YEP! Youth Education Program
Victory Garden Initiative’s Youth Education Program (YEP!) highlights growing food and environmental stewardship while positively impacting food security for Milwaukee youth. Victory Garden Urban Farm, a 1.5-acre farm oasis located directly in Harambee neighborhood, is the ideal outdoor classroom for teaching practical gardening skills, composting, and nutrition, while giving tools to construct a very own local food system. Combined with Victory Garden Initiative headquarters near the farm, and at surrounding schools, YEP! is a year-around invitation for Milwaukee youth to come together, making new friends, learning outdoors, and achieving food security, positively impacting their physical, mental, and development health.
The youth education program incorporates two aspects:
Chef-in-Training Program
This is an after-school program which runs from September through June. In this program our Youth Education Coordinator teaches children how to prepare fresh, organic vegetables grown in our urban farm at VGI. This program emphasizes the importance of eating healthy, teaches children about sustainable food systems, and provides them with skills that they will continue to benefit from for years to come. This program currently works in conjunction with the Boys & Girls Club, Safe Space, and Growing Green Gardens
Summer Agricorp Program
This programs runs through the summer months from June through August. This hands on program invites children to join us on our 1.5 acre urban farm allowing them to increase their knowledge of fruits and vegetables, while learning the nutrition value of the food they are eating. The children also learn about teamwork, community organizing, and leadershipskills
Summer AgriCorps
The Summer Agricorp program offers youth in the Harambee/Rivewest neighborhoods and beyond an extended summer experience on the farm. This program is open to Harambee/Riverwest youth ages 8-14.