Boise Urban Garden School began in 2003 as a seven-week summer gardening and literacy program for young people ages 10 to 16. From June through early August, approximately 30 youth from diverse backgrounds share enriching experiences around gardening, giving them a deeper understanding of nature, food, and the power to make responsible, healthy choices that serve them and their communities well into adulthood.

The idea behind the Boise Urban Garden School came one winter afternoon while cofounders Wendy Young and Amy Hutchinson were talking over a cup of tea. Amy, a junior high school teacher, was reflecting that her most positive experiences with students occurred outside the classroom, planting gardens, taking nature walks, and collecting sagebrush seed in the Boise foothills. The pair also discussed the role the natural world, especially the family vegetable garden, played in their childhood. From this simple discussion, the seed of inspiration was planted for BUGS.

After more discussions and planning, the dream for the garden school started to take shape when they received a call from a fellow gardener and a member of the Wright Congregational Church who had the idea to turn the extensive church grounds—then unused and un-landscaped—into a productive garden. Amy and Wendy formalized a proposal and presented it to the congregation, who was fully supportive and even signed on as the fiscal sponsor for the first year. Soon other community members offered their help and support with setting up the irrigation system, prepping the soil, building a tool shed, and gathering tools. The following spring, BUGS was ready to begin accepting applications for the 2003 summer program. The program has been growing ever since.