Seattle Youth Garden Works will be selling our fresh, locally grown produce again this year in your area!
Check out the University District Farmers Market website for more information.
On the first day of orientation "Sam" was so shy that he wouldn't participate in any group games or activities- being in a roomful of strangers was a real stretch for him. His inaccessibility stood in the way of his ability to work or participate on group projects. As the weeks progressed, Sam became more and more open to the group and began to work on garden projects and open up to his co-workers.
In the twelve weeks that I worked with Sam, I saw an amazing transformation. By the end of the program he was by far the most social and outgoing youth on the crew. He lightened up the work days with his humor and wit. He blossomed into a responsible young man who had a good work ethic and attitude. He came a long way from that first day of the program and I am convinced that this youth is going somewhere. His experience with Seattle Youth Garden Works has helped him to realize his own challenges and begin to make goals for his future.
Our South Park program was initiated in 2000 on a ¾ acre plot at Marra Farm in the South Park neighborhood in West Seattle. We run three three-month crews at our South Park site for youth ages 14-18.
In 2003, 32 youth enrolled in the program; 94% stayed one month or longer. Of those that stayed on in the program, 81% graduated, 66% learned new job skills, 73% stabilized their housing, 100% continued their education, and 8% obtained another job immediately after graduating from the program.
Our crew meets Tuesday through Friday after school from 3:30-6:00pm and Wednesdays until 7:30pm during the Columbia City Farmer's Market season.
"Tori" walked from her transitional home near the U-Village up the hill to the SYGW office on 50th and arrived on time for her job interview. It was the morning after the giant snow storm and the buses were not running. This determination never waned during her time at SYGW. Tori's goals while in our program were to: apply to college, gain work experience, write a resume, graduate and get a good job.
Tori had excellent attendance and leadership potential, which allowed her to take on lots of responsibility in the greenhouse and at markets. While in our program she applied to college and began attending classes. With the help of the SYGW staff and the Working Zone, she completed her resume and applied for a job in a local teen clinic. With the experience she gained at SYGW and her determination, she was hired at the clinic and completed a nine-month internship.
Founded in 1995, the University Gardens project runs a garden at the Center for Urban Horticulture, a project of the University of Washington. The garden is located adjacent to the grounds of the Union Bay Natural Area surrounding Lake Washington. The garden is small, but burgeoning with many varieties of organic vegetables, herbs and flowers. We also maintain a plot at the University District P-Patch at the University Heights Neighborhood Center on University Way. We run three crews a year for three months each with ten youth on each crew.
Our Summer crew meets Tuesday through Friday from 10am - 1pm and all day Saturday at the University District Farmer's Market. Our Fall and Winter crews meet Tuesday through Friday from 1:30-4:30pm and all day Saturday during the University District Farmer's Market.
