TEL HI’s Garden Story and Our New Chapter Ahead
November 20, 2025
TEL HI’s Garden Story and Our New Chapter Ahead
For 135 years, TEL HI has been a place where the community gathers, learns, and grows together. While we haven’t always had a garden, we’ve always had an outdoor space — a courtyard, a playground, a place for children to learn, play, and connect with nature. Over the decades, this space has evolved alongside our community’s needs: from a cobblestone courtyard with a grand fountain, to a simple dirt green space, and now to the thriving garden we know today. Each transformation has reflected the changing times and the people who have been a part of TEL HI’s community.
Pictured: A group of girls dance and play in the courtyard of the Maybeck Building at 1736 Stockton Street, TEL HI’s previous location. (1950)
Now, it’s time to reimagine this space once again.
Our vision is to transform the TEL HI Garden into a vibrant, outdoor classroom — a place where children of all ages can learn about sustainability, discover where their food comes from, and learn the importance of caring for our shared environment. With your support, we can create a space that nurtures curiosity, connection, and respect for the earth — ensuring that future generations continue to grow, learn, and thrive right here at TEL HI.
Pictured: Participants in TEL HI’s Senior Program distribute fresh produce in TEL HI’s garden (c. 1970s)
Pictured: A group of TEL HI’s summer camp youth sit alongside the garden’s red fence. (1994)
Join us in cultivating the future — one seed, one student, one garden bed at a time. Help us renovate TEL HI’s Urban garden!
- Create an outdoor classroom with flexible seating for exploration and discovery
- Add new wooden planter beds for hands-on gardening
- Build a pond ecosystem that brings science to life
- Replace the aging greenhouse with a more functional, modern, light-filled structure
Donate To A Garden Project
Would you like to support our Garden Project? Make a Donation Online by clicking here!
You can also learn more at https://www.telhi.org/gardendisplay/
