Youth Community Agriculture Program

Danaee aspires to be a prenatal nurse. She is currently a freshman at Jefferson Community Technical College, which she started while working with the Food Literacy Project. Danaee is passionate about food justice. Her favorite part of working with the Food Literacy Project is Field-to-Fork Club. She is inspired by her personal experiences to make a difference!

Fathma is currently attending Jefferson Community and Technical College for occupational therapy. She has always had a passion for helping others, and her inspiration comes from her parents. Fathma says that working with the Food Literacy Project has changed her outlook on life. “Working here has shaped my outlook on the positive things,” Fathma said. “What we’re doing and what other people are doing towards food justice, racial justice, social justice is inspiring, so I’m really hopeful.”

When she is not at the farm, Jasmine attends Jefferson Community Technical College and plans to major in occupational therapy. Jasmine is inspired to work for food justice by seeing members of her community struggle to get healthy food. To her, food justice means “making sure everyone has healthy and accessible food.” Jasmine is hard-working and motivated to make a difference!

Marissa started at the Food Literacy Project in 2019. Before she started, Marissa considered herself an introvert, but quickly came out of her shell. One of her favorite things about working with the Food Literacy Project is getting to cook and see people in the community. She even wants to have her own culinary business one day, employing vulnerable members of the community. Her goal is to make a difference in the lives of others!

The Food Literacy Project helped to shape my love of food. My time at the Food Literacy Project helped me realize that I wish to be in the food industry. Today, I am a Senior at Johnson & Wales University, majoring in Culinary Nutrition. This summer, I will be working with the Food Literacy Project again to accomplish my Senior Internship and help run both the social media outreach and work with YCAPers, which is where I started. YCAP spurred a passion for food, helping educate others on nutrition and understanding that not everyone thinks about food the same way I do. YCAP does a fantastic job teaching young adults where their food comes from and the work that goes into getting food into the grocery store. It also teaches young people culinary skills and creates a knowledge base of food and cooking to carry them into the future. My passion for food has given me the inspiration to create my own business, “The Diabetic Nutrition Coach,” to educate people with diabetes on nutrition.