City Heard – Where young voices grow green cities
A new California nonprofit

Big questions, grown in small gardens.

Plant it. Wire it. Figure it out.

City Heard brings free STEM and nature learning to kids in grades 3–8, starting in Stockton and San Joaquin County.

Students grow a garden at their school, wire it with simple sensors, and share what they discover.

Always freeGrades 3–8San Joaquin County
STEM

Build and measure

Circuits, sensors, coding, and data with low-cost tools.

Nature

Grow and observe

Gardens and habitats that stay at the site.

Voice

Present and lead

Students share findings; older students lead younger ones.

What we do

Our programs

Tap a program to see the details.

Living Lab Flagship8 weeks · grades 3–8

An after-school series at a school or community site for 15–25 students. They plant a garden, build a soil-moisture and temperature sensor, collect their own data, and design a fix for heat, water, or air. The garden stays at the site.

  1. WEEK 1Who lives here?
  2. WEEK 2What do plants need?
  3. WEEK 3Build it
  4. WEEK 4Circuits 101
  5. WEEK 5Code it
  6. WEEK 6Air and heat
  7. WEEK 7Engineer a fix
  8. WEEK 8Showcase
Break camps1 week · 20–30 youth

Half-day camps during school breaks in parks and at partner sites, with outdoor field work, data collection, and stewardship projects.

Pop-up stations1–3 hours · families

Hands-on science stations at libraries, parks, and community events. Families drop in, try an activity, and learn about our longer programs.

Teen Lab Leaders1 semester · 6–12 teens

High schoolers help lead younger groups, run their own data project, and meet STEM and environmental professionals.

Green walls and habitats FutureAs funding allows

Living walls, vertical gardens, and pollinator habitats at schools and partner sites, built as long-term learning tools.

Where we are

The plan

2026

Incorporated as a California nonprofit public benefit corporation. Founding board forming.

2027

Setup year: board, background-check system, partner sites, lesson testing, first grant applications.

2028

First Living Lab pilot in San Joaquin County, then growth toward Tracy, Manteca, and Lodi.

Get involved

Help build it from the start

Open now

Founding board

Secretary, Treasurer, and at-large directors. Four video meetings a year, two-year term, unpaid.

Open now

Regional advisors

No vote, no legal duties. Share local knowledge and make introductions in your community.

2027–2028

Technical volunteers

Engineers, scientists, and teachers to review lessons and later guest-teach.

For 2028

Sites and partners

Schools, after-school programs, libraries, and parks that could host a program.

Let's talk

Interested in a board seat, advising, volunteering, or hosting a site? Email Sebastian Perez, Founder & President.

[email protected]