URBAN G.E.M.S.

Gardening Entrepreneurs Motivating Sustainability

The Ohio State University
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    • Mission
    • Vision
    • Importance
    • Objectives
    • Impact
  • About Us
    • History
    • About Our Director
    • Meet Our Team
    • Implementation Sites
      • Community Site: RHH4L
      • Urban GEMS @ Millennium Community School
    • Advisory Board
  • Programs
    • Urban GEMS -USDA CYFAR
      • Urban GEMS @ Millennium Community School
      • RHH4L -Urban GEMS Garden Club After School
      • RHH4L -Urban GEMS Summer Program
    • Get Involved
    • Urban GEMS Youth Work
      • Urban GEMS Farm on Parsons
    • Planting Urban GEMS in South Columbus
  • Research
    • EHE Research Forum Exhibit on Urban GEMS
    • Engineering Design Class Adopts Urban GEMS
    • Impactful Engagement
    • Urban GEMS Evaluation
    • White Paper
    • Food Summit Poster
    • Presentation at Nationwide Children’s Hospital
  • News
    • OSU Insights
    • Urban GEMS mobile APP
    • 2017 Boyd W. Bowden Garden Impact Award
    • 2017 FPC GTG Youth Leadership Award
    • 10TV story on Urban GEMS
    • Growing Opportunity in the Inner City
    • GEMS News BEET
    • Guns, Gangs and Gardens
    • Urban GEMS Facebook
    • Urban GEMS supports Youth Development
    • Historical Coverage of Efforts on the Southside
  • Order Leafy Greens & Herbs
  • Events
  • Contact
    • Principal Investigator
    • OSU Student Volunteer Coordinator
    • RHH4L Project Coordinator
    • Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male Coordinator
  • Donate
  • About Us

Purpose

Urban GEMS employs cutting-edge food production technology to grow healthy foods while promoting healthy eating in urban neighborhoods characterized as food deserts. Students will gain 21st century employment skills through coursework, internships, and service learning projects. Students will become enmeshed in new professional networks among local food industry professionals. As trained social justice advocates for a healthy food system, participants will add a youthful voice and energy to the larger community health transformation in the urban core of Columbus, Ohio.

Programs

With funding support from the USDA CYFAR initiative, we are pleased to offer Urban GEMS at two community implementation sites in Columbus, Ohio. At Reaching Higher Heights 4-Life Community Care center, Urban GEMS is offered as an after school academic enrichment program and a summer program to youth ages 10-17 residing in an economic distressed urban neighborhood. Our first Urban GEMS mini-farm was built in February 2017 at the OSU AAAS Community Extension Center. We will soon be offering after school academic enrichment activities in the King-Lincoln Bronzeville community. The Urban GEMS Youth Work program supported by a grant from the Aetna Foundation will allow us to provide career training for students interested in food sustainability careers.

Potential

The Urban GEMS program was designed to address the well documented link between food insecurity and school failure at a neighborhood level. Addressing both the educational and nutritional (basic needs) of young people growing up in economically challenged environments requires new thinking. Urban GEMS features project-based learning and youth leadership opportunities, which include tackling real and significant challenges facing the African American community.

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College of Education and Human Ecology

Urban GEMS
1787 Neil Ave, CM 135
Columbus, OH 43210
(614) 247-4004
Wilkinson.110@osu.edu

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