Youth Empowerment Program
YEP provides exceptional leadership development opportunities to teens of all backgrounds through career/college readiness workshops and technical instruction in regenerative agriculture. Since piloting in 2021, 154 students have graduated from YEP across 12 Cohorts.
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YEP students gather for 8 sessions that are conducted during summer months, Mondays - Thursdays, 9 AM - 1 PM.
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Upon completion of the program, students are eligible to apply for a paid summer farm internship that strengthens their skills and knowledge, as well as co-facilitate the summer cohort.
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We are now accepting applications for Summer 2025 below.
Farming Activities
Ninety minutes of each session are devoted to regenerative agriculture instruction, covering the following topics:
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soil preparation
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fertilizing
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transplanting
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weeding
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harvesting
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irrigation management
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pest management
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field & food safety
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Students will be compensated a total of $200 for their participation in 8 sessions.
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Educational Workshops
Workshops, available in English and Spanish, include the following topics:
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financial literacy
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SMART Goals
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Ag career exploration
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college knowledge
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resumes
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STAR interviews
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public speaking
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health & nutrition
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DE&I in Agriculture
“The thing I enjoyed the most about YEP was being outside. It was all a great learning opportunity, not only learning about farming, but also about life skills. I'll apply that to my life getting jobs and living a healthy life.”
Hannah V, Fall 21' Cohort
Thank You to Our 2025 Program Sponsors!
The County of San Luis Obispo and Private Donors.