Published March 1, 2025
“I’ve never been a morning person but ever since I started this job I feel energized. Maybe it’s because I have a purpose and feel like I’m doing something good.” Jaishawn, Teen Corps member 2023 and 2024
Teen Corps at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is an 8-week paid Educational Internship for teens who live and attend school in Franklin County, Ohio. Funded through grants and donations, it is a highly competitive program, with an average of 60 applications each year. 23 teens participated in the summer program in 2024, 9 of who were returnees from 2023.
The teens, 15-18 years old, spend 20 hours a week working with educators and horticulture staff at the conservatory, learning to garden, developing customer service and communication skills, good workplace habits, and life skills.
The program’s short-term goals are built around knowledge and skills as well as positive youth development. During the summer season, the teens learn about plant science, healthy eating habits, basic culinary skills, careers in agriculture and horticulture, running a farmers market booth, environmental stewardship, and community service—all while building leadership skills and, most importantly, confidence.
The Conservatory’s Farmers Market is where the teens can practice customer service, marketing, and educating the public about produce and what they are learning. It also allows the teens to learn from others in their community about what it takes to run a small business. In addition to their produce booth, the teens are responsible for “Veggie Champs”, a program for young children that encourages them to eat healthier and become responsible consumers.
As one of our mission-driven programs, the Farmers Market serves community members who are food insecure by offering EBT, WIC, Senior Farmers Market Nutrition and Produce Perks for eligible participants. It promotes and supports local businesses, serving as an incubator for new entrepreneurs, with a particular interest in featuring BIPOC, women-owned and LBGTQ+ vendors. Additionally, the market hosts local musicians, food trucks, and community partners to serve as a gathering place and share resources about the community.
In 2023 the Conservatory launched its Teen Corps Leaders program. This program allows expanded opportunities for career exploration and is available to a small selection of teens. These teens work during the school year on special projects with our staff such as creating materials for a community day or managing seed trials for the Organic Seed Alliance. They also are responsible for season extension in the Teen Corps garden and for cleaning and replenishing the Free Little Farmstand during the fall season.
Now in its 9th season, we know that Teen Corps has benefited more than just the teen participants. Teen Corps alumni have spent a year in AmeriCorps, worked as an intern in the Columbus City Hall, been a member of the Ohio Attorney General’s Teen Advisory Board, and become leaders in their community gardens.
In 2024, Markyl, one of our teen alumni joined the Franklin Park staff and now works as a Teen Corps Educator. In addition to creating and implementing programming for the teens at the Conservatory, he is also a role model for the teens in creating a lasting community and environmental impact as he is currently working on his Youth Climate Action project, a series of classes for HS students focused on sustainability. In addition to Markyl, a second TC alumni, Frankie, is working on her Youth Climate Action project. Her project, “Trash Hope” uses discarded items to create art for display and community education around waste reduction.
Francheska Castillo-Perez
Sponsored by Sustainable Columbus, the Bloomberg Philanthropies-supported Youth Climate Action fund is meant to provide youth (15-24) with the funding to “design, produce and govern urgent climate solutions in cities across the globe.”
Alumni Angeline Jallabah has credited Teen Corps for introducing her to cooking as a possible career path and has gone on to study culinary arts at Columbus State where she will graduate with a certification as a sous chef. In 2024, she visited TC as a guest culinary instructor.
Inspiring teens to be changemakers, Teen Corps is helping steward our next generation of leaders.