Roots & Wings

Art and Nature for Young Creators

In partnership with Agri-Business Child Development, Unison’s Roots & Wings program offers children of farmworkers a vibrant open-classroom experience where nature and creativity come alive. Participants nurture our thriving pollinator garden and engage in eco-art projects that spark curiosity and imagination. Through hands-on exploration, they build a meaningful connection to the natural world and take their first steps into the world of art—within an inspiring, inclusive, and welcoming environment.

Children of farmworkers often face systemic barriers to arts access, environmental education, and creative enrichment—especially in rural settings. Roots & Wings addresses this need by partnering with Agri-Business Child Development, a Migrant Head Start program, to serve toddlers and preschoolers at a critical stage in their development. Most arts programming is geared toward older children in urban areas, leaving many young children in agricultural communities without exposure to the arts during formative years.

By engaging families early—before internalized barriers or feelings of exclusion from art spaces take hold—Roots & Wings helps reduce the intimidation that cultural institutions can often present for underserved populations. Many children have already come to believe that “art is not for them” by the time such opportunities reach their communities. This program counters that narrative by making art and nature accessible, joyful, and relevant from the very beginning. Through hands-on eco-art and garden-based exploration, Roots & Wings fosters a sense of belonging, creativity, and connection—for children and their families alike.