Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station [Cultivating Youth and Communities for Positive Futures Project]

Roots of Knowledge Community Project

Project Description

Roots of Knowledge primarily targets low socio-economic, high at-risk youth in Atlantic City and Pleasantville. Roots of Knowledge addresses the root causes of at-risk communities and implements a broad array of knowledge, skills and resources to develop locally effective solutions. Roots of Knowledge uses horticulture, gardening, workforce readiness, and community relationship building as tools to cultivate youth and communities through blending plant science, human nutrition, career opportunities, and other training needed into hands-on educational experiences and entrepreneurship programs.

[View Project Slideshow.]

Project Goals

The objectives set forth in Vision 2000 Rutgers Coopertative Extension of Atlantic County drive the overall direction of the program.

  • Youth and adults from within at-risk communities will become responsible partners in personal and community development.
  • Youth and adults will improve communication, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills and develop a better understanding of cultural differences.
  • Residents will be given the skills to produce vegetables and fruits, and adopt healthy lifestyles by reducing high-risk behaviors and taking responsibility for health decisions.
  • Youth and adults will become involved in expanded life skills development programs - including career exploration, workforce readiness, and volunteering (Master & Junior Master Gardeners).

The goals of Roots of Knowledge are:

  1. To increase science literacy of school age youth
  2. To provide the latest information on food and nutrition, fitness, and making choices that will lead to a healthier lifestyle
  3. To develop workforce readiness skills through a variety of experiences
  4. To teach and model the core values that form the foundation of a healthy, democratic society
  5. To provide community relationship building training and other events/activities that will address key community issues.

Roots of Knowledge consists of 5 basic components:

  • Horticulture/Plant Science - Increase science literacy through hands on activities from curricula that meets the needs of core curriculum content standards.
  • Nutrition - Provide latest information on food and food preparation, nutrition, fitness, food and kitchen safety, consumer skills, foods of many cultures, and making choices that will lead to a healthier lifestyle.
    • Photo: Atlantic City's Uptown Classic Produce Market in 2003.

    Atlantic City's Uptown Classic Produce Market in 2003.
  • Workforce Preparation - Emphasize life skills, job/career exploration, and employability skills through a variety of experiences, exposure to careers in the agricultural field, and entrepreneur opportunities (Youth Farm Stand, Seedling Sales, Holiday Plant Sales, etc.).
  • Character Development - Teach and model the core values that form the foundation of a healthy, democratic society, overcoming self constraints, and working constructively with others to surmount obstacles that life brings.
  • Community Gardening - Establish community gardens, provide technical assistance, and develop a Master Gardeners volunteer program to provide a valuable food source, encourage community involvement, and a sense of neighborhood pride and self-reliance. Community gardening will serve as the foundation for working with residents and further identifying other community needs and programming ideas for positive community development.

Goal Reaching Activities

Initially, the two main focuses of the project were gardening, plant science, and nutrition programs and activities for children pre-K to grade 8 delivered in after school settings, and an entrepreneurial opportunity with related life and workforce readiness skills for older youth. As Roots of Knowledge has evolved over the past two years and new collaborations and partnerships have been formed, additional programs have been included to reach the needs of our audiences.

Science Literacy: Children and youth improve their science literacy through indoor classroom garden and hydroponics activities, hands-on gardening experiments and projects, and the Junior Master Gardener program. Science skills are also enhanced through GPS/GIS community mapping projects conducted by youth as part of community development strategies. Programs are offered as 6 week, 8 week, and school year-long sessions depending on the group and timeframe. Many of the school programs become actively involved in the community gardening and one school group is working on plans to start a school run "horticulture" business.

Nutrition: Children learn the nutritional value of the produce they grow from seeds in addition to having the opportunity to take plants home to start small gardens with their families. This gives the children the opportunity to educate their parents on the importance of children consuming nutritional fruits and vegetables. Utilizing New Jersey's "Get Healthy…Get Moving" educational display, lessons, and activities, children learn about food groups, selecting foods from each of the food groups, making choices for a nutritious daily diet, proper serving portions, and simple physical activities they can do anywhere without special equipment.

Workforce Preparation: The entrepreneurship program focuses on the development and practice of workforce readiness skills, the concepts of starting and running a business, and introduces youth to a variety of careers - especially in the green industry. Youth develop and practice workforce readiness skills through several Roots of Knowledge projects (youth farm stand and poinsettia sales, babysitting, Mini-Society , and Teens Teaching Middle School Youth Workforce Readiness) as well as introducing youth to careers in the green industry.

Character Development: All Roots of Knowledge programs incorporate activities on the 6 Pillars of Character (Trust, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship). The lessons are taught through role playing, team building exercises, ethical decision making scenarios, group discussions, and a variety of other methods. These activities assist youth as they work as teams on plant experiments, in dealing with customers and fellow employees of the farmstand, and as they learn how to prepare for the workplace.

Community Gardening: Working with the city of Atlantic City, vacant lots are identified and "contracted" for use by Roots of Knowledge. Master Gardeners have been trained and recruited and work with both youth and adults in establishing the gardens - usually with raised bed units that they construct, maintaining the garden, and provide valuable hands-on teaching at the garden sites.

Community Development: Community relationship building is accomplished through community forums/workshops to conduct community assessments and mapping, and providing topic specific training based on identified issues/needs, training and empowering local residents to get involved in community programs.Many of the programs offered through Roots of Knowledge touch on more than one of the overall goals and complement one another, making opportunities for a more comprehensive and effective community building project. Youth-run farm stands provide quality, nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables to Atlantic City and Pleasantville residents, making produce available to residents with relatively low incomes as well as disabled residents via free delivery. But, the main concept of the farmstands was to develop workplace readiness and entrepreneurial skills in at-risk youth.

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