Once a place of learning. Soon a place of healing, growth, and connection.
Great things are coming.
This reimagined space will serve as a safe, welcoming center offering life-skills education, wellness programming, and onsite therapy services for individuals and families who need them most.
In rural and semi-rural communities, critical services are often out of reach. Limited transportation, financial constraints, and a lack of nearby resources leave many residents; especially low- and moderate-income households without the support they deserve.
The Secret Garden Collective exists to change that.
By removing barriers to care and bringing essential services directly into the community, we are cultivating a place where children can grow, families can thrive, and neighbors can reconnect; restoring not only a building, but hope, stability, and possibility for generations to come.
Together we are turning an overlooked space into a powerful catalyst for education, wellness, and lasting community impact.
Revitalize the historic schoolhouse
Project No. 1:
With the historic schoolhouse and surrounding buildings on the path to restoration, the next phase focuses on activating the surrounding grounds and launching hands-on educational courses for all ages—transforming the campus into a living place of learning, wellness, and connection.
This phase improves outdoor spaces and begins year-round programming that serves children, families, adults, and seniors, ensuring the site is not only restored—but actively used and deeply rooted in community life.
The campus grounds will be thoughtfully improved to support safe public access, outdoor education, and community gathering. Planned enhancements include:
Outdoor learning areas and shaded gathering spaces
Teaching gardens and demonstration areas for food and nutrition education
Pathways and seating designed for accessibility and multi-generational use
Site improvements that support safe, regular programming and events
All work will follow a safety-first, compliance-driven approach, ensuring environmental responsibility and long-term usability.
Alongside physical improvements, this phase marks the official launch of community education programming. Courses and workshops will be designed to be accessible, practical, and rooted in real-world skills, including:
Gardening, food growing, and nutrition education
Youth enrichment and homeschool-friendly learning experiences
Wellness, life skills, and community resilience workshops for all ages
Intergenerational learning opportunities that bring the community together
Food-related education and activities will align with applicable guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, ensuring public health and food safety standards are upheld.
Activating the Campus & Surrounding Buildings
Project No. 2:
With the historic schoolhouse restored, The Secret Garden Collective’s next phase focuses on activating the surrounding buildings and outdoor spaces to create a fully integrated, multi-use community campus.
This phase transforms underutilized structures into functional, safe, and accessible spaces that support education, wellness, food systems, and community connection—extending the impact of the schoolhouse beyond its walls.
Adaptive reuse of adjacent buildings for classrooms, therapy space, workshops, and program support
Development of outdoor learning areas, gardens, and gathering spaces
Infrastructure improvements to support year-round programming and public use
Continued environmental, food safety, and operational compliance planning
All work is approached with the same safety-first, compliance-driven framework as the schoolhouse restoration.
Rural communities often lose access to shared infrastructure long before alternatives exist. By revitalizing an entire campus—not just a single building—this project creates:
More space for programs without increasing transportation barriers
Safe, compliant areas for food education and distribution
Flexible facilities that can adapt to community needs over time
A resilient model for rural reuse that prioritizes health, access, and sustainability
A Living, Growing Community Resource
Once complete, the campus will function as a living community resource—supporting children, families, educators, seniors, and service providers in one connected place. Each building and outdoor space is designed to grow alongside the community it serves, ensuring long-term use rather than one-time activation.
Project No. 3:
Grounds Activation & Community Education Launch
The Secret Garden Collective is restoring a long-vacant historic schoolhouse in Oracle, Arizona and reimagining it as a safe, accessible, and vibrant community education and wellness hub.
This project honors the building’s legacy while creating new opportunities for learning, connection, food education, and community care.
From the start, safety and accountability have guided every step. We are working in coordination with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ensure environmental safety, food safety, and full regulatory compliance.
By reusing an existing public building and footprint, this project reduces environmental impact while preserving local history. Once restored, the campus will again serve as a place where people gather—to learn, grow, heal, and build meaningful connections.
This is more than a renovation: It’s an investment in rural resilience, public health, and shared belonging.
Big Ideas,
Real Impact.
Built for Accessibility & Inclusion
This project includes new ADA-compliant accessibility features where none previously existed, ensuring the campus is welcoming and usable for:
Individuals with disabilities
Seniors and adults with mobility limitations
Families navigating accessibility challenges
These improvements directly support Stare and Federal objectives by ensuring that public benefits are accessible to protected and underserved populations—turning a once limited property into an inclusive community asset.
Serving Our Regional Communities
The Secret Garden Collective directly benefits residents within a 30 minute service radius, including:
Oracle
San Manuel
Mammoth
Catalina
SaddleBrooke and The Ranch
These communities include higher proportions of fixed-income households, working families, seniors, and children with limited access to affordable educational and therapeutic services.
What LMI Residents Gain
Our programs are intentionally designed to deliver measurable, direct benefits to low- and moderate-income households, including:
Affordable or subsidized community education: Life-skills training, wellness classes, and practical education for all ages.
Onsite therapy and developmental services : Speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and developmental services delivered by trusted partner providers in a familiar, community-based setting.
Support for children and families: Including homeschooling families and ESA-participating households who face limited local resource options.
Inclusive programs for all ages: Skills training, social connection, and supportive services that promote independence and well-being.
Reaching Those Most Impacted
The Secret Garden Collective prioritizes intentional outreach to LMI households through:
Community partnerships and trusted referral networks
Open-access, public programming
Collaboration with local providers and educators
By keeping services centralized, accessible, and open to the public, the project advances equitable service delivery and strengthens the long-term resilience of our surrounding communities.
