ABOUT URBAN GREEN LAB
We teach communities how to live sustainably.
Urban Green Lab exists to guide communities in sustainable living. We train and educate in places where culture begins to assist Nashville in making decisions that thoughtfully meet the needs of our society today without compromising the ability of others to meet their needs in the future. We envision a Nashville where everyone has access to opportunities for learning about sustainable living.
Story
Urban Green Lab is a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2009 by Nashville residents who believed education is key to achieving sustainability. The journey started with teaching workshops at festivals and events. In 2016, we launched our mobile lab to bring sustainable living education to schools citywide. The Lab now has a permanent home at Green Door Gourmet. Today we view every space as a “lab” of learning, and we work to ensure sustainability education is accessible citywide.
Opportunity
There has never been a more important time to teach about sustainability. From the food we eat to how you transport yourself around the city, we make choices every day that impact our climate and fellow species.
Many people make sustainable choices daily, like turning off the lights when they leave a room, without thinking of them as "sustainability efforts". We have an opportunity to create systemic change and encourage Nashvillians in what they are already doing by listening first, then guiding.
Strategy
Urban Green Lab believes education sparks transformative action and that a little change goes a long way. When Nashvillians in classrooms, households, and workplaces make sustainable living a priority, it has a ripple effect community-wide.
This is accomplished through programs organized through these strategies:
Educate and Train
We deliver practical trainings across classrooms, households, and workplaces that build sustainable habits and track measurable outcomes.
Share Best Practices
We recognize and showcase individuals, organizations, and leaders on their sustainability journey, creating models that inspire cultural change.
Act Collectively
We convene cross-sector partners to align strategies, share knowledge, and build equity-centered, coordinated sustainability solutions.
Inform Policy
We translate nonpartisan policy expertise in community learning through coalitions and forums that inform equitable decision-making citywide.
Read more in our 2030 Strategic Plan
Values
At Urban Green Lab, we believe sustainability is for all of us – a human right that belongs to every person, regardless of race, place, or identity. Living more sustainably is a journey rooted in compassion, inclusion, and justice, made possible through education, collaboration, and stewardship. We see education as the spark for meaningful action, empowering people to make simple, joyful changes that add up to lasting impact. By working in partnership, we go further together, fostering creativity, accountability, and harmony. And as careful stewards, we commit to using resources responsibly and transparently to achieve our shared sustainability goals.
Sustainability is for all of us.
Sustainability is a human right and our work is for everyone regardless of race, place, and identity. To us, living more sustainably is a journey rooted in compassion, inclusion, and justice.
Education leads to action.
We believe education is the first step toward taking meaningful action, and that learning to live sustainably can be simple and fun. We empower people to try little changes that make a big difference.
Collaboration makes us stronger.
Nothing is achieved alone. Our diverse partnerships allow us to work creatively, accountably, and in harmony. We believe we go further together.
We are good stewards of our organization.
Taking good care of what we have is at the heart of who we are and what we do. We are committed to using your gifts of support responsibly and transparently to deliver credible work toward our shared goals.
Approach to Sustainability
Living sustainably is about making choices that protect Earth’s resources while empowering the lives that depend on them. Rather than reaching individual perfection, we encourage everyone to make informed decisions and apply a sustainability lens to daily habits. As a justice-centered organization, we work to ensure everyone, including underrepresented communities, has equal access to sustainability education and resources.
