Youth Ops teammates share produce at the Emerson-Garfield Farmers Market.
Our summer sessions in review:
Youth Ops hosted youth leaders this summer who built community, cared for our urban farm, and shared food with each other. We had some beautiful harvests this season thanks to our youth team and volunteers! Some of our favorite new activities this summer include:
100% youth-made meals: Youth prepared breakfast and lunch for their teammates every day in a first for our program!
Big Ups: Youth participated in a weekly gratitude practice called Big Ups to recognize and thank peers for their contributions to the team.
Specialty teams: We implemented 4 new teams this summer to create youth leadership and collaboration opportunities in different areas of our program. We saw tremendous growth as our team leaned into their unique leadership styles!
Indigo Pathway: Youth completed this free career pathway assessment to learn more about careers that could be a good fit for their natural strengths. To review results or retake, visit: https://www.indigopathway.com/.
Our youth team shared some big dreams for our farm and we look forward to leveraging our resources to make them a reality!
Youth Steering Committee
Centering youth voice in our organization
Youth dot voting results for ideas on growing our urban farm.
This fall, we will start our Youth Steering Committee. This is an opportunity for past participants to guide the future direction of our programs.
All former Youth Ops participants are invited to join us for our first meeting on:
Date: Friday, September 29, 2023
Time: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Place: 1832 W. Dean Avenue, Spokane, WA 99201
Goal: Reconnect with Youth Ops alumni, eat, and choose where we go next!
Volunteerism at Youth Ops
Photo credit: Maya Johnson
We are so grateful for all of our committed volunteers this summer who helped make field trips, farm management, and markets possible! Thank you, also, to our four-legged volunteer (pictured above) who has been grazing the Gardner Avenue lot. Rest assured, this little piggy did not come to market with us!
Community engagement with Our Place
De-Stigmatizing food access in West Central
Thursdays are a special day during our summer program. A small group of youth walks to Our Place Community Outreach Center to support their no-barrier food, clothing, and hygiene bank. Our Place’s commitment to de-stigmatizing community resources builds compassion and community awareness in our team. Youth experience walking through the food line without stigma to support their own nutritional needs before paying it forward to our neighbors. In the afternoon, they share their experience with the whole team (see photo above). Thank you, Our Place, for your partnership!
Our Place Distribution Times:
Wednesdays: 4-6 pm
Thursdays: 10 am - 12:30 pm
Coming up…Harvest Dinner 2023!
Join us in celebrating 15 years of River City Youth Ops on Saturday, September 23! Get your tickets today at https://givebutter.com/HarvestDinner.
