They transform the land and the land transforms them
Green Corps teens learn while turning vacant lots into vibrant urban farms
Green Corps’ mission is to build life, work and leadership skills by employing and educating high school youth (ages 14 to 18) through the practice of sustainable agriculture, place-based learning and community engagement. Each year, Green Corps employs and educates an average of 70 to 75 teenagers that live within the city to work at one of six urban learning farms.
There are no set criteria for who can apply to Green Corps, providing an equal opportunity for any individual youth to work for the program as well as a chance to meet students from other schools and from around the city. Green Corps student employees have represented many of the schools in Greater Cleveland with the majority of the program participants being students within the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.
Green Corps youth are hired based on the desire and willingness to conduct physical labor, as well as an ability to demonstrate a sincere interest in learning about gardening, sustainable agriculture and the environment.
Once hired, Green Corps student employees spend the summer working 20 hours per week developing essential work and life skills (team building, work force development, public speaking, entrepreneurship), plant and agricultural science knowledge (restoring vacant urban properties and growing food) and community and environmental stewardship (service learning and neighborhood projects). Through Green Corps’ hands-on learning, these youth begin to see the relevance of their high school education to the real world.
 Salsa in the City
A tasty way for you to support Green Corps
The teens in Green Corps make their own medium and fire-roasted salsa using fresh ingredients they've grown at their learning farms in Cleveland. Your purchase of Ripe from Downtown salsa helps Green Corps students.
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