The Youth Farm 2013! Farm Based Education in Central Brooklyn from bee ayer on Vimeo.

The Youth Farm serves as an outdoor classroom for students at the High School for Public Service. We want to provide this opportunity to all 5 schools at Wingate Campus.  

The Farm provides a welcoming space for hands on and interdisciplinary education. Classes on the farm engage students who struggle with the methods and structure of classroom education, and specifically serves to help those students who most need extra support to be engaged and interested in school. On the Youth Farm students engage their brains and bodies in completely different ways then indoor lessons.

With such a diverse range of topics and styles of engagement possible, the sky is the limit. Here are some examples of classes:

·         Gym classes that engage the mind as well as the body through soil preparation, compost turning and incorporation

·         Science lessons that are hands on and bring science to life through plant and ecological observation

·         Nutrition lessons involving picking, preparing and eating where students can taste, see and discuss the value of nutritious food choices 

·         Art classes that beautify the neighborhood through outdoor sign and mural painting

The Youth Farm’s School Liaison will meet with teachers from all Wingate schools and help them to alter their current curriculum to incorporate hands on, farm-based learning to meet academic goals.

As a result of your support,  hundreds of new students from 6th to 12th grade will have classes on the farm. Our goal is for these lessons to make the learning process joyful and eye-opening for students, showing them meaningful learning can happen outside the classroom through direct experience.

We believe hands on learning helps students tohave fun while learning and retaining information.  

This project will be a collaboration between Youth Farm Staff, administration, teachers and students from Wingate Campus.

• Meet with principles at all 5 schools
• Meet with teachers to go over current curriculum and see where farm-based or food justice lessons could fit in
• Bring students to farm for experiential learning!
• Provide engaging lessons in the classroom on topics from nutrition to the Farm Bill
• Evaluate effectiveness of lesson in reaching learning goals and enjoyment
• Re-write lessons to improve and provide to other teachers for free

At the base, this program will help students enjoy school and learning! 

In addition to the benefits to their academic experience, involvement with The Youth Farm facilitates students taking active roles in changing the food system.

The East Flatbush/Crown Heights community surrounding the farm, like many underserved neighborhoods around NYC, faces health and nutrition problems stemming from institutionalized poverty and a lack of affordable fresh produce. Although there’s strong evidence that organic and local food contributes to healthy lifestyle, there is a dire need for new farmers as our current population of family farmers is aging and dwindling. There is a lack of opportunities for young urban people to learn about careers in agriculture, food and nutrition, and a lack of local training opportunities for adults wishing to enter this field. 

At the Youth Farm, we believe food justice begins with each person having the ability to access fresh, affordable, culturally relevant food. Empowering people with the skills to grow their own food gives agency to individuals, especially those who have been marginalized and face dire health consequences.

People of all ages in the community lack access to fresh food and opportunities to shape the local food system. Simultaneously there is an urgent need for more farmers, especially farmers of color. The Youth Farm offers an important opportunity for youth and adults to explore the growing field of organic agriculture, holistic health and cooking/nutrition and help change the food landscape.