Cathrine Sneed

Cathrine Sneed: Originally from a suburb outside of Newark, New Jersey, Cathrine came to California in the early 1970’s. She enrolled in law school and took classes with a professor named Michael Hennessey, who would soon become Sheriff of San Francisco and ask Cathrine to join his staff in 1980. Cathrine decided to leave law school and take a job as a counselor at the San Francisco County Jaill. In 1982, after a life threatening illness, Cathrine decided to begin a gardening program at the jail. Taking her inspiration from John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, Cathrine sought to give the prisoners hope in their own ability for personal growth by giving them a sense of purpose and connectedness. Prisoners grew organic vegetables and donated them to soup kitchens. While the program thrived, in 1992, Cathrine saw the need for a post-release program. So began The Garden Project. The mission of The Garden Project is to offer structure and support to former offenders and at risk youth through job training in gardening, counseling, and assistance in continuing education. Over 4,000 former prisoners have gone through the program. Cathrine and her work have been featured in The New York Times, The Economist, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, US News and World Report, and The San Francisco Chronicle, among other publications, and the A&E Channel’s “Uncommon Americans” and the Lifetime Channel. Cathrine has spoken across the country and has been honored with such awards as the National Caring Award, the Hero for the Earth, and the National Foundation for the Improvement of Justice Award.

Schumacher College is part of the Dartington Hall Trust, a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and as a charity (company no. 1485560, charity no. 279756). Registered office: The Elmhirst Centre, Dartington Hall, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6EL, UK.