"SOYL is a 6-week summer leadership and empowerment program offered by Fresh Roots in partnership with school districts. We run SOYL in two different locations: SOYL Vancouver and SOYL Suwa’lkh (Coquitlam). The program empowers secondary students (Grades 9-12) to cultivate and steward schoolyard farms for learning, community building and growing Good Food for All. Through their time with SOYL, youth develop skills in growing, cooking, and selling food, as well as a greater connection to themselves, their community, and the regional food system. Youth also receive a stipend and can receive school credit for their contributions."
Website: SOYL Program at Fresh Roots
Throw back Thursday 2018-19 when I first discovered my love for farming, gardening and cooking. After the first year of SOYL with @freshrootsfarms I left that program with forever friends, infinite amount of plant knowledge, how to facilitate activities and a sense of community. I couldn’t resist and applied again next summer as a Mentor for the next cohort of youth. I loved it even more! Discovering my passion for leadership and excitement for urban agriculture.
⭐️Two summers, one spring, multiple school yard farms, cooking classes, farmers market shifts, fun field trips to explore sustainability, family food drives, leadership development, community, supportive facilitators, forever friends, much more and three years later, soyl inspired me to become the person I am today!⭐️
Impact✨
- I still see my SOYL friends every summer, spring and winter🌻❄️🌸🍂
- I started my own gardening and cooking club at school back in 2019, @beyondtheplateclub
- I gained the confidence to apply to be a Youth head delegate for the 2019 VSB Sustainability conference @vsbsc_
- Continued my learning journey by volunteering at my local gardens @enviroyouthalliance
- Sustainability steering my way into ocean conservation with @youthtosea
- Leadership inspired me to be a link crew leader, Sustainability Coordinator for @strathconainteractclub , Student Council Grade 11 Representative, and now Student Council President @britbruins
- I learned to love veggies, after all… we had to start from farm to table🥕🥦💚
✨I highly suggest all youth to apply to @freshrootsfarms SOYL to start your journey! Apply and support because it does make an impact on youth. ✨
⭐️Two summers, one spring, multiple school yard farms, cooking classes, farmers market shifts, fun field trips to explore sustainability, family food drives, leadership development, community, supportive facilitators, forever friends, much more and three years later, soyl inspired me to become the person I am today!⭐️
Impact✨
- I still see my SOYL friends every summer, spring and winter🌻❄️🌸🍂
- I started my own gardening and cooking club at school back in 2019, @beyondtheplateclub
- I gained the confidence to apply to be a Youth head delegate for the 2019 VSB Sustainability conference @vsbsc_
- Continued my learning journey by volunteering at my local gardens @enviroyouthalliance
- Sustainability steering my way into ocean conservation with @youthtosea
- Leadership inspired me to be a link crew leader, Sustainability Coordinator for @strathconainteractclub , Student Council Grade 11 Representative, and now Student Council President @britbruins
- I learned to love veggies, after all… we had to start from farm to table🥕🥦💚
✨I highly suggest all youth to apply to @freshrootsfarms SOYL to start your journey! Apply and support because it does make an impact on youth. ✨
Click here to read my peers and I's SOYL Article on the official Fresh Roots Website! |
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Preview:
Hello, my name is Stephanie and I am going into grade 9. I go to a mini school at Britannia Secondary school. I have two field trips I’ve enjoyed most and the first is when we went to Van Dusen Garden. We all sat at the great big lawn resting on the bright green patch. After the beautiful tour, we had a scavenger hunt. Running through the maze and swiftly walking past the shady fern garden. All of us laughed at how we lost each other during the hunt. On the same day, we had the Long Table Dinner, making dinner day extra eventful! At the Long Table, we set up the fancy tables and served the wonderful people. I’m so grateful for all the things I’ve learned from SOYL. Another fantastic moment that occurred at SOYL had been during the last day. The morning of the last day was filled with sadness and joy. While we all waited for the bus all of us bonded laughing at different subjects. Our first stop had been the landfill. We learned about where all are waste headed and it opened our minds more. Continuing the journey that day we headed to a farm. I loved how we got to eat lunch at a farm and meet the animals. We got to feed pigs and pick blackberries! Our last stop was at the park where the Fresh Roots office is. We played a typical mafia game, made pizzas, signed our names on our t-shirts, got certificates, obtained our stipend, ate cake, and pied the facilitator’s faces. It was an end to an unforgettable summer.
Hello, my name is Stephanie and I am going into grade 9. I go to a mini school at Britannia Secondary school. I have two field trips I’ve enjoyed most and the first is when we went to Van Dusen Garden. We all sat at the great big lawn resting on the bright green patch. After the beautiful tour, we had a scavenger hunt. Running through the maze and swiftly walking past the shady fern garden. All of us laughed at how we lost each other during the hunt. On the same day, we had the Long Table Dinner, making dinner day extra eventful! At the Long Table, we set up the fancy tables and served the wonderful people. I’m so grateful for all the things I’ve learned from SOYL. Another fantastic moment that occurred at SOYL had been during the last day. The morning of the last day was filled with sadness and joy. While we all waited for the bus all of us bonded laughing at different subjects. Our first stop had been the landfill. We learned about where all are waste headed and it opened our minds more. Continuing the journey that day we headed to a farm. I loved how we got to eat lunch at a farm and meet the animals. We got to feed pigs and pick blackberries! Our last stop was at the park where the Fresh Roots office is. We played a typical mafia game, made pizzas, signed our names on our t-shirts, got certificates, obtained our stipend, ate cake, and pied the facilitator’s faces. It was an end to an unforgettable summer.
Click here to watch a Fresh Roots SOYL Promotional Video!
Preview:
