Preserving Overfelt Gardens: Connecting Environmental Service and Chinese Cultural Heritage
We have a new partner. GR EDU Learning Center (谷雨中文学校) is joining CompassPoint Mentorship as co-host of our next park clean-up — and the pairing could not be better matched, because the park we have adopted is home to San José's Chinese Cultural Garden.
Our next clean-up is Sunday, October 25, 2:00 – 4:00 PM. Register here →
Why this park
Overfelt Gardens is home to the Chinese Cultural Garden — a carved stone ceremonial gateway, a red-and-white pavilion with an ornate tiled roof, and the quiet paths between them. It is a piece of Chinese heritage built into the fabric of a San José public park, free and open to anyone who walks in.
That combination is the reason this project matters to us. Environmental service and cultural heritage are usually treated as separate causes, with separate volunteers. Here they are the same ground. Caring for the park is caring for the garden, and the students who show up on October 25 will be doing both at once without having to choose.
A Chinese school caring for the Chinese Cultural Garden
GR EDU Learning Center (谷雨中文学校) joining us as co-host is the part of this we are most pleased about. Having a Chinese school look after the garden that represents its culture in their own city is not decoration — it is the point. Students who study the language and the history will be the ones with the litter pickers, in the place that holds the heritage they are learning.
It also means more hands. The more families who turn out on October 25, the more of the park we get through in two hours.
How we got here
In March 2026, Catherine and student leader Aiden Zhang met with city officials and volunteers at Overfelt Gardens for a first site investigation — walking the grounds, looking at the condition of the paths and plantings, and working out what the park actually needs rather than what we assumed it needed.
Adopting a park is a commitment, not a gesture. It means coming back. October 25 is the first clean-up since we adopted Overfelt Gardens, and it will not be the last — we intend to keep returning through the year. It means students working alongside city staff and neighbours, learning how public space is actually maintained and who maintains it. That is the kind of experience no classroom offers.
Join us on October 25
Sunday, October 25, 2026 · 2:00 – 4:00 PM
Overfelt Gardens Park, 2145 McKee Rd, San José, CA 95127
Pick-up tools and vests are provided. Bring water, a hat and closed-toe shoes. Families and friends are welcome; children must be accompanied by an adult. No experience needed — just two hours and a willingness to get your hands dirty.
Register for the October 25 clean-up →
Questions: camps@cpmentorship.org
CompassPoint Mentorship is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 46-2389059.
