Cultivating Tomorrow's Stewards in Appalachia: Summer Sprouts Sustainable Agriculture Camp

Project Overview

YENC24-215
Project Type: Youth Educator
Funds awarded in 2024: $4,988.00
Projected End Date: 02/15/2026
Grant Recipient: Community Food Initiatives
Region: North Central
State: Ohio
Project Manager:
Molly Gassaway
Email
Community Food Initiatives

Information Products

Sunflower and Seed Collection (Course or Curriculum)
Seed Balls Lesson Plan (Course or Curriculum)
Pollination Lesson Plan (Course or Curriculum)
Milkweed Collection Jars (Course or Curriculum)
Stepping Stones Lesson Plan (Course or Curriculum)

Commodities

Not commodity specific

Practices

  • Education and Training: youth education

    Abstract:

    Summer Sprouts garden summer camp will engage 20 rising second and third graders in 5 days of hands-on activities focused on the science of sustainable agriculture, growing and eating healthy food, and the importance of farms to our local community and economy. Sessions will rotate between two school garden sites and culminate with a field trip to the student farm at Ohio University. A series of local agricultural professionals will share their work and lead an activity. Farmer-led lessons will be supported by youth Garden Education Mentors (GEMs), ages 10-18, who will help run camp activities for their younger peers.

    Project objectives:

    • 20 participating campers and 6 youth Garden Education Mentors (GEMs) improve knowledge of biology, agriculture, and ecology concepts related to local crops as a result of hands-on gardening projects led by local farmers.

    • Youth understand a variety of sustainable agriculture careers available locally by learning from farmers working in diverse contexts including the farmers market, CSAs, OEFFA, Ohio University, and community-based organizations.

    • Curriculum developed for summer camp that is farmer-led and youth informed. Outcomes and learnings from this pilot are shared by staff and youth at the 2024 School Gardens of Ohio and Rural Action Green Teachers Conferences.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.