LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Leslie VanSchaik was nominated anonymously.

Ms. VanSchaik believes that building strong connections with students is the foundation of a positive classroom environment. She gets to know her students personally, then layers in strategies that integrate social-emotional learning, academic content, and hands-on experiences through gardening.

Her students maintain one of the largest school gardens in the Clark County School District, featuring 24 raised beds, herb spirals, grapevines, and 10 fruit trees. They take ownership through assigned garden responsibilities, collaborate on real-world problem-solving, and grow culturally relevant crops. The garden is also fully integrated into the curriculum—supporting science, math, language arts, and art through meaningful, place-based learning.

Ms. VanSchaik fosters a sense of purpose, community, and accountability in her students. Each year, they participate in the largest student-run farmers market in the country, recently earning runner-up for the heaviest vegetable with a four-pound cauliflower. Through her work, she cultivates not just plants, but also empathy, patience, and pride.