The folks at ABC News send us their interview with Kelly Carlisle, the Navy veteran who founded the Acta Non Verba Youth Urban Farm Project, a farm experience for kids in Oakland;
Growing up in East Oakland, Carlisle said she remembers feeling hopeless at a young age.
“At 9 years old there’s nothing to do, there’s nowhere to go, no program that my family can afford, or for me to engage in,” Carlisle said. “It was hard, you couldn’t go outside, we had a one-block radius that we can play in and I remember feeling and asking, what I am going to be and where I’m going to go?”
The former Navy Operation Specialist said she wants to be able to give “her kids” a chance at working towards a better future. Back in early 2010, Carlisle remembers hearing news reports about Oakland’s high crime rate, childhood obesity, school dropout rates and teen prostitution.
“My initial reaction was, thank God I don’t live there. Then the more I thought about it and the fact that I have a young child, it occurred to me that there’s one population that has no choice to decide where they live or what their community looks and feels like and that’s young people,” she said.
As a result, Carlisle founded Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project, a nonprofit urban farm that focuses on serving at-risk youth from kindergarten to 8th grade, and their families. She launched Acta Non Verba to teach children how to invest in themselves and ultimately invest in their communities.
Children plant, harvest and sell produce and 100 percent of those proceeds go to savings accounts to pay for their education.
BZ, shipmate!
Leadership by example.
A veteran teaching children that with some hard work and responsibility they can improve their lives, as opposed to some pointy-headed academic chanting the “you’re helpless, only the government can take care of you” mantra. Definitely a ray of sunshine!
I grew up in the country, we always had a garden. I didn’t realize how convenient it was and how it taught me so much about work, all I remember was ” Is you dont drop those baseball groves and get over here and pull weeds Im going to tan your hides”
The Master Gardeners (yes I am) in my county started a similar project but on a smaller scale. At THE Ohio State University Agricultural Center we had some raised beds installed and got some children and their parents involved. The nearby city is nothing like the shit hole of Oakland but has its problems. It is rewarding to watch these children plant a vegetable (most of them thought meat was made at the grocery), water, weed, deadhead etc. and are proud of “my” tomatoes, peppers, squash, carrots etc. (ownership). Will not solve all of the problems, but as a cynical, cantankerous old sob, I have seen results. Also, they won an award at the county fair this week. Every little bit helps.
Well, I hope it works out. Obama mentioned it. The NYT mentioned it. At least one network covered it. And a boatload of smaller outlets featured it. What is it? Growing stuff on a 1/4 of city turf. I’ll await the results–which, by the way, we’ll never hear about. The parents of the kids involved in this effort are likely the type whose kids actually study in school and stay close to home in the first place. Still, it’s nice that kids get to see that the gov’t doesn’t have to supply them with every damn thing.
BZ …
We Sailors call that “Deckplate Leadership”.
That was supposed to be a “1/4 acre of city turf.”
Excellent. This sounds like a good program, and I hope it succeeds beyond all expectations.
Good on yer, young lady – you’re the kind that makes us proud
Good on her.
Good job, Ms Carlisle. Well done.
Round of applause for Ms. Carlisle.