Partnerships

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We operate a Freight Farm on campus with an educational platform offering skill building, hands-on internships with real-world application. Students have the opportunity to grow produce for local markets, faculty, families and food banks. Students also learn farming operations from seed to harvest including system functions, data collection, as well as tangential business concepts such as marketing, social media, sales, community outreach and design of products, packaging, and labels. 

• Skill building internships through real-world experiences
• Students learn how to operate a Freight Farm on-campus farm while assisting in business operations
• Students from grades 9-12

“Activating Health through Skill-building, Education, and Community Partnership” introduced hydroponic gardens and associated curriculum into 6 day programs for adults with developmental differences in Worcester, Devens, and Milford. We provide training workshops, continued support and consultation on the use of growing technology, leading to volunteer and community-based work opportunities for adults with varying abilities. This program emphasizes health and wellness as participants expand their understanding of the plant growing process and how to produce their own food. We facilitate a Hydroponic Training Center that we installed featuring multiple grow techniques for program participants to further immerse themselves in the growing process.  We have expanded our programming to feature an internship initiative focused on developing organizational skills through routine maintenance and operation of garden equipment as well as effective communication of observations and acquired knowledge. 

• Hydroponic gardens and associated curriculum provided for 6 facilities in Worcester, Devens, and Milford 
• Building skills leading to community-based work opportunities for adults with varying abilities
• Hydroponic Training Center expands experience for program participants
• Paid Internship opportunities 

This program features hydroponic gardens and associated curriculum designed to build transferable skills that can lead to volunteer and community-based work opportunities for students ages 18-22 with varying abilities. In addition to learning how to maintain hydroponic growing equipment, students operate their own classroom garden from seed to harvest while exploring the plant life cycle, nutrition, and sustainable food systems. 

• Classroom garden operated by students from seed to harvest
• Associated career development curriculum 
• Building skills leading to volunteer and community-based work opportunities for students ages 18-22 with varying abilities