Illène Pevec (born June 6, 1948) is an author, journalist, children's activist, and educator who works in developing youth gardens at schools and community centers. Based in Carbondale, Colorado, Pevec serves as the program director for Fat City Farmers, a local food education program in Basalt, Colorado. She is a multinational citizen (Brazil, US, and Canada) and has developed youth gardens in all three countries. Pevec authored Growing a Life: Teen Gardeners Harvest Food, Health, and Joy (New Village Press 2016), a book that integrates her work in US community youth gardens with observations from other disciplines to generate a better understanding of the positive effect mentored urban gardening can have on youth development.

Personal life

Pevec was born in Brazil, but was brought up in Denver, Colorado. Her approach to education and life has roots in her experiences hiking, gardening, skiing and swimming as a child. Pevec is the mother of five children and has lived in Canada, Brazil, Portugal, and the United States.

Education

Pevec attended Stanford University from 1966-1969 but later graduated from Marylhurst University in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Humanities. Pevec received her master's degree in Curriculum Studies from the University of British Columbia in 2000. In 2011, she received her doctoral degree in Design and Planning from the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Colorado, Denver.

School garden projects

Vancouver (1998–2002): Spirit of Nature Gardens

Spirit of Nature Gardens began as a research project to revitalize urban school grounds through school and community gardening. Pevec partnered with Tracy Penner to design and construct a garden that would serve inner city children as an outdoor learning environment for fine arts, gardening and cooking at the Grandview U'uqinak'uuh Community School in Vancouver. With help from students, parents, teachers, and community members, Pevec and Penner transformed one acre of underused land into a site for learning and community gatherings. The project won the "Creating Healthy Communities for Children and Youth" award from the Canadian Society for Children and Youth. Pevec also developed a curriculum for students to learn about the garden's plants, uses, and folklore.

Brazil (2001–2011): A Child's Garden of Peace

Pevec founded A Child's Garden of Peace in 2001 to provide organically grown produce, medicinal plants, and education in environmental responsibility to Brazilian communities. She worked with educators to develop community youth gardens in Santo Angelo, São Borja and Rocinha.

Pevec produced and co-edited a documentary about her work in Brazil entitled A Child's Garden of Peace (2005). The film toured international festivals from 2005–2006 and ran on PBS's award-winning Natural Heroes series.

Colorado (2005–2013)

In 2006, Pevec and Ian Bates developed an educational garden for 90 learning disabled students at the Facilitated Flatirons Academy in Lafayette. The Facilitated Flatirons Academy project was funded by the University of Colorado Outreach. She also created school gardens and horticulture education programs at Roaring Fork High School and Yampah Mountain High School.

Fat City Farmers

Pevec is the program director at Fat City Farmers, a nonprofit organization founded in 2006 to improve personal and community health by supporting gardens and the local food system in Basalt, Colorado. Pevec coordinates garden education with regional schools in four counties and creates gardening curriculums for Colorado teachers in support of active learning. In 2014, she began an immigrant community garden at Roaring Fork High School for Spanish speaking immigrant families in partnership with Valley Settlement Project and Fat City Farmers.

Publications

Curricula

Journals/educational magazines

Books

Awards