High Schoolers Get Their Hands Dirty

The Garden Apprentice Program at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in Prospect Heights teaches local teens about their roots – literally.

Every year the garden employs several apprentices for a ten-month stretch from March to December to work at BBG in every capacity, from cultivating exotic plants to educating young, local children.

In its sixth year, the program is open to any student from in grades eight through 12 and draws its apprentices from local high schools including Prospect Heights High, as well as Clara Barton High School.

The ten-month stretch includes training and summer programs. During the school year students are responsible for keeping up with both their schoolwork and duties at the garden.

It's a four-tiered system with increasing levels of responsibility, with 10 to12 students in each tier. The Discovery Guide Apprentices at Level 1 come from the 8th and 9th grade and they primarily work with young children to teach them about the basics of gardening, both at BBG and at various community locations or events.

Level 2, for 10th graders, is home to the Garden Corps, who get to shadow scientists and horticulturalists and work with many of BBG's behind-the-scenes activities and projects. These students also earn a $200 stipend.

The junior apprentices are at Level 3, which is open to 11th grade students. These apprentices build their own environmental stations to educate all BBG visitors about the basics of gardening and helping the environment, which earns them a $500 stipend for the year.

The senior apprentices, high school seniors, earn an hourly wage and get to teach the Children's Garden program for the BBG.

Saara Nafici, the coordinator for the Garden Apprentice Program, says that many of the Apprentices actually participated in the Children's Garden program when they were younger.

Nafici said they "wouldn't be able to run the children's program without the apprentices," and it's a great way for BBG to have a lasting relationship with these kids throughout their lives. Alumni of the program often stay in touch long after there time working at the garden is complete.

Furthermore, it instills in them a lifelong love for plants, vegetables and the Mother Nature, she said.

The program exposes teens living in an urban environment to green issues, botanical science, and in-depth plant studies. There is a major emphasis on growing fruits and vegetables and teaching the apprentices about locally grown food and nutrition.

The garden apprentices contribute hugely to community outreach as well as helping BBG with its day-to-day operations.

Nafici says the apprenticeship acts as a "ladder to building job skills, responsibility and leadership," noting that it's "an important social way to build friendships in a safe environment."

Not to mention the exposure to the wildlife and scientific experts they have access to is a rare experience for any city public school students.

Not everyone in the apprentice program goes on to pursue a career in botany, Nafici concedes, but the skill the students learn at BBG is applicable to a range of jobs and academic paths.

To learn more about the unique program, Nafici is throwing an Open House on Nov. 13. A host of information, as well as the application for all levels apprenticeships, is also available on the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Web site.