Dig Crew

Dig Crew at Veggielution is a pilot collaboration between San Jose Works, Veggielution, 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.

This program provides a 100 hours paid internship to youth in East San Jose. The goal of this program is to 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.

Eligibility: Dig Crew and SJ Works create a meaningful youth employment opportunity to help at-risk and underserved youth build towards college and careers. Despite San José’s rapidly expanding economy, youth unemployment rates still exceed 20% in many San José neighborhoods, correlating with the national trend. Young people from low-income families are hit the hardest with a 20-point differential in employment rates between low-income families and their wealthier peers.

Eastside Explorers

Each year Veggielution Community Farm offers year round field trips for East San Jose schools and  community-based organizations. We have designed our programs to provide youth with opportunities to learn, play and explore the outdoors while exploring several major environmental education topics such as: organic gardening, soil health and diversity, biodiversity in the garden, pollinators, and the importance of seed diversity.

Our programs borrow practices from inquiry based, place based, and hands-on education, and they provide quality experiences that enhance and reinforce what your students are learning in your classroom and can be fine-tuned to meet your specific needs

Eligible Groups

1. Schools and community organizations based in East San Jose. 

2. 80-90% Free and reduced lunch

3. Grades: K through 8th grades 

4. Chaperones must remain present during the activities. Different ratios of youth/ adult apply. 

5. If the group is from outside of East San Jose or is not a free and reduced lunch, then we will apply a $10 per child fee.

Field trips take place Thursdays to Saturdays from 10:00 am - 12:30 pm

Youth Garden

Open space in the farm for families, youth and adults of all ages for play, exploration, and farm based experiential learning!

• We offer environmental education programming through activities that promote discovery, exploration, creativity, making connections, sharing experiences, and play

• Open for visitors to enjoy a walk or a stroll

• Accessible pathways throughout the garden, and accessible raised beds for people of all abilities

• Projects vary from week to week and through the seasons

Saturdays 10 am to 12:30 pm