Building Youth Power

The Windham Youth CORE:

The Windham Youth CORE Program ("Cultivating Opportunities, Resources, and Equity") engages high school students in a youth-led cooperative that provide participants with the opportunity to build their community as well as a skill-set for career and life experiences that will last far beyond their journeys here. Each and every one of our youth are empowered to become change-makers, leaders, and educators.

What is the Windham Youth CORE?

The Windham Youth CORE is a diverse team of dedicated youth from area high schools who earn money while working to promote access to healthy food in the community. Membership involves a combination of paid workdays, volunteer projects, skill-building and social justice workshops, and community events. The Youth CORE works alongside university students and community members to: build and maintain community gardens, grow food to donate to the Community Table Initiative and sell at the Willimantic Farmers’ Market, run our own Hot Sauce business, teach younger children about growing food and eating well, and participate in community outreach and events.

Windham Youth CORE members:

- Create hands-on projects that have a real impact on the community
- Develop leadership and workforce skills that are the tools for a successful future
- Meet and build relationships with community members and participants

Want to be a part of the Windham Youth CORE?

There are many ways you can become a part of our Youth CORE family. For those looking to hold a paid position we offer both academic year and summer program options. The Academic Year Program runs from September through May. Program members meet a few days a week after school and on the weekend, participating in workshops and community events. The Summer Program runs for six weeks in July-August. Members work 12-15 hours per week and earn minimum wage.

In both programs the opportunity to grow into a position of leadership is present. In fact, many of our returning members hold positions as mentors, facilitators, and interns. We are flexible so if none of these options works for you contact us! We also offer several volunteer opportunities.

How to apply:

If any of the above information interests you we encourage you to apply, volunteer, or come check us out.

For those interested in a paid position: Please complete our APPLICATION and submit it to us via email at info@growwindham.org or to our office at 872 Main Street, Willimantic, CT 06226.

NOTE: For the Summer Program, you must FIRST apply to the State-Funded Youth Employment Program via this Application!

We look forward to hearing from you! Come grow with us!

Collaborations:

The Windham Youth CORE regularly partners with other youth food- and community- justice programs across the region, through the CT Youth Food Program Alliance https://ctyouthalliance.food.blog/ , the Perrin Family Foundation Critical Consciousness Cohort, as well as through youth-focused gatherings and conferences such as NEGEF Rootskills (https://grassrootsfund.org/), NESAWG’s “It Takes a Region” Conference (https://nesawg.org/) , and CT NOFA’s Winter Conference (https://ctnofa.org/).

Check out these powerful youth programs across the state:

FRESH New London

GVI

Grow Hartford

Common Ground

Summer of Solutions

Solar Youth

Nourish My Soul

Writer’s Block InK

Paradym

SAVE

Save Girls On FYRE