Skip to Content

July 2, 2026 | Education

Summer Stories: Youth Development Program, Week 1

We began our Summer Youth Development Program on June 29, and the first week was all about training and managing the heat!

Youth using hoe

The Youth Development Program is a paid opportunity for high-school-age students to develop and hone various skills in preparation for life beyond the classroom. The summer session is called the Seed Crew, and is 8 weeks of working, learning, and connecting as a team.

This year we began the season by training the Root Crew Leaders to be more supportive and successful leaders for their crews. The training last week was also an opportunity for them to meet and work with this season’s interns and dedicated volunteers. We guided them through the duties they would be doing throughout the summer, and how to teach those tasks to others. We talked about everything they would come across on a day-to-day basis using Groundswell. From seeding to weeding to harvesting, to using the right tools, to managing their time, to preparing food. It was important to us that they feel confident and empowered to lead the way.

MONDAY

We welcomed the students to the first week of the 2026 season on Monday. Both new and returning students were a combination of excitement and nerves. We had a hot week of weather ahead of us. The students toured the farm, corner store and main office. They got to test their plant identification skills with a farm mapping game and teams went head to head in our annual farm trivia. The day finished with some general orientation housekeeping and a team building exercise.

youth in garden

TUESDAY

Tuesday was our first full day on the job at the farm. Root Crew leaders worked with their crews weeding and harvesting. They were very resilient in the heat and sensible to take plenty of drinks and shade breaks as needed. We took a break for lunch as it was hot, and finished the day with a workshop. Senior Director of Cultivate Hope David Gustafson led the kids through an activity on their saboteurs and how to engage in healthy conflict.

WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY

Wednesday and Thursday continued with the same excessive humidity and heat. We undertook some major weeding chores and re-seeded several crops. We were looking forward to the end of the day sessions. Wednesday we helped the team take care of their bodies and their overall well-being as they did farm labor, ending with a stretching routine. Thursday was all about personality typing and how differently we all see the world.