From the Forest to the Garden
Claire Murphy, CitySprouts Summer Intern [Forest Foundation]
What does a summer day at CitySprouts look like?
Pictured left to right: Claire and Westley
I had the opportunity to learn when I interned at CitySprouts through Forest Foundation this summer! The Forest Foundation is an internship program that gives young people interested in the nonprofit sector the chance to develop their skills and experience by working directly with nonprofits in the greater Boston area. This year, I had the opportunity to be paired with CitySprouts, along with another Forest Foundation intern, Westley. Through this internship, we have seen the ins and outs of CitySprouts operations, taking on a diverse variety of roles including lesson planning, material collecting and marketing and leading youths in the summer Green Team program. This unique opportunity has not only given us a valuable look into the world of educational nonprofits, but it has allowed us to learn from their communities, colleagues and each other. As someone who was new to Boston the summer, my internship with CitySprouts made me feel connected to the community in a really meaningful way.
Originally from rural upstate New York, I grew up surrounded by gardens and natural green spaces, and because of this, I was particularly inspired by the mission of CitySprouts. When I was choosing my placement, CitySprouts stood out to me for a number of reasons, including the emphasis on connection to nature, the commitment to underserved communities and the opportunity to work with youth. My role at CitySprouts has included a variety of tasks over the last 10 weeks, including many administrative roles, as well as providing support for all three summer Green Team sites. I have really loved the way that every day looks different, because it has given me the opportunity to learn all about the experience of working at a small nonprofit.
Westley showing off his pickled veggies from the garden
My favorite parts of the job have definitely been my time working with the students in the summer program: It is very rewarding to see their interest and excitement, and it was very fun to see the culmination of these interests in their presentations at the end of session bash.
When reflecting on his time at CitySprouts, Westley shared that he had been inspired by the equity and education aspects of the program. He said, “CitySprouts was my top site choice because of their care and excitement for getting youth outside, curious, and growing things. I was incredibly happy about the idea of working with the age group directly and helping to design materials!” Wes spent the first five weeks of the internship supporting projects and tasks in the office, and during his second five weeks, he led programming at the Orchard Gardens site.
Green Team youth at Orchard Gardens K-8 School harvesting radish with Westley
“I’ve been having a blast this summer!” Wes said. “It’s been a bit like two internships, since I spent the first five weeks doing a lot of prep with Claire for the summer program and the second five weeks working directly at our Roxbury site, but both have been phenomenal experiences. Everyone at CitySprouts has been so passionate and welcoming.”
As Wes and I entered the final days of our internship, we both spent a lot of time reflecting on the experience. I found that working at CitySprouts has really solidified my interest in pursuing a career in nonprofit, and it has especially encouraged me to continue working with kids. Wes shared similar sentiments, stating “I’ve been reminded this summer just how fond I am of middle schoolers — our days are never boring! I’ve learned so much with and from them and I’ll bring it back with me to any other educational settings I’m in, in and out of the classroom. I also hope to grow more things on my own from here on out!”