Urban agriculture initiatives developed for youth have the capacity to motivate learning, include minority groups, and allow participation in activities that foster self-growth, community engagement, and entrepreneurship. This pilot study builds on a partnership between a midwestern university and the Felege Hiywot Center’s (FHC) successful youth urban farming program, now focusing on how that programing could contribute to developing life skills, sustainable agriculture knowledge, and entrepreneurial skills. A mixed methods approach was utilized, including pre/post surveys, student presentations, and observations. Participants were twenty-eight high school aged youth, of which 91% self-identified as African American. Main foci of the project were participants’ life skills, entrepreneurial skills and mindset, sustainable agriculture content, and community collaborations. Key findings from the summer pilot post survey (n=23) indicate that 70% of participants responded that they could develop their own business plan, 83% believe that external changes create opportunities for an urban ag business; and 65% believed they could build connections with people they had not before. Knowledge around sustainable agriculture shows room for improvement where only 30% could identify what percentage of food grown globally is wasted annually, and 43% believed that technology development, adoption and utilization is not a part of sustainable agriculture; however, sixty five percent of participants could identify the three sustainability pillars: economics, environment, and social. The program's influence on participants' future plans was of interest, with 52% self-reporting a change in their outlook. This impact can be attributed to the collaborative efforts of volunteers, professionals, sponsors, and the structured nature of the FHC program, which also emphasizes the importance of individual backgrounds. The potential to impact and enhance life skills, foster self-awareness, improving family communication, and open avenues for future education and career opportunities will allow for a broader development and expansion of this project. This pilot contributes to the broader discourse on youth programs in urban agriculture by highlighting the integrative approach of experiential learning, farm-based education, and student-centered learning within a youth development framework. While early in the project, this pilot shows promise in underlining the critical role of urban agriculture programs in shaping the lives and future prospects of minority youth.
