Some students spend summer vacation relaxing. Nika Colley ’23, used the time creating a new urban garden and leading workforce transition project for young adults in Rochester as part of the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Summer Internship Program.
“At Cornell, I study environment and sustainability and animal science,” Colley said. “And this internship has played into my interest in food justice and environmental justice.”
The project – Growing Relevant and Outstanding Work Skills (GROWS) – began with the conversion of a half-acre of the south lawn of CCE Monroe County property into an experimental teaching farm. Colley then worked with CCE Monroe County staff to recruit unemployed young adults from local communities touched by gun violence.
(Photo by RJ Anderson/Cornell University)