MODEL Gardeners 2021

The goal of the project is to connect students from inner city Cleveland to urban agriculture. We hope to introduce the diverse connections gardening has to a healthy lifestyle, local food systems, and the creative process. We will engage kids aged 8-18 at Garden Valley Neighborhood Center community garden and the Passport Project arts center kitchen. The curriculum that takes the youth through an entrepreneurship process affords them the opportunity to understand every step from farm to plate, seed to sale. Young people are under especially a lot of stress after the year 2020 kept kids in Cleveland learning remotely from Home. Gardening is a great way to deal with stress, socialize in safe outdoor environments, and build healthy lifestyles. Our neighborhood of Cleveland is a food desert and gardens offer a crucial opportunity to connect families to fresh, healthy food. Cleveland’s amazing food industry feels cut off from so many inner city young people and we have a great opportunity to connect the career pipeline from school aged students to culinary careers.

MODEL Gardeners introduces young people to entrepreneurship through sustainability planning and growing into green business people. Our high quality out-of-school time programming educates kids on the health, lifestyle, and economic benefits of farm-to-table food systems by connecting it to Ohio Dept. of Education science and social studies learning standards. Our hybrid program includes in-person activities and virtual classes that extends the growing season through the Fall and into Winter 2021. Participants will give back to the community with a harvest celebration dinner that features garden fresh produce while showcasing their farm-to-plate knowledge and culinary skills. In the winter students will curate a collection of nature inspired art that celebrates our successful growing season presented as a black-tie awards gala featuring garden fresh hors d'oeuvres and student awards.

❏ Spring Sessions: May 9th - June 20th

     ❏ Virtual Sessions Covering Plant Science & Agriculture

     ❏ In-Person Hands-on garden days covering Gardening Basics & Safety, 

❏ Summer Sessions: July - August

     ❏ Virtual Sessions Covering Urban Gardening & Entrepreneurship

     ❏ Begin cooking & planning a Harvest Dinner Menu

❏ Fall Sessions: September - October

     ❏ Focus on Harvest Dinner planning & Customer Service

     ❏ In-Person Cooking & Cafe Menu Proposals/Presentations

     ❏ Fine Arts lessons and Project creations

❏ Winter Sessions: November - December

     ❏ Cooking Classes Studying Culinary Arts

     ❏ Social Engagement & Event planing for the Gala

     ❏ End of the year Awards Gala

Garden Valley Community Center is one of the biggest food pantries in the region. It serves thousands of families in dire need with free food. Because our neighborhood is an urban food desert our neighbors are disconnected with the local food system. Being able to teach young people farm-to-plate practices at such a bustling community resource as the Garden Valley Neighborhood Center pantry introduces an invaluable educational opportunity in a community most in need. The culinary field is a career path with a low barrier to access in a culinary city such as Cleveland. MODEL Gardener cooking classes will combine food stuffs from the food pantry with garden produce to offer healthy meal option education – on a dime. During the summer teens will test recipes with their healthy homegrown fresh produce then pitch their menus to a local cafe to be featured on that restaurant's specials board. We have approached a number of cafes on Larchmere Ave, right in our community, with a lot of great response.

We have been running this program in this neighborhood for 2 years already, without funding. Christian Elder, Program Director is a TIL Fellow with the Cleveland Museum of Art allowing for curriculum development and coordination with CMA resources. We partner with Garden Valley Neighborhood Center, the Passport Project, and many local gardens. We volunteer at the Larchmere Plant Sale & are sponsored by the OSU Extension Summer Sprout Program.