July 7, 2023 | Education
Summer Stories: Youth Development Program, Week 2
Week two of the Youth Development Program was filled with team bonding exercises, a pizza party, and lots of farm work!
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.
Our second week at the Urban Farm was full of lots of hard work!
On Monday, we spent quite a while weeding our potato plots. They had been covered since being planted so there was a lot to be done. Since it was the day before the Fourth of July, we decided to have a pizza party and play some trivia. The questions were about farming or vegetables, so we all got to learn something new.
Wednesday was another day of pulling weeds, but this time we worked on the natural playground at the Urban Farm. There was a lot of thistle that needed to be removed. In the afternoon we headed over to the office to bake another batch of zucchini bread. These loaves were sold at our weekly Farmers Market and the Cultivate Hope Corner Store!
Thursday was picture day! We took individual pictures for the website, as well as a group photo for display at Groundswell Cafe. After that, we finished weeding the thistle on the playground. We split into groups and some students cleaned up trash around the Urban Farm, and others weighed produce into bags for the Farmers Market. We also had a few students package the bread from the day before so it was ready for sale. After those tasks were complete, we walked over to the Cultivate Hope Corner Store. At the Corner Store, we got a tour and learned about the store’s mission to make healthy, affordable food accessible to all. After that, we had a chance to walk around and pick out some snacks we wanted to have at the farm. The second part of our day was filled with a deserted island activity. Groups of two or three students had to pick five items and five foods they would want on a deserted island, and they also had to give a description of how life would work on the island, who would do which tasks, etc. Once everyone presented their lists, we came up with a new list for the entire group. We talked about why it’s hard to decide these things and how that plays into being part of a team.
This week flew by; we’ll see you next week!