Program Description
Since 1992, The Food Project has been bringing young people from the city and the suburbs together to make a difference in the lives of people in the Greater Boston area. Each year, a diverse group of sixty youth, ages 14-17, enter The Food Project’s Summer Youth Program and work to grow and distribute thousands of pounds of organic produce for people in need. For many, it is a first job, and working in crews of eight to ten, the youth gain invaluable skills of teamwork, accountability, civic participation, and communication.
During the seven and a half weeks, youth manage a 31-acre rural farm and over two and a half acres of remediated urban land, sell produce through two urban farmers' markets and a Community Supported Agriculture program, prepare and serve lunches in local soup kitchens and homeless shelters, and help some of Boston's top chefs prepare community lunches, where neighbors, youth, staff, and visitors come together to share the harvest. Youth also participate in four workshops each week, covering issues of diversity awareness, hunger and homelessness, sustainable agriculture, and personal reflection.
Through shared labor and structured activities, youth develop a respect for themselves and for peers from very different backgrounds, while acquiring a connection to food and the land.
For additional information, please download this year's Summer Youth Program brochure. (PDF)
The application deadline has passed for our 2008 Summer Youth Program. Please check back in October for information about our 2009 program.
Each day is a little different. We work in the fields in Lincoln and Roxbury planting, weeding, and harvesting vegetables. We then sell our produce at the farmers’ market, distribute and serve meals at homeless shelters, participate in weekly workshops on agriculture and social awareness; and learn about nature, community, and teamwork.
There are six crews. Each has two leaders (a Crew Leader and an Assistant Crew Leader) and eight young people from 14-17 years old, who come from all over Boston and the suburbs. There are also site supervisors and growers who run the program. We all work hard together!
Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM from June 26 to August 15. Each crew spends five and a half weeks in Lincoln and two weeks in Roxbury. Each crew also work at a shelter in the Greater Boston area once a week. You must be able to work all seven and a half weeks!
Weekly is a stipend of $175 before taxes. You will receive a paycheck every two weeks.
The South Acton/Fitchburg commuter rail will get you to Lincoln and Boston; it also makes stops in Cambridge, Belmont, Waltham, Weston, Concord, Littleton, South Acton, and Fitchburg. Our Roxbury gardens and Farmers’ Market are near the intersection of Dudley Street and Blue Hill Avenue, and accessible by subway and bus. The Food Project pays for all MBTA transportation. Many friendships are made on the train as workers travel to and from sites.
Everyone is required to wear Food Project t-shirts, which we will supply. The rest is up to you, but needs to serve you in all work and weather.
The Food Project instills valuable life and job skills that will last you a lifetime. You will learn about and practice communication skills, self-discipline, cooperation, problem solving, teamwork, dedication, and perseverance for all situations. Most importantly, The Food Project exposes you to people who you might not have met otherwise — some of whom may end up being your best friends. You’ll also discover new perspectives about people, farming, work, life, and yourself.
Call our program team at 781-259-8621 x23.
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