Youth Article: Youth learn to lead and grow in Nurture garden program

What if there was a way for young people to grow sustainable food forests in Waterloo Region? We are members of a youth-led gardening program called Nurture. At school gardens across the Region, this program is helping young people like us make a difference in our communities, while enhancing our food literacy and deepening our connection to land.

The Nurture Program was started by two innovative local undergraduate students. Their idea was picked up in 2022 by Smart Waterloo Region, an innovation lab supported by the Region of Waterloo. It’s a hub for children and youth to create and expand their ideas.

Nurture’s objective is to increase food access, food literacy and positive land/community relationships through youth empowerment, with the goal of transforming school veggie gardens into diverse food forests.

How does it work? A team of youth volunteers take charge of local school gardens over the summer break, with the help of our adult mentors. Over the summer, youth bond with like-minded peers, dive deeper into the world of gardening, and care for the complex wildlife around them.

Not only does the program benefit the youth in Waterloo Region, it also serves the community! Every Thursday and Saturday, these proudly-grown vegetables and fruits are donated through groups such as Youth in Food Systems, Cambridge Food Bank, and the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Circle. This year, Nurture gardens have donated over 292 pounds of fresh produce.

Nurture puts control and leadership directly into youths’ hands. “Along with the plants that I’ve helped grow, I have grown as a leader and a gardener,” says Sameeha Rahman, a garden leader at Glencairn Public School. “Being a garden leader has been a rewarding experience.”

With access to some funds to improve their gardens, a group of experienced adult mentors on-call, and an enormous amount of support from Nurture staff, the school garden space becomes limitless for youth ideas! This summer, youth installed in-ground composters and vermi-bins, designed and hand-built permanent trellising systems, and painted murals on garden boxes to encourage and welcome students to the space.

Currently, 15 school gardens are part of the Nurture program. Youth gardeners are free to request a garden advisor any time over the summer to receive guidance on various topics regarding their gardens, such as soil health, pollination, composting, and more. Each garden has a garden mentor: an adult volunteer visits once a week to guide and help the gardeners out. Each garden also has a youth leader, responsible for leading the team and ensuring the garden is running smoothly.

“My time in the garden has taught me that stepping into a leadership role is far from easy,” reflects Jullian Moua, one of the leaders at Grand River Collegiate Institute. “However, I’ve learned that a brave leader is someone who has empathy, humanity, and self-awareness. Thanks to the unique dynamic of our group, fulfilling my leadership responsibilities this summer was a pleasure.”

“Seeing the growth of our gardens right before my eyes really makes me proud of my school garden team and all the hard work we’ve put in to care for and improve it,” adds Chloe Cho, a garden leader at Centennial P.S.

In its first few years, Nurture has empowered youth to give back to the community while finding a place of belonging within the garden space.

Visit the Nurture web page to learn more.

This article was written by Jullian Moua, Sameeha Rahman and Chloe Cho for the Region of Waterloo's newsletter, Around the Region.

Read Around the Region here.