Summer Youth Program

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Applications for Summer 2013 are now closed.

2009 SYP Youth at the Lincoln FarmThe flagship of The Food Project's youth programs, the Summer Youth Program (SYP) aims to engage youth in "personal change through sustainable agriculture" while they enjoy a fun and engaging summer. The program brings together around 100 teenagers from diverse cultural, racial, economic, and geographic backgrounds to work on our urban and suburban farms in Lincoln, Boston, and on the North Shore. In their six and a half weeks with us, they work together to grow vegetables sustainably and distribute thousands of pounds of produce while learning important leadership, teamwork, diversity, and civic participation skills.

After working the fields each morning, SYP participants spend many afternoons participating in workshops that address a variety of issues, including sustainable agriculture, diversity, and personal finance. They also spend one day a week at a local hunger relief organization preparing and serving the produce that they have grown. Each work crew also gets the opportunity to sell produce at farmers' markets equipped to accept SNAP/EBT (formerly food stamps) and prepare and serve lunch for our neighbors at community lunches.

Crew Workers in our program are held to high standards of performance and behavior and earn a biweekly stipend for their work. They learn about the principles and practices of sustainable agriculture, explore issues of food justice, and develop both personally and professionally. Furthermore, they learn that they have the power to make change in their own communities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Applying to our Summer Youth Program