RuckusRoots Inc.,

Most recently my son got to experience garden magic as part of RuckusRoots A.L.I.V.E. program. The program highlighted the plants growing in the garden. Students helped tend the garden, sow seeds and understand plant parts.

Ruckus Roots was awesome to work with! They provided a much needed opportunity for families in Altadena to create art and express themselves after the devastating Eaton Fire. I especially love how they incorporated facts into their program and allowed families to chat freely and have fun! Such a great experience and a great team to work with!

I’ve been following Ruckus Roots and love all the programs and initiatives they do. I was so glad the stars aligned for me attend one of their earth to art series on brick making/mosaic and it was just as amazing as depicted on their instagram highlights I’ve been watching and more!! The staff was so knowdgeable, friendly, kind and passionate. Highly recommend their programs

Ruckus Roots is a great organization that is doing amazing things to serve the Los Angeles area!
They do cooperative programs with schools and in public spaces for various communities with multiple goals. Most of the projects are nature focused to offer young people a connection with Nature through gardening and art. Some of the school projects incorporate found objects and items from Nature, stressing reusing and repurposing creatively. Sometimes gardening skills are taught along with introductions to native plants. The children learn to see Nature from a new and appreciative perspective.
Other school projects involve the painting of huge murals in community parks, etc. The children help to conceive the plan for the mural with the guidance of an artist and paint the mural. This enhances the community and makes the wonderful resulting mural a source of school and community pride, as well as creating great satisfaction in each student artist that contributed.
The young people are empowered through learning creative skills and connecting in a real way with Nature. It is so necessary to teach the future stewards of our Earth to see it and appreciate it and want to protect it!

Really enjoyed working with Ruckus Roots for these 10 workshops of making eco bricks! Looking forward to work with Ruckus Roots again next year!

RuckusRoots has been amazing in providing our students and their families with a space (beautiful garden) and opportunities to grow together as a community. By doing we have learned a lot about various native plants and pollinators. RR has provided families and students with opportunities to create nature inspired art in a conscious manner. Thank you for your honest commitment to enrich and support our school!

I came across this program for my children and couldn’t have been happier!! My kids were able to learn in a garden and work with their hands planting and painting and so much mor! I’m excited for their next journey into nature through this wonderful program ������

We partnered with Ruckus Roots for four 8-week sessions for our elementary school students. They were very organized, easy to work with, and responsive to our questions and needs. They also showed great flexibility when our dedicated room was suddenly no longer available. The kids enjoyed working on the art in groups, and we had beautiful murals depicting local wild life and plants to display at the end of the sessions. I highly recommend this group if you're looking for summer classes for your child or an art event for kids.

Running a non profit is hard. Running it effectively and creating meaningful and lasting change is even harder. Ruckus Roots is doing all that and more by engaging the community and offering the tools needed to make real difference in the world just when we need it most. Thank you Ruckus Roots!

Ruckus Roots is my favorite charity and I love its mission. They are doing great work in the world for youth, communities, and the planet.

I am moved & inspired by the deeply purposeful work that Ruckus Roots is responsible for. I truly believe my community is a better place for the work they do in connecting youth to the arts in profound & amazing ways… Eternally grateful I am….

I have watched the activities of Ruckus Roots from my home in Utah.
I am a proud supporter of Ruckus Roots. They do wonderful things for young people.

I really enjoyed attending the Friendship Garden in Hawthorne at Eucalyptus Elementary School and seeing how Ruckus Roots transformed a non-native garden into a native garden, rendering the area more sustainable and educational for the children. It’s refreshing to see a non-profit give back to the community!

I am a recent hire at RuckusRoots. RR was an easy pick for me, as their work includes many of my favorite things—art, activism and working with kids. It is truly a joy to be working for a company that has strong values that are in alignment with my own. The creative programs run with youth and local communities are consciously diverse, inclusive, collaborative and always have an element of sustainability, whether by using recycled materials for art-making or gardening with native plants that are supported by the local climate of Los Angeles. I am very proud to work for this company. If you want to be a part of work that is creative, supports our environment and has a positive impact, I would definitely recommend connecting with RuckusRoots!

FEAST loves RuckusRoots! We had the opportunity to collaborate with the RuckusRoots team on a garden activity day for the community in August 2022 and the event was a success! RuckusRoots led an olla painting activity that was originally meant for kids but attendees of all ages participated and enjoyed the chance to learn and paint. We were also able to donate many beautifully painted ollas to the Mercado La Paloma garden beds. The RuckusRoots team is responsive, productive, and overall fun to work with. We can't wait for our next opportunity to bring food, art, and community together with RuckusRoots.

RuckusRoots is a phenomenal organization. I had the pleasure of onboarding the team in September 2022 as the Project Coordinator for The Rebel Garden Project. So far, I've had an amazing experience. I am appreciative of the work they have been putting in when it comes to uplifting BIPOC communities.

I look forward to growing with the organization and am excited about what is in store for us this New Year 2023.

I am a big believer in "each one, teach one." and am grateful to be a little hood kid teaching other little hood kids.

Collaborating with Ruckus Roots was such a delightful experience. Their attention to inclusivity and organic learning is quite inspiring. They are kind, thoughtful, and have their client’s highest good in mind through all their strategies and nature art centered curriculum. They are truly a partnership that is making the world a better place to live.

I taught a Horticulture class with this Non-Profit. They have a great understanding of working with BIPOC communities. It was a true pleasure working with this group last Summer. I'm currently a Master Gardener that focuses on food Sovereignty as well as Native Plants.

I had been following Ruckus Roots on Instagram and loved their organization - a perfect blend of creativity, advocacy and gardening! I reached out to them regarding a collaboration with my school for Earth Day. Much to my delight, they replied and set up a low-cost, engaging activity for the kindergarten class. They were timely and professional and everyone with the organization had a genuine love for working with kids. They brought all of the supplies and planned well thought-out lesson on planting and sustainability. The kids created their own seed starters and planted seeds to use in their home gardens. It was such a great experience that I brought my kids to a Ruckus Roots event at the Hungry Gardens for an art and mushroom event which was also fun, well organized and engaging. I highly recommend working with Ruckus Roots.

Ruckus Roots is an amazing kid's program!!! They offer unique and hands-on programming that kids get really excited about. We hosted them at our farm, and the session attendees' feedback was incredible. We get asked often - "when is the next one!" Their participants did a mural at our farm, which is beautiful and has so much meaning behind it. It teaches our guests about the area's native flora and fauna - a gift that keeps on giving! Thank you to Ruckus Roots!!

I believe introducing young people to the Arts and self expression helps them develop confidence in themselves and become leaders. And I believe it is an imperative to engage young people/leaders in protecting the environment and our planet for the good of us all. RuckusRoots allows me to support all of this in one place. I have been donating to RuckusRoots since foundation, and have watched it grow into an immensely creative and effective organization. I am proud to be a small part of its success.

As someone who works for another California non-profit, I absolutely love to see the important work that RuckusRoots is doing. Keep it up!

I volunteered for a day helping with the Garden Magic program. What a great asset to the community! I got to hang out with cute kids and adults who are inspired by nature. Together we learned about art, gardening,and each other.

FEAST’s partnership with Ruckus Roots began in early 2020 with a shared mission to promote wellness through healing arts and artistic expression. The activities and programs designed by Ruckus Roots incorporated themes around food and food access which was a great supplement to the work we do at FEAST. The Ruckus Roots team is highly collaborative and creative at adapting to ensure programs mutually support the mission of the partner organization and the communities they serve. We were able to continue offering programs virtually during the pandemic as a result of their team’s due diligence and commitment to our partnership.

I had a wonderful time volunteering with Ruckus Roots helping with their Garden Magic program. Helping kids engage ecology through art was a great experience. All of the activities were creative, well organized, and plain fun. I'm really glad that an old friend recommended this organization.
Everyone from the kids, to the organizers, to the guest teacher were all a joy to meet and help. I look forward to lending a hand in the future.

As a public servant myself, I admire the way this organization bridges the gaps between civil service, environmental stewardship, and arts education. These are all so critical to building strong communities and social change and RuckusRoots addresses them all from a comprehensive, intersectional perspective — so small feat! Keep up the good work, team.

I'm grateful Ruckus Roots came into our community and provided art classes and plastic litter cleanups....it's something we don't have a lot of and need!

ALWAYS SO IMPRESSED by the work the RuckusRoots team does in the community! This organization is a gem - and truly a creative force for good across Los Angeles!

I am constantly inspired by Ruckus Roots, their mission and their execution. I went from being a teaching artist to wanting to be a board member after discovering the impact Ruckus Roots has.

Ruckus Roots is amazing! They’re truly dedicated to their ideals, and their programming is sensitive, relevant, and FUN. They excel at bringing a real sense of community and connection to their workshops and events. I feel so lucky to have been able to work with them!

I love what this organization does and can’t wait to participate in more sustainable art projects!

RuckusRoots is truly a gem in the Los Angeles community! Their combination of environmental education and creative innovation is SO needed in our world right now. I am always happy to learn about their engaging and groundbreaking projects - this team always has something new in the works! ������

RR is an incredible organization! The work that they do in the community is truly outstanding and impactful! Behind the scenes, they are very organized and professional and easy to work with! I have been to a few of their events and every time they by far exceed the expectation!

Ruckus Roots is such a wonderful organization. They do amazing work with local communities in need while also addressing our times most pressing issue: the environment. So grateful for the work they do!

ruckusroots TRASHformation was one of the funnest times I had in middle school. I hope they come back!

The beauty Ruckus Roots nourishes in our communities is the perfect remedy for a world craving to remember creative engagement and purposeful connection. Ruckus Roots is the perfect antidote for all of us who find ourselves isolated, staring at screens and wondering what to do with ourselves.....CREATE ART! It is an honor to be able to put my money into circulation in this beautiful and productive way.

I am always happy to support RuckusRoots! They are a unique and worthwhile cause that supports real change in and around Los Angeles. Keep it up!

RuckusRoots creates lasting change and memorable experiences for youth and communities! i love their innovative approach to integrated experiential arts!

I have volunteered with Ruckus Roots on a few occasions and have to say they are one of the greatest organizations to work with. There is so much passion for what they do and that comes through in their work!

I wholeheartedly recommend Ruckus Roots!

I have had the pleasure of working with RuckusRoots for the past two years - and it has been the most meaningful and fulfilling experience! I love knowing that every single day, I am dedicating my skills, time and energy to an amazing cause that I truly believe in. More than that, it is so inspiring to work with some of the most brilliant and innovative changemakers, leaders, artists and creative thinkers around. I know of no other organization like this; this group looks at complicated problems in the L.A community and responds with unique, thoughtful, creative and multi-faceted solutions. YAY RuckusRoots!

I first heard of Ruckus Roots when a friend from LA saw one of their projects at the LA Zoo. I learned more about it after googling it. It is a most worthy non profit organization that helps where it is needed most - in our underfunded LA school system. Without organizations like Ruckus Roots, many underprivileged children would never experience the “thrill of victory, only the agonony of defeat”.

I've been working with Ruckus Roots for years. It has been a fantastic experience to join with them as an artist mentor for several projects. Art education is a huge priority for me and Ruckus Roots finds creative and inspiring ways to bring it to communities that need it.

Ruckus Roots has had a positive impact on not only the way students interpret and actively seek science, but in their overall enjoyment of education and their willingness and readiness to receive knowledge in general. The staff care and are creative and diligent in their programs. Admirable all around.

This organization punches way above its weight class. It is hard to find a more energetic, diverse, cost-effective, and out-of-the-box thinking nonprofit than RuckusRoots. I support many nonprofits, and this one is at the top of the list.

The mission of RuckusRoots is inspiring. I am a proud donor and encourahe others to support this organization.

Ruckusroots is absolutely on the right track, engaging young students in conservation and the environment on their own turf utilizing "fun stuff" like art and music to magnify unspoiled creative urges. Thanks to these efforts, as the students mature they'll take that consciousness to a higher level and impact politics and policies in the places where they live and work creatively and effectively. Much better than trying to convert "mature" minds set in their ways and/or dependent upon ideological talking points.
Onward...

RuckusRoots is by far the best use of my donation $$ that I've found. Its combined focus on art and environmental education is unique and the quality of its programs unsurpassed. It is 100% properly aligned in this day and age, and in this current political environment where art education and the environment are both under unprecedented attack. Young people, our country and the world need our young to understand environmental issues, develop creatively and get involved and believe they can do something . If we want to foster creativity and creative solutions to our environmental problems, there is nothing better than RR out there. Period. Hats off to Christine and crew!

Ruckusroots is an amazing non-profit that brings arts education to underserved youth. I am always happy to volunteer, donate, and participate in this wonderful cause, knowing that my time, energy, and money are going to be used effectively in the community.

I've had the privilege of working with RuckusRoots on multiple programs in LA, and was constantly in awe of what this small non-profit was capable of. Now more than ever, it seems so important that we offer responsible, engaging art education to the youth. And RuckusRoots does that and more! Can't wait to see what they're able to accomplish in the future!

I never have any hesitation donating to Ruckusroots as I always know that any funds are spent wisely, ethically, conscientiously, and perhaps most important of all, creatively. The young people of Los Angeles are lucky to have Ruckusroots on their side

I've had the privilege of working with RuckusRoots on a few programs and can't say enough! Great team with a great purpose. In a world where educating our youth is so important, non profits such as RuckusRoots are vital!

When I think of how RuckusRoots operates, I think of three things:

1. Vision - RuckusRoots is focused on enriching the connection that students have with their world and their community, but most importantly, that connection is achieved by enriching the students connection with their own voice.

2. Implementation - In their projects, RuckusRoots always takes the time to explore and flesh out the goals of their projects. A spirit of fun and curiosity is key to their programs and that energy has to be invested at the beginning and carried all the way through the project.

3. Execution - None of the other stuff matters if the project isn't completed, and RuckusRoots has a history of building teams that produce results.

It is a joy to work with them, from a perspective of the actual process and for the results they create.

The ideas and love behind all projects created by Ruckusroots are amazing. The ingenuity and care is astounding. I've learned so much at every event I've attend, while having a fun time doing so.

I have a bit of experience with education and sustainability and I haven't come across any group that is doing what RuckusRoots does. First of all, they use art as a way to talk about, think about, and address sustainability issues- an approach that reaches people's hearts in a way that all our scientific facts can't. Their programs are built to foster student creativity, collaboration, sense of community, and civic engagement- all crucial for sustainability, not to mention just being a responsible citizen- and they build important technological and artistic skills that enhance student job-readiness too. They bring students into contact with inspiring professionals who show them that there are all sorts of ways to put artistic and community organizing skills to work in the "real world". Finally, they do all this with underserved young people in Los Angeles who would not otherwise have access to such programming, especially arts programming. Their work is inspiring, necessary, and effective.

RuckusRoots is so cherished! It is an inspirational machine in the NE Los Angeles community, facilitating beautiful projects that engage and utilize the creative expression of children and teens, while raising much needed environmental awareness.
Students learn skills, are given creative opportunities, and celebrate individuality. They become aware of their impact. This is vital. We need more of you, Ruckus Roots! Thank you so much, Chrissy Spehar, for doing the work you do in the world. It is beautiful and crucial!!!!

Great organization ran by great people. Ruckusroots is changing lives and the way we administer and interpret education

I know my donation dollars are making an important difference by bringing sustainable art education to schools that would otherwise go without. The director and her staff are dedicated to making a positive impact on the LA community and surrounding areas. I highly recommend this nonprofit as I have seen firsthand the amazing projects created by Christine and her team!

Ruckusroots is an amazing organization that gives students access to arts education! Each lesson ties in arts, music, culture, conservation, art history, and technology seamlessly. Arts education is so important for children's growth, self expression and self esteem. Without RuckusRoots, many children in areas throughout Los Angeles might not get any exposure to the arts...how lucky we are to have nonprofits like them.

Ruckus Roots is doing AMAZING things with kids in classrooms that our schools systems simpy can't do on their own. The RR team brings art education and skill building, environmentalism and activism, and critical lessons in team work and team building to youth in a totally accessible way that even teenagers love!