The Problem
Our museum partners with NM Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) every year to bring youths to the museum to learn hands-on practical skills. However, our YCC program is lacking in opportunities for the youths to practice the skills they learn at the museum and be leaders in a meaningful way. This year, we would like to have our YCC youths lead our weekly nature class, Seeds and Sprouts, which happens for one hour every Thursday morning. This class covers a variety of planting, harvesting, cooking, and environmentalism topics which coincide with what our YCC youths already learn when they come to the museum. By having them lead this class, they will have opportunities to engage with the public, practice their leadership skills, and solidify the gardening knowledge they gain from being in the YCC program at the museum. It will provide a low-pressure environment to practice these skills, as the format of the class is booth style (families/children come and go at their own pace, as opposed to a classroom style sit-down class). We need a set of youth garden tools so the YCC crew can teach the children the gardening skills they learn in a hands-on way.