Volunteers needed for Corvallis and Sweet Home projects
“We know that years around the transition to adulthood can be fraught with uncertainty, fear, and lack of direction,” says Leslie Richards “Low-income youth are particularly affected as they navigate life and consider the future.” Responding to this vulnerable population, Leslie and colleagues in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at OSU secured a grant from the National Institutes of Health to offer a unique project that brings together vulnerable youth, members of faith-based communities, and university researchers. The project is currently seeking volunteers and those interested may contact Dr. Leslie Richards at 541-737-1071, toll free at 888-478-3011 or email leslie.richards@oregonstate.edu.
More information can be found on the Producing for the Future website
The Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) collaboration is designed to
- provide training, work experience, and improved health outcomes for vulnerable youth age 16-24,
- offer opportunities for adults from faith-based congregations to address issues of social justice by partnering with vulnerable youth,
- jointly construct and plant gardens in Corvallis and Sweet Home,
- create strong youth/adult partnerships leading to a sustainable youth garden entrepreneurship program, and
- employ traditional and innovative research methods to evaluate the project.
Youth, adult partners, and OSU researchers will work together to design and plant a community garden and develop a microenterprise venture to market the produce grown. Using the CBPR process, everyone on the project will collect and analyze data evaluating the project and provide training and outreach to other communities interested in similar collaborations.
Volunteers will be asked to commit to the project for one year during which youth and adult partners will meet twice a month for community–building, education, and research activities. Adult partners will work with youth in developing, planting, and caring for the garden and marketing the produce grown. Volunteers may work up to 10 hours per month or more during the growing season.
“Fluency in Spanish is a plus for volunteers,” says Leslie. “And it’s very helpful of they have experience working with low-income individuals.”
