Alan Day Community Garden and MSAD 17's Roberts Farm are teaming up again in 2024 to offer a collaborative Youth Leadership Program! Youth leaders will spend two weeks at each location, where they will develop skills in leadership, gardening, cooking, environmental science, and community resilience-building. This program is totally free, and open to all aspiring or current youth leaders entering grades 7-12. 

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Alan Day Community Garden (ADCG)

At ADCG, youth leaders will learn to grow their own food, cook healthy and locally-sourced meals, and step into leadership in our community. Each day will center around the preparation of a shared lunch, which we will cook collaboratively in the new Community Food Center. We will tend fruit and vegetable crops in the fields and high tunnel, and grow as leaders through practices of self reflection, effective communication, and community engagement.  

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MSAD 17's Roberts Farm

At Robert's Farm, youth leaders will deepen their relationship with the natural environment, working and learning in both a garden and forest setting. Days will be spent developing gardening skills in the raised beds and greenhouses, developing and facilitating lessons for elementary summer school students, connecting with the natural and human environments of Western Maine, and building skills in effective leadership and communication. 

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Looking for a summer job?

The Alan Day Community Garden and Roberts Farm Youth Leadership Program is a transformative summer experience where teens work together to build resilience in themselves and in our community. Returning youth can apply for competitive, paid internship positions at both Roberts Farm and ADCG. We believe that creating paid jobs and empowering young people to play an active role in our local food systems can make positive change in our community and world. Hired Youth Leaders will have completed a previous summer of the program, agreed to meet specific expectations and attendance requirements, and have been selected from a competitive group of youth applicants. They will take significant leadership roles within the program, mentoring other youth and representing the program during public events. If you are interested in applying to work as a paid youth intern, reach out to us at programs@alandaycommunitygarden.org (ADCG) or s.kearsley@msad17.org (Roberts Farm). 

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​2024 Program Dates: July 8th-August 1st | Monday - Thursday, 8:30am-2pm
 

A healthy and sustainable food future depends on people who know how to grow food and steward the earth, and who can compassionately relate with others about food, environmental, and social systems. We welcome youth who want to connect with their communities through positive human and earth relationships!

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2024 YLP Applications will open in May

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