Students tending the community garden at San Francisco Elementary
Interior of the newly opened library at San Francisco Elementary
San Francisco Elementary School wall mural
Community leaders and the Banyan Branch delegation gathered in front of the San Francisco Elementary mural
Our Mission

Rooted in Community,
Growing Together

Education, nutrition, and safe spaces for underserved public schools in the Philippines.

Learn Our Story
Recent Event

Opening Our First
School Library

Books donated by the CHO family now give every student a place to read and grow.

See the Library
Recent Event

A Mural for the
Whole School

Students and volunteers brought color and pride to the school's walls.

See Focus Areas
Recent Event

Banyan Branch Launch
with Former President

See photos and highlights from the celebration.

View the Gallery
Banyan Branch · Community Garden, San Francisco Elementary
Who We Are

A Holistic Mission

Banyan Branch helps children in underserved rural public schools learn, eat well, and grow up in safe, inclusive places. We look for simple, low-cost ideas that make a real difference — for mind, body, and spirit — and once something works, our goal is to expand our reach to scale this program to more schools across the Philippines, the United States, and South Korea.

Books, digital tools, and supplies for children who need them most.

A first hands-on introduction to technology and AI for every child.

Our Full Approach
Laptops and children's books set out on a table in the new library
Our Impact, By the Numbers
0

Students · San Francisco Elem., Lubao

~$0

Annual investment / student

Farming & Fishing

Primary livelihood

Family Income Context · Lubao
~$0

Avg. annual family income

~$0/mo

Left over each month

Focus Areas & Progress

Where We Concentrate Our Support

Education, nutrition, and safe spaces — and the early progress each is producing at our first pilot site.

Education and learning
Education & Learning

Real books, better lessons, and a first hands-on look at technology.

Nutrition and livelihood
Nutrition & Livelihood

Healthy meals for students, plus hands-on skills that fit local farming and fishing.

Safe, inclusive, empowering spaces
Safe, Inclusive, Empowering Spaces

Bright, safe, welcoming spaces where every child feels they belong and can focus.

Delegation and officials touring the new library at San Francisco Elementary
Building the Library

The first books came from the Cho family, and a dedicated library room is being built. We’ll keep adding to it based on what the students actually reach for.

School mural
The Empowering Space School Mural

A 6 ft × 20 ft mural, designed by the students themselves, turning a plain wall into a bright, welcoming place where kids feel proud and at ease. The vendor is booked for August 2026.

The Community Garden
The Community Garden

The garden feeds students one day a week; by year-end we want it feeding all 354 of them, every day. We’re also trying hydroponics — useful skills to learn in farming country.

Pilot Launching · August 2026

Want to Help?

Donate directly, join our steering committee, or share our campaign with your own network — see every way to get involved.

See How to Get Involved