YOUTH GROW INDY

Youth Grow Indy Age Groups:

 

Seedlings (Ages 9-11): Basic farm skills, harvesting processes, composting (what is it? & why should you?), basic plant needs. We focus on interpersonal and professional development skills, cooking, and learning how food choices impact your life and the importance of exploring the community.

Curriculum: Junior Master Gardener Curriculum.

Project R.O.N.E. (Rooting Out Natural Entrepreneurs) (Ages 12-13): Builds on Seedlings program. Upon completing the R.O.N.E. program, youth will know how to develop and manage compost systems, have advanced harvest processing skills, name plant families, and understand trellising. Youth will be able to assist/co-lead various farm stations during workdays, give farm tours, learn about food systems, and assist in preparing for distribution. Youth are introduced to entrepreneurship during this program. Entrepreneurship is a critical component of our programs for youth understand that not all young people want to be farmers, so the goal is to grow leaders, not farmers.

 

 

 

D.I.R.T. (Dynamic Independent Responsible Teenagers) Ages (14-18): Year-round job, youth help manage farms by growing and distributing vegetables to pantries and during market season while also developing essential leadership, teamwork, and civic engagement skills. Youth will lead youth groups from the Seedling and R.O.N.E. level programs. Teens will teach younger children how to perform farm activities and create a community that will keep younger age groups coming back. Teens will spend their mornings working with the younger children and/or managing the fields. Job development workshops will take place in the afternoons and teens will learn about various issues that affect their communities. First-year participants in the summer program will receive a $1,000 stipend (average of 30 hours/week), any returning participants will be paid $10/hour.

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