YEA Corps Mission

Enterprising programs that empower youth with job skills and sustainable education.

YEA Corps Story

YEA Corps, Young Enterprising Agents, is a 501(c)3 education and charitable organization. YEA incorporated on January 20, 2009 after many years of research and development by our founder, Mary Helen Franze. Fueled by her two passions, youth and nature, Mary Helen spent ten-years conducting national research on best practices in youth collaboration and teaching. She set out to find a fun and meaningful way to inspire youth to learn about nature and healthy practices.

During her research, Mary Helen found essential methods that would create the foundation of a future organization:

• Collaborative communication, the idea that all youth need to have a voice
• Create choices so that youth can participate in the decision-making process of project and take ownership of their learning
• Building confidence by creating a safe, respectful organization where youths’ enterprising ideas can be shared and encouraged
• Connect students to their communities and the environment by using nature as a learning lab

Mary Helen decided to put these key methodologies into action and assembled a talented Board of Directors in support of this mission. Through this process Mary Helen created an enterprising model where she challenged rural MN students to create a sustainable business. A pilot project was born of these ideas. With the guidance of Mary Helen, a business and marketing plan was written by students. The group decided they would create an organic garden in their community and the produce would be sold at a local farmer’s market. Students learned first-hand how to: design and care for an organic garden, cook and utilize produce, as well as display and marketing their product.

The pilot project had a large impact on the group of students. Gross revenue from the sales was not as exciting as the rich and valuable process the students went through, in their own words:

“I can eat healthy without any chemicals on my food for free!”

“This is fun.”

“I love to cook, and cooks make pretty good money.”

“I like gardening.”

“I love handling the money; I can work at a bank.”

“I love the selling and convincing people to buy our veggies.”

“Ms. Helen makes us feel important, she trusts us with responsibility, so we are responsible.”

Mary Helen became a vendor at the Mill City Farmers Market in 2008 and brought her students to partner and sell at this local organic market. Youth still sell their produce each season at the market; look for our YEA Corps stall which always gets compliments for looking bright and inviting.

Today YEA Corps is thriving and moving towards a larger capacity to bring our programs and projects to more youth in Minnesota and beyond. While our projects continue to evolve, YEA Corps remains committed to sustainability and hands-on learning as the foundation for empowering youth.

Our organization is excited to bring this learning to the next level as we partner with youth education programs to provide job training and sustainable education with cutting-edge projects such as aquaponics and vermicomposting. In our latest project YEA has developed a closed-loop system by reusing waste (cafeteria food, coffee grounds, etc.) to feed worms. Utilizing a vermicomposting system, worm waste is used to feed fish in a student-built aquaponics system. A tank of Tilapia, in our aquaponics system, creates waste to feed organic produce cultivated on the top of the tank. Look at our Projects page for an exciting look into our sustainable programs.

We believe that early education and encouragement is the way to make authentic, sustainable change. Youth are our future.

Comments from partners and participants

“YEA Corps’ knowledge of sustainability and their exciting hands on projects has opened our student’s minds to a new way of thinking about the environment!” -Kristin, Teacher

“Our collaboration with YEA Corps has made it possible for our students to find the fun in sustainability education. What could be more fun than worms, fish, water cress, hoop houses and mushrooms grown on coffee grounds?” -Amy, Executive Educator

“Our collaboration with YEA Corps has broadened our students understanding of what sustainability really means. Best of all they have done this through an engaging hands-on approach that is as much fun as it is educational. Their expertise and enthusiasm is contagious!” -Amy, Executive Educator

“What YEA Corps is doing is life changing. You learn a lot more about the environment and things I can do in my community that are impactful.” -Ray, Student

“I am working on the aquaponics blue print design.  It is exciting and different. I actually liked building something, and never did before.” - Kewiana, Student

“With Mary Helen’s guidance, the students met with the city council, used all available resources to create a community garden and successfully market their produce.  In the process the students gained insight into managing their time, teamwork, organizing and presenting ideas to the city and realizing a goal based on hard work.” -Carol, Parent

Contact

Mary Helen Franze, Executive Director
5717 Chowen Ave S. Edina MN 55410
952-927-9478