Youth & Schools
Growing Hope serves youth and schools in the Ypsilanti community and beyond. Our programs include garden-based nutrition education on the Growing Hope farm, in classrooms, in after-school programs, and in summer camps!
Our youth programs combine hands on gardening education with healthy eating and cooking lessons. During the school year, our Youth and Schools team runs Seed2Plate after-school clubs at Ypsilanti schools and community centers. During the summer, we employ Ypsilanti area teens as Teen Mentors to learn garden based nutrition education. These teens develop mentoring, leadership, and job skills and work on our urban farm and community sites. In addition, Growing Hope hosts youth field trips and volunteer groups at our Growing Hope Center demonstration farm and children’s garden. Our goal for 2017 is to continue to support the Ypsilanti school district to develop school gardens, and to help train and empower schools to take part in the Farm to School movement.
Seed2Plate: After-School and Summer Programs
Growing Hope partners with Ypsilanti schools and community centers to empower young people to make healthy lifestyle choices through gardening, healthy cooking, and eating. We work in classrooms, after-school settings and in summer camps teaching garden-based nutrition education lessons. These lessons are interactive, hands-on and introduce youth to gardening and cooking concepts. In the 2016-2017 school year we reached 136 youth in our Seed2Plate program.
In 2018, we continue our valuable partnership with EMU Bright Futures to provide “Seed2Plate” programming at Ypsilanti Community Middle School and Perry Early Learning Center. We also partner with Saulk Trail Pointe Community Center and Head Start at Perry Early Learning Center.Teen Mentors Program
Teen Mentors help young learners in after-school programs and summer camps, learn how to grow and cook healthy food, work on the Growing Hope Center farm and gardens, help customers sample healthy food at our Downtown Ypsilanti Farmer’s Market and be a mentor and example to teen and youth volunteers at Growing Hope.
Our 2017 Teen Mentor program is full, but stay tuned for applications in spring 2018! If you’re interested to learn more contact jeff@growinghope.net
Above is a photo of one of our Teen Mentors preparing a delicious salad after harvesting lettuce, beets, carrots, edible flowers, and herbs from our Growing Hope farm!
Field Trips
During the spring, summer, and fall, school and youth groups visit Growing Hope Center’s urban farm. Youth are encouraged to explore in the youth garden and have the opportunity to learn a lesson that corresponds to what they are learning in the classroom. This is an exciting opportunity for both youth and adults to taste all of the fresh produce on the farm and learn about where their food comes from! It is also an opportunity to be outside and appreciate nature.
Scheduling – Field trips run April thru October
• Monday 12-5pm• Tuesday 3-7pm @ The Ypsilanti Farmers Market or 3-5pm @ Growing Hope Center Urban Farm
• Wednesday 3-5pm
• Thursday 8am-5pm
• Friday 1-5pm
• Saturday 9am-1pm @ The Ypsilanti Farmers Market
School Gardens
Health and Wellness in Ypsilanti Schools
Growing Hope sits on the Ypsilanti Coordinated School Health Team, a coalition of teachers, parents, faculty, school administrators, and nutrition educators whose mission is to promote and implement the district’s Wellness Policy. The Policy guides everyone in the district to make healthy lifestyle choices through eating, physical activity and mental health. Growing Hope continues our efforts to grow a healthy school system through facilitating a Farm to School subcommittee. This committee meets monthly and plans school garden and healthy cafeteria initiatives throughout the district.
Find out more about the Coordinated School Health Team’s Wellness Policy
The Michigan Fitness Foundation supports much of Growing Hope’s youth programming.
