Teens from the local Boys and Girls Clubs will be on campus Monday afternoons June 19-July 24 learning about sustainable agriculture and entrepreneurship, helping with the college farm stand, working in the high tunnels, and meeting with campus administrators to learn more about LLCC.

The “Sustainable Agriculture Youth Workforce Development Program” is made possible through a  $2,000 grant from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) Program.

Project coordinator Marnie Record, workforce specialist, says the grant will be used for a hands-on sustainable agriculture training program for low-income, disadvantaged community youth in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Central Illinois. Participants will be introduced to all aspects of gardening from soil to harvest. The students will be given entrepreneurial experience through the management of a farm stand. In addition, in order to develop leaders and future employees, the students will learn life skills such as problem solving, working in a team, communication and time management.

The farm stand will be open on Monday afternoons in A. Lincoln Commons.

Since 1988, the SARE program has helped advance farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities through a nationwide research and education grants program. The program, part of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, funds projects and conducts outreach designed to improve agricultural systems.