他们的连接是made possible by the Scott’s Miracle-Gro Foundation.
Through The Legacy Project, selected students receive individualized coaching, tuition opportunities, and hands-on career exposure.
“We like to call them ‘gritty kids,’ and so we take them when they start high school as freshman, and so again, we work with them over four years,” describes Su Lok with Scott’s.
After beginning five years ago, 2020 saw the first group of graduates complete the program.
“I’ve think we’ve seen not only a lot of growth in our students, but a lot of growth in the program. A lot of just maturing and figuring out what we do well and leaning into that,” says McKinney of the program’s evolution.
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On a cold January weekend in 2018, 17 high school freshmen began their journey as the pilot class of The Legacy Project. This group of ninth graders was gathered at The Ohio State University for orientation into a new “grit-focused” youth empowerment program, sponsored by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation and The Hagedorn Legacy Foundation.
Fast forward to May 2021, on a picture-perfect spring day, the same group of students once again came together, this time to celebrate their graduation from The Legacy Project. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden at Franklin Park Conservatory was the ideal setting to recognize these students and this major milestone in the program.
Through individualized coaching and career mentor relationships, real-world career opportunities and immersive learning experiences, The Legacy Project develops students through a multi-discipline curriculum. During their four years in the program, students are challenged through character strength and entrepreneurial mindset development, financial literacy management and customized goal-pursuit. The program also provides a $20,000 scholarship to each student to be used for post-secondary education.
“When we launched The Legacy Project, we set out to help students unlock and grow their grit so they could ultimately define their own future and what success looks like to them,” said Jim King, president, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation. “As we watch our pilot class graduate, all of our students have used their experiences in the program to go after their dreams on their own terms.”
Students from the graduating class have detailed plans to continue their education, with nearly half attending The Ohio State University. One graduate was accepted into the U.S. Army, and is set to begin basic training later this month. Others will start their college careers at traditional four-year universities across Ohio later this summer. And one Legacy graduate will travel to San Francisco to begin her art design education.
“With support from The Legacy Project, I have the opportunity to be the first in my family to attend college and study nursing,” said Anasarai Juarez-Santiago. “I want to help my family and bring more success to them. During my time in the program, I really developed my “bravery” character strength, which will help me face any challenge in life.”
The Legacy staff has learned a great deal from the pilot class to help improve the program experience for future students. And later this month, the program will welcome its third student cohort into the Legacy community.
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Someone once asked what I’m most proud of when it comes to ScottsMiracle-Gro, and it’s not our brands or industry leadership. It’s about being a part of something bigger, being part of an organization that is rooted in family and in purpose.
My father, Horace, who founded Miracle-Gro, operated by a simple rule: “To find a need and fill it.” Yes, that meant meeting the needs of consumers and the marketplace. But it also meant meeting the needs of society. Horace also famously said that companies – like gardeners – “can’t just keep taking from the Earth; you have to give something back.” His words remain just as relevant today.
Now, more than ever, having a clear and actionable purpose is important to us, not just as associates of ScottsMiracle-Gro, but as people living on this planet. A purpose that unites us and our partners and commits our company to making a difference.
You expect that the companies you do business with align with your own values. You expect companies to take a stand on societal issues. You expect companies to have a greater level of transparency. You expect companies to create positive change. You expect these things because that's what a good company does.
We have been living our purpose for decades. It’s rooted in the core belief that good can grow anywhere and so our purpose at ScottsMiracle-Gro is to GroMoreGood everywhere.
GroMoreGood defines how we see our responsibility to our communities, our planet, our consumers, our partners and each other. It is a belief that good can grow anywhere. GroMoreGood reflects who we have always been and what we stand for.
This defined purpose marks a clear path forward for our company – one that pushes us to think bigger and be better.
I, along with all of us at ScottsMiracle-Gro, look forward to continuing to GroMoreGood, together.
I hope you will join us.
Learn more about how we GroMoreGood
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