Tashanda Giles-Jones is an environmental educator cultivating a network of like-minded individuals, organizations, and activists eager to support the learning and growth of urban youth in Los Angeles, California. She develops human impact lessons that are adapted for her student population and provides engaging learning activities through garden-based education. She has volunteered and held positions with several nonprofit fundraising, leadership, and youth committees, as well as outreach and service learning departments. She holds two AA degrees in Resource and Recycling Management and Public Policy from a local community college and a BA degree in Sustainable Development from Arizona State University. Tashanda is also an expedition fellow at EarthEcho International, a Master Gardener, MESA Agroecology Fellow, and recently gave a TEDx Talk on the importance of emotional connections with nature.

Tashanda is applying innovative, relative place-based, project- and action-focused environmental education for several projects in her community. She served as the Green Ambassadors Teacher for the past 8 years at the Environmental Charter Middle School-Inglewood, for which she was recently awarded the Garden Club of America’s Elizabeth Abernathy Hull Award for her innovative holistic science and garden education program. In her new role, she serves as the Environmental Education Program Lead for Environmental Charter Schools. Beyond the campus, Tashanda teaches about environmental injustices and toxic racism. She helps students understand the political and historical forces that have led to these inequitable dynamics and encourages them to strengthen their voices in order to advocate on behalf of their communities. Tashanda is also the Lead Educator in Kiss the Ground’s Introduction to Regenerative Gardening online course and host of their podcast “Grow What You Know.”

Tashanda’s continuous and relentless drive for ways to provide sustainable skills for communities that are often left behind and are uninformed about local mandates, regulations, and accessibility, has fueled her passion for teaching about environmental issues and sustainable solutions.