Cultivating Community Work-Skills Program

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County's 4-H Youth Development Program in collaboration with the City of Rochester's Department of Recreation and Human Services offers paid summer horticulture, civic engagement, and life-skill development experiences to youth ages 13-18.

For 6 weeks each summer, fifteen select 14-year-olds from across the City of Rochester engage in the Cultivating Community work-skills program. During the mornings, the crew learns about horticulture and urban agriculture, completing projects to benefit city neighborhoods; in the afternoons, they are engaged in personal and life skill development such as: cooking, financial management, First Aid and CPR, resumes and interviewing, food systems and justice, and more. A Teen Leader is also hired to assist the Program Leader with all aspects of program  implementation; providing peer mentoring to the cohort of youth.

A winter session is also provided for youth to explore citizenship projects based on youth-voice, utilizing the Positive Youth Development model.

Cultivating Community is a tremendous success for the youth, their families, and for City of Rochester neighborhoods and community!  Check out the links on this page for more on the program and its successful first year! 

Last updated June 22, 2023