The Food Project: Youth. Food. Community.

Youth Working in the FieldsAs alumni, you continue to be an important part of The Food Project. We hope to keep you connected to our work, each other, and the vital issues of our time. There are many ways to stay involved with The Food Project, including our blog, reunions and special events, and the Alumni Consultant Program.    

You can also stay in touch with The Food project and help us improve our programs by emailing alumni@thefoodproject.org or calling 781-259-8621 x22. Be sure to check out pictures from your time at The Food Project and learn about each other in our alumni profiles.

How to Stay Involved

●      Read our blog to follow The Food Project’s events, people, and achievements. Submit your own blog entries about your experiences at The Food Project, what you are doing now, and how to get connected to the real food movement to outreach@thefoodproject.org. 

●      Keep yourself updated on TFP’s current events by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook.

●      Check this web page for information about reunions and special events where you can connect with other alumni, TFP staff, and community partners. You can also contact alumni@thefoodproject.org or 781-259-8621 x22 for more information.

●      Keep us updated with where you are and what you have been doing. Please send us your current phone number and email address and connect with us on LinkedIn. In addition, we are always looking for alumni profiles to feature on our website and printed materials. Please email alumni@thefoodproject.org to share your story!

●      Apply for the Alumni Consultant Program. See the description below of how alumni consultants help to further the mission and vision of The Food Project.

●      Volunteer your time to help The Food Project! Spend a Saturday in the spring or fall working on the land with the DIRT Crew. Email participate@thefoodproject.org or call 781-259-8621 x26 for more information.

●      Bring your friends or co-workers out to the farm. Sign up your school, office, church, or other organization to participate in a weekday or weekend Serve & Grow session at one of our farms. Email participate@thefoodproject.org or call 781-259-8621 x26 for more information.

●      Help us recruit the next generation of TFP youth! Talk to young people about your experience in our Summer Youth Program. Direct teenagers to look at our SYP web page [link to SYP page] for more information.

Alumni Consultant Program

In our Alumni Consultant Program, young adults who have participated in our Summer Youth Program, Academic Year Program, and/or Internship Program return to The Food Project as consultants to help fill our organizational needs and work to expand our network of real food advocates. Alumni consultants sell produce at farmers’ markets, help with fieldwork, speak at fundraising events, and more. This program allows alumni to continue to engage with the organization and further their involvement in the real food movement beyond their time in our Youth Programs. In return, The Food Project receives valuable help from the people who know us best! 

For more information about the Alumni Consultant Program, please email alumni@thefoodproject.org or call 781-259-8621 x22.

Summer Youth Program Yearbooks

The Food Project’s photo yearbooks show images of our youth hard at work ranging back to our first year on the farm! Click on the links below to see images from past Summer Youth Programs. 

Alumni Profile - Jahera Otieno

For Jahera Otieno, a former TFP youth who grew up in Jamaica Plain, The Food Project was the catalyst for a successful career in nutrition. Jahera started at The Food Project in 1994 as a crew worker in the Summer Youth Program. She reports that this first summer was when she learned to communicate clearly and effectively. She participated in SYP as a crew worker again during the summer of 1995. She was later a DIRT crew member in 1996, an assistant crew leader in 1996, a DIRT crew member again in 1997 and a crew leader in 2000. As well, Jahera served as a Food Project Board member from 2005 to 2009, helping to guide the organization to new growth and success.

The Food Project gave Jahera a foundation within herself and for her career. After her time at TFP, Jahera attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition. She went on to work as the Public Health Project Coordinator for a public health research and consulting firm called John Snow, Inc. Currently, Jahera works as a hospital administrator for Brigham and Women's Hospital, where she guides the organization through its present and plans for its future. Jahera's many years of participation at The Food Project have guided her to where she is today. She feels strongly that through TFP she was helping to make a difference in the lives of others as well as developing personally. She also made some really wonderful and close friends, with whom she had the pleasure of sharing her experience of growth into young adulthood and leadership. 

Former Executive Director Pat Gray stated that, "It has been terrific to see her grow throughout all these years with us and it is wonderful to see her leadership and contribution as a board member." 

We would love to feature more alumni profiles on our website! Please let us know what you have been doing since your involvement with The Food Project. You can contact the Alumni Coordinator at alumni@thefoodproject.org or 781-259-8621 x22.