The Center for Economic and Workforce Development is a catalyst for workforce development in sustainability. This year the Center launched its first workforce program with a focus on sustainability. The Green CUNY Young Adult Program trains unemployed young adults in the areas of Food Service and Hospitality.  The training exposes young adults, 18-24 years old, to concepts of sustainability relating to urban agriculture and entrepreneurship.  Weekly class topics enhance their understanding of organic food, carbon footprint, recycling, composting, and other concepts of sustainable living.  Participants are able to connect what they learn in the classroom with real world experience through field trips to local farms and community gardens.

Under the leadership of their instructor Ms. Mara Gittleman, CYAP participants were recently taken to get some hands on training at East NY Farms.  Mara is currently spear heading a project called Farming Concrete, a citizen science initiative to quantify food production in NYC community gardens. Farming Concrete is set to develop the first ever baseline data on urban agriculture in NYC.

Mara is very excited to be involved in a program that puts youth at the forefront of the sustainability movement. The program members were given a tour of East New York Farms by one of their high school students participating in the East New York Internship Program. This program is aimed at teaching youth ages 13-15 about the environment, health & nutrition, entrepreneurship, and leadership.

CYAP student’s enjoyed learning about the role that community farms play in their community's sustainability.  The CYAP members went over the impact of the farms having recently lost some of their product due to a hail storm.  This session also included discussions on what could result from community farms receiving general acceptance and becoming more wide spread.  They discussed the feasibility of such a thing happening as well as its benefits and limitations.  Their educational session with Ms. Gittleman also covered how people generally view organic foods and how community farms could fit into the area of entrepreneurship.

For pictures of the event please visit our photo gallery.