teachers with career exploration tools.
- $250 provides plantable career exploration papers for career fairs.
- $500 impacts 2,000 students exploring horticulture careers.
- $1,000 empowers more than 115 educators with career pathway resources.
- $5,000 covers the cost of two high school educators attending the Seed to STEM immersive program.
The organization says each teacher reached is a chance to introduce students to careers they may not encounter through traditional classroom learning. It describes horticulture as spanning hands-on growing and plant science as well as business, design and emerging technologies.
Career resources and campaign message
Jazmin Albarran, executive director of Seed Your Future, says students cannot pursue careers they do not know exist. Helping educators bring horticulture into the classroom can open students’ eyes to opportunities that combine their interests with meaningful work, Albarran says. Every contribution helps reach more teachers, introduce more students to the power of plants and build a stronger future for the industry, according to the organization.
Since its founding in 2014, Seed Your Future has worked to change perceptions of horticulture and make career pathways more visible. Its resources include 156 career profiles; more than 50 high school lessons that connect classroom learning to real-world careers; the Plant Power Career Quiz; and 30 ready-to-use classroom tools. The organization also lists internship and scholarship opportunities, career videos, industry stories and Green Career Week, which connects industry professionals with students and future talent.
How to give
Individuals, companies and industry partners can support the campaign through personal donations, corporate contributions or introductions to others interested in investing in horticulture’s future. Giving Tuesday on Dec. 1 is highlighted as a day to give, and all gifts made by Dec. 31 count toward the $50,000 goal. The campaign states that donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
As Seed Your Future looks toward its next decade, it says expanding access to these resources remains essential to building a skilled workforce and helping young people understand how plants shape food systems, health, the environment and the economy.