Cleveland Botanical Garden Green Corps

Green Corps is an urban agricultural work/study program for high school teens that was started in 1996 by the Cleveland Botanical Garden, now a part of Holden Forests and Gardens. For over 20 years, we have employed over 1000 youth who work at urban farms in the Midtown, Slavic Village, Fairfax and Buckeye-Woodland communities. With youth forming the core of the program, our focus over the ten week summer season revolves around using urban farming as a tool to teach job, leadership and life skills to 50 teens who work 20 hours/week at the farm closest to their home. Teens receive a paycheck while gaining valuable knowledge from our formal curriculum, hands-on farm work, and real life experience selling their produce at farmers markets and farm stands. With positive evaluations, youth can remain in the program for multiple seasons allowing them to become mentors, as well as be able to represent the program at special events and help maintain our beds at Progressive Field.