Youth Growing Detroit
Entrepreneur Internship Program
(Ages 13-18)
GenesisHOPE provides youth (age 13-18) an opportunity to develop critical leadership and entrepreneurial skills. Youth participate in a series of training, networking and marketing opportunities focused on agriculture, the environment, food system, and business skills and competencies. The goal is to provide youth with experiential work and life skills that increases the participants’ knowledge of career opportunities; improves financial literacy skills; and increases awareness of nutrition and its affect on long-term health outcomes.
Seeds To Grow
A prevalent issue for our community is that of a healthy lifestyle and access to healthy food choices. The community has been designated a food desert. A recent study, Examining the Impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in Detroit, discovered that “over a half a million Detroit residents live in areas that have an imbalance of healthy food options. They are statistically more likely to suffer or die prematurely from diet-related diseases.”
Over 500 lbs. of produce is grown, marketed and sold by the young entrepreneurs through the Grown in Detroit Collaborative and the local Mack-East Grand Boulevard farmers market. The community garden produces nearly 250 lbs of food that is freely available to residents each year. These gardens improve the community’s access to fresh healthy food.