Support Distanced Learning
Despite the COVID19 pandemic, Bartram's Garden remains committed to providing summer jobs for 39 local high school students. Interns will work remotely and through socially distant practices to support the Sankofa Community Farm and the Denkyem River Guardians. Each week for six weeks students will receive a supply and lesson kit, supplemented with virtual workshops, peer discussion, and socially distant outdoor work at Bartram's Garden. Your donation goes directly towards supporting supplies, training, and at-home kits for Southwest Philadelphia youth.
- $25: safety gloves and masks for 1 student for outdoor work
- $50: First Aid training course for 1 student
- $100: for 1 supply and lesson kit
- $200: for 2 supply and lesson kits
- $500: for 5 supply and lesson kits
- $1000: for 10 supply and lesson kits
$15000 Goal
$15160
Total Raised
Empowering Local Youth
As a community-powered public park and urban river garden, Bartram's Garden is committed to uplifting and empowering local youth. Each season, The Sankofa Community Farm and the Denkyem River Guardians hire local high school students to support the health of the land and river. Students go on to serve as ambassadors for the Garden, sharing lessons about environmental justice, food sovereignty, community organizing, and urban ecosystems.
Denkyem* River Guardians Internship:
In addition to learning about the Schuylkill watershed, urban ecosystems, and river safety, interns study community organizing, environmental justice, community-driven research, and data collection. This year's community boathouse internship kits will include supplies for:
- Watershed mapping projects;
- Collectively built fish habitat;
- Oral history interview project reflecting on cultural experiences and water;
- Rowboat design and model project.
*Denkyem (pronounced dain-chem) is the Adinkra symbol for crocodile, which represents adaptability and flexibility.
Sankofa* Community Farm Internship:
Interns study urban farming and food sovereignty while focusing on skills like mentorship and community organizing. Interns also manage cooking workshops, farm stand sales, and gardening support for local families, allowing them to share their knowledge and assert creativity and expertise with peers. This year's Sankofa Community Farm internship kits will include supplies for:
- Cultural cooking demonstrations;
- Home gardening beds & containers;
- Herbal remedy workshops;
- At-home literacy lessons;
- Creation station basic art and carpentry projects.
*The concept of Sankofa is derived from King Adinkera of the Akan people of West Africa. Literally translated, Sankofa means, "It is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot." Sankofa teaches us that we must go back to our roots in order to move forward.