Community Gardens, Youth, Safety
Nariah Eubanks was only 12 years old when she started spending her Saturdays at We Got This, a Milwaukee summer program that pays youth to clean up neighborhoods and learn gardening. Andre Lee Ellis started We Got This after being frustrated with the rising violence in the city. The program has been serving the community for over 12 years by paying youth $20 for four hours of service work every Saturday, throughout the summer, along with providing mentorship.
According to the website, the youth of the We Got This program learn the basics of gardening and care for the organization’s garden spaces in neighborhoods. The youth develop skills in communication, collaboration, and problem-solving through garden work, like weeding garden beds, planting trees, and figuring out how to bring water to newer garden spaces.
Eubanks joined the program after We Got This board member Meg Bruzan visited her school. Since being in the program, Eubanks has learned the art of patience. She’s even been promoted to a student leader, where she receives double the pay, tends to the garden throughout the week, and guides younger youth…