Dig Crew at Veggielution is a pilot collaboration between Veggielution and SJWorks along with Acterra, and the 4-H Youth Development Program (4-H YDP) in Santa Clara County. 4-H programs are grounded in the belief that youth learn best by doing, and focus on science, health, agriculture, and civic engagement. Acterra is a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit based in Palo Alto that brings people together to create local solutions for a healthy planet. Veggielution is committed to creating close-to-home outdoor learning and leadership opportunities for low-income San José youth and families. Our six-acre urban farm at Emma Prusch Farm Park and SoFA Pocket Park demonstration gardens promote a strong sense of place, recognizing that innovative, safe open spaces are key to civic engagement and environmental justice in our communities.
Dig Crew will promote positive youth development by having adolescents serve as mentors and teachers for younger children. The program will foster a safe environment where teenagers learn soft skills such as leadership, public speaking, time and task management, while engaging in meaningful and positive activities to serve their community. According to research published in the Journal of Adolescent Research in 2018, adolescents participating in the University of California 4-H YD programs “reported positive experiences and their own growth in competence, confidence, connection, caring, character, and contribution.”
