Seeking Volunteers for Americorps Positions at Collective Roots

The Health Trust, as part of its vision to transform Silicon Valley into the healthiest region in America, is coordinating a request for funding to AmeriCorps to support a regional program focused on community/school gardens and urban/sustainable agriculture.  The development of community based gardens and urban agriculture is a specific strategy within The Health Trust’s Healthy Living Initiative.  The Health Trust will function as an intermediary organization (as classified by AmeriCorps), placing individual members at the sites of participating organizations (e.g. Collective Roots).

Collective Roots provides a unique model of collaboration that involves hundreds of volunteers and active partnerships with multiple organizations in the communities that we serve. Americorps Members already have a history of making an impact in the communities we serve, and have a proven track record in the community as a viable program that introduces young professionals to powerful experiences that inspire careers in social change.

Please contact Collective Roots at 650.324.2769 with questions or interest related to our positions.  Please call Health Trust at 408.559.9385 to arrange for interviews.

The addition of Americorps Members would enable Collective Roots to achieve the following goals implemented over the next 3 years:

Activity

In 2008-2009:

By 2010-2011:

Weekly garden-based classes with students at multiple school sites

Serve more than 1,000 students per year at 3 sites

Serve more than 1,500 students per year at 4 sites

High school community service leadership program

Pilot with Phoenix Academy students in the Fall (26 students @ weekly)

Provide site for visiting high school students from surrounding communities

Expand to offer monthly opportunities for high school service learning

After-School programming

Expand to offer three after school gardening sites

Expand to include four after school garden sites

Food Production

1 acre garden at EPACS

Expand to include 2 production oriented sites

Fruit Trees

50 fruit trees planted

100 trees fruit trees planted

Create cut flower garden

Develop cut flower production beds

Develop products and sales from cut flower production

Free Community events

Earth Day and Fall Harvest Festivals

Annual Earth Day, Summer Harvest, and Fall Harvest Festivals

Community Workshops

1 workshop per quarter in home gardening & composting

1 workshop per month in home gardening, composting, cooking, nutrition

Greenhouse Production

Complete construction of greenhouse at EPACS

Develop capacity of greenhouse to produce plants for use in garden based learning programs and herbs and flowers for sale at farmers’ market/farm stand

Produce native plants for use in environmental projects, habitat restoration, and municipal projects

School Food Quality

Develop plan and propose policies for improving the quality of school food in the Ravenswood City School District

Lead efforts to implement improvements in school food quality in multiple schools, including school gardens, changing food services, salad bars, etc.

Community Food Access and Nutrition

Community based farmers’ market sponsored by Collective Roots (children will sell at market 1 x month)

On-site farmstand at EPACS 1 day a month

Food System Change Roadshow will visit school and community sites 2 x per month

Community based farmers’ market sponsored by Collective Roots (children/youth will sell at market 2 x month)

On-site farmstand at EPACS 1 day a week

Roadshow will visit school and community sites weekly