Farm-to-table isn’t just a term for fancy restaurants—it’s also a unique set of skills. YouthCare’s YouthGrow is an eight-week program that develops those skills by teaching young people gardening, landscaping, and food production. The program is offered to young people ages 15-21 and run in collaboration with Seattle Public Schools Interagency Academy.
Participants learn to cultivate, harvest, and market produce while gaining critical employment skills and continuing their secondary education. Each cohort spends their afternoons working in the garden and learning about urban farm management. Once a week, the cohort cooks and eats a communal farm-to-table meal and donates the extra produce to the Rainer Valley Food Bank as well as YouthCare’s South Seattle Youth Center. During the spring and summer, young people sell the garden’s produce at the Columbia City Farmer’s Market in South Seattle; all proceeds directly benefit the program.
Eligibility requirements during the school year
- Ages 15–21
- Attending Seattle Public Schools Interagency Academy
- Able to commit to an eight-week paid training program and willing to develop employment and educational goals
- Valid social security number
Eligibility requirements during the summer
- Ages 16-21
- Attending or recently graduated from Seattle Public School’s Interagency Academy
- Able to commit to an 8-week paid training program and willing to develop employment and educational goals
- Valid photo ID and a Birth Certificate or Social Security Card (if you don’t have them, we can help you get them)
Click here to hire a YouthGrow graduate
Contact the Interagency Career Coordinator to apply or learn more about the program