The Green Heart Project, a local nonprofit focused on education, healthy food, and community, has opened applications for their summer Youth Internship Program. This opportunity is open to any high school aged youth in the Charleston area who is ready to make a change in their community.
The program will primarily take place at The Green Heart Project's Urban Farm at Enston Home at 900 King Street in Downtown Charleston. The half acre farm serves as a community garden for residents of the William Enston Home workforce housing community and a school garden for surrounding schools.
In 2020, the Youth Internship Program provided summer employment for 8 high school students. This year, the Green Heart Projects says they will have 12 openings, with two former Youth Interns likely to return for a second summer. For its participants, the internship is an outdoor-based opportunity to learn essential career and life skills, and to make connections with other like-minded high school students, professionals, and community members.
“The first year of the Youth Internship Program was more successful than any of us could have imagined, and the results we saw among our interns were inspiring,” Amanda Howell, The Green Heart Project's Development Director, said. “Interns developed concrete skills in urban agriculture and business management, while building confidence in areas such as goal setting, financial planning, healthy cooking, and stress management. Maybe most important of all, they left the 8-week program with a strong sense of responsibility and ownership for solving complex social problems and making positive change in their community.”
The program will take place over 8 weeks this summer from mid-June to mid-August, 5 days per week. Interns will maintain the urban farm, manage a weekly farmer's market stand and participate in educational sessions focused on the following topics:
- Workplace and leadership skills
- Health and wellness
- Cooking and nutrition
- Food systems
- Sustainable agriculture
- Financial literacy
- Business and entrepreneurship
Those interested in applying may fill out an application online at www.greenheartsc.org/get-involved/ or mail their application to 759 King Street, Suite A, Charleston. Priority deadline is March 31, 2021. For more information, please email urbanfarm@greenheartsc.org or call 843.790.3188.
