project leader
Soren M
location
400 Irving Ave
Brooklyn (Bushwick)
latest update rss
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the project

We are asking for your support in extending our paid summer food justice internship to the Fall and Spring semesters, allowing us to provide valuable job experience to even more Bushwick Campus youth. Your donations will additionally help us enhance the learning experiences for all the students and apprentices that work at Bushwick Campus Farm through academic partnerships with the campus teachers,  field trips and hands-on workshops. Previous program participants have gone on to attend college, work with other local organizations and help manage The Bushwick Farmer’s Markets right in the neighborhood.

In this economic climate, there are few opportunities for Bushwick youth to earn money while learning responsibility, local community outreach and activism and real ‘green jobs’ skills. In fact, we received 160 applications for 12 summer employment positions.

For many students, this program provides them with not only paid food justice internship, but gives them real hands-on experience to include on college applications, and/or differentiates their resume from their peers, and many adults, to give them a leg up in a very difficult employment climate.

the steps

In order to complete our goal we need to complete the following steps:

Step 1: September 2nd - Outreach for the youth employment program within the 4 schools of Bushwick Campus

Step 2: September 9- 20 - Application Period

Step 3: Starting September 23rd - Farm Manager and Apprentices Conduct Student Interviews

Step 4: Sept 27 - Accepted youth are notified

Step 5: Oct 1-June 1 Tues & Thurs 3-5, and one additional market afternoon a week - Students work with our farm manager and apprentices after school and on the weekends to earn their stipends

Step 6: Sept-Nov 15 & May 29- onwards (last market date) – Youth participate in weekly farmers markets and community outreach

Step 7: THROUGHOUT SEASON - Youth lead special projects on the farm with the guidance of the farm manager. These could include: Expanding the farm with SIP containers to increase production, bringing chickens to the campus, enhancing our compost program, bringing more fresh farm food to the cafeteria, working with local Bodegas, and leading workshops                 

Step 8: THROUGHOUT SEASON - Youth participate in field trips to other urban farm projects, at least one rural farm, and to designated community events    

Step 9: January 2014 - Youth will help lead the Brooklyn Food Coalition’s Food Conference in May, 2014 and host a Food and Social Justice training for other local youth.

why we're doing it

EcoStation is dedicated to issues of social justice and sustainable communities. Through all of our projects, we are connecting the Bushwick community with locally and responsibly grown food. The youth we work with come to know what food justice means, and how they can affect change in their own communities through education and activism. We want to further this knowledge by showing them that there is also financial opportunity in doing this important community work, and that the skills they gain working with us, can make a difference in their future employment outlook.

At Bushwick Campus Farm specifically (part of EcoStation:NY), we grow on 30+ raised beds, have a greenhouse on site, and explore hydroponics and aquaponics growing systems with the help of adult apprentices, volunteers and youth from the 4 high schools that make up Bushwick Campus.

We have a successful history of youth programing. Three years of paid summer internships total 26 youth jobs created. Three years of after school programing.

budget

Youth Stipends    $6000
Interns receive $400 total, in two installments of $200. We have selected 15 youth.    

Food and Social Justice Training Weekend    $700

Supplies    
a) Food (includes four lunches for the whole team, orientation day, and final celebration)    $800
b) T-Shirts (15)    $100
c) Farm Tools, Seeds, Materials    $700

Second Year Apprentice Stipends ($1000 each)    $3000
Program Support for Maggie Cheney. Train youth in public speaking, carpentry, marketing, etc.    

Administrative Support, Sean-Micheal Fleming, EcoStation:NY    $3000
"Graphic design for promotional materials, coupons, website, posters and online media."    

Program Director, Maggie Cheney, EcoStation:NY    $9000
Program Development, administration with DOE, record youth hours, train and supervise adult apprentices, volunteers, and youth. Conduct pre and post program evaluations.     

FIELD TRIPS    
a) tour guide, subway passes.    $500
Promotional Materials    $2000
Flyers, posters, videos, website, etc.   
    
Indirect cost %    $1000
    
GRAND TOTAL    $26,800



SUBTOTAL = $26,800
ioby Platform Fee  $35
3rd Party Credit Card Processing Fee (3%) $804
TOTAL TO RAISE = $27,639

Budget Update: With the allocated funds we will pay the staff of EcoStation:NY to create programing for youth during the school year, oversee weekly academic and after-school programing, manage apprentices and volunteers, and create promotional materials for our programs.



RAISED = $2,851
ioby Platform Fee $35
3rd Party Credit Card Processing Fee (3%) $82
TOTAL TO DISBURSE = $2,734

updates

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photos

This is where photos will go once we build flickr integration

donors

  • Molly C.
  • Anya G.
  • Anila C.
  • Soren M.
  • Lawrence K.
  • Seth K.
  • William D G.
  • Joseph C.
  • Hugh C.
  • Hilary G.
  • Erin B.
  • Abigail L.
  • Nicole S.
  • K. C.
  • Patrina H.
  • Claire L.
  • Sarah B.
  • Mara G.
  • Travis F.
  • Jane F.
  • Robert H.
  • Cristina D.
  • Rachel W.
  • Deepa P.
  • Carmen D.
  • Larry S.
  • Cassia G.
  • Tate S.
  • Sarah G.
  • Sara H.
  • Viviana B.
  • Lucretia J.
  • Helen C.
  • Lauren K.
  • Stephanie M.
  • Jillian T.
  • Karina T.
  • Soren M.
  • Soren M.
  • María Del Pilar R.
  • Austin M.
  • Paul W.
  • Ashley M.
  • Sari G.
  • Allison R.
  • Lauren P.
  • Jason F.
  • Lillian B.
  • Marcia S.
  • Stella Y.
  • Susanne I.
  • Keri K.
  • Trevor C.
  • Justin S.
  • Sydney F.
  • Monique H.