Students at the Minnesota Intern Center contacted YEA Corps to learn more about composting. The students will be partnered with YEA Corps’ expert in sustainable architecture to help them turn their idea into action. The youth will lead this project to develop and market the compost kits. YEA Corps is extending this project to other youth groups as well.

The Grow Gardens Project is planned again for 2009. Youth from Cristo Rey Jesuit High School will be partnered with organic gardening experts to plan, plant and harvest a garden on their school grounds. The project culminates with an opportunity for the youth to sell their produce at the Mill City Farmer’s Market. YEA Corps is replicating this project with other schools and youth groups.

The idea for this project was conceived in 2007 by students from the University of Minnesota’s Minnesota Youth Community Learning Initiative in Fergus Falls, MN. The students had the idea to sell the produce from their organic garden. They partnered with YEA Corps to help them create and execute a business plan. The students conducted communication role-plays to prepare for meetings with community business partners to solicit support. They also conducted research to create a pricing strategy for the organic produce. The lessons learned were immeasurable. One student said, “I feel like I really had the power to do something important.”

A pioneering group of six 8th graders, in Edina, are working to get green space in their neighborhood park. They are creating a petition to take around the surrounding houses in the neighborhood to get signatures that support their idea of a small organic garden in their local park. They will be drawing up a design plan on the municipal topography map to go along with the signatures to be presented and defended at City Hall to the Park Board. With great hope, they will then create, nurture and care for their garden and sell their produce at the Mill City Farmers Market. They are also interested in making compost kits and will be looking to use recycled materials. They may even get the experience of writing a grant proposal to their local rotary clubs for donations, or meet their local hardware store owner to ask for donated materials.