Grow Dat Youth Farm Core Leadership Program

# Grow Dat Youth Farm Core Leadership Program Grow Dat Youth Farm sits on seven acres in New Orleans City Park and runs one of the country's longest-standing paid youth food-justice programs. The Core Leadership Program is where every Grow Dat youth employee starts: 48 crew members from across New Orleans work the farm together from November through May, splitting their time between production farming and structured workshops. ## What You'll Do - Spend about half your hours on farm work - weeding, transplanting, harvesting, and growing your own food in raised beds - Share the harvest through Grow Dat's food distribution to historically excluded residents, plus CSA farm shares and Shared Harvest - Work through three workshop branches: VISIONS (learning and communicating across cultural difference), Farming & Environment, and Systems & Sovereignty - Practice giving and receiving feedback in a diverse team, and build toward Grow Dat's Advanced Leadership Program, Seed Project, and Crew Leader Fellowship ## Who Should Apply Anyone 15 to 21 years old in the New Orleans area. Crew members work either Wednesday or Thursday afternoons from 4:30 to 6:30 plus Saturdays from 8:30 to 3:00, November through May, so applicants need a schedule that accommodates a standing weekly commitment across the school year. ## Outcomes Crew members earn $13 an hour, gain sustainable agriculture skills and a documented work history, and become eligible for Grow Dat's alumni pathways - Assistant Crew Leader at $14-15 an hour, the Seed Project, and the Seed Fellowship - which turn a first job into a multi-year leadership track.