Our Roots Youth Program

Resilient Roots Food Justice Internship is VietLead's intensive 6-week program for twelve Camden and Pennsauken high school students, to explore food justice and its connection to social justice globally and locally. Through the lens of food justice, the interns explore their community’s history and learn to support it.

Due to COVID-19 much of our programming had to be done through a hybridized online political education and intergenerational/in-person cooking component of the program. However, students still spent ample time on the farm learning to work with the land with elders, and deliver fresh vegetables through our Mutual Aid Food bag program to community members. During the six-week duration, students conduct community interviews with their elders, and community members to hear their stories. With these stories and their own stories, the youth of Resilient Roots created an art project The year ended with the Harvest Moon Block Party held at our community farmed, prepped by our students. At the event was food, made by the students, activities,  live musical performances as well as an art showcase and skit by the interns reflecting on what they accomplished this year.