YouthGROW
Youth Growing Organics in Worcester, or YouthGROW, is an urban agriculture-focused youth development and employment program for Worcester teens
Our Program
YouthGROW employs up to 40 high school teens (age 14-18) year-round who gain leadership and jobs skills as they maintain three urban organic farms.
YouthGROWers complete a curriculum focused on Professional Development, Leadership Skills, Urban Agriculture, and Social Justice (PLUS,) through participation in the 6-week summer intensive, fall and spring sessions, monthly workshops, and community service.
three Urban Farm Campuses
Staff positions
Core Youth: All students new to the program start as Core Youth members.
Youth Leaders: The first leadership position within YouthGROW. Youth leaders lead farm tasks in small groups during program time, give farm tours for visitors, and run our annual spring hiring process for new youth.
Junior Staff: The highest leadership role within the program, Junior Staff lead farm tasks during youth program time and for outside volunteer groups, lead farm tours year round, support school gardens programming, and represent the larger cohort at conferences and on community coalitions.
lessons
learned
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Consensus decision making
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Financial literacy
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Food Systems (Local vs. Conventional)
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How to use farm tools
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Plant Identification
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Public speaking skills
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How to create a resume
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Urban agriculture knowledge and more!
REC YouthGROWers say it best! Check out their podcast episode, YouthTalks:
Youthgrow in a year
Core Youth Application goes live!
Core Youth Interviews
Summer Intensive
Fall Session
Winter Break
Junior Staff Interviewed and Hired
Youth Leaders Interviewed and Hired
Spring Session
Thank You to our YouthGROW Sponsors!
YouthGROW funding provided by the United Way of Central Massachusetts as a part of DESE's After School and Out of School Time Subgrant Funding
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