This Giving Tuesday we’re raising $5,000 to support Dig It STL!
2016 saw such demand for our summer teen employment program, Dig It STL, that we’ve decided to expand it to a year-round program! Now, students can continue to get hands on with diverse urban agriculture and conservation initiatives around the city throughout the school year. Through Dig It, high school students develop agricultural and ecosystem knowledge, community leadership skills, public speaking skills, and passion for environmental stewardship, all while learning valuable soft job skills and earning a paycheck.
Dig It STL’s expansion has been partially funded through a multi-year grant, but we need your help to fill the gap! Please consider helping us reach our goal of $5,000 by giving a gift on November 29th- Giving Tuesday. Make a difference in the life of a St. Louis teen!
“My name is Myra and I have been working at Gateway Greening for a year and I am an alumnus for various things. I’m an Alumni intern, Dig It crew member and leader. I am 19 years old an I’m an undecided sophomore student at the University of Missouri St. Louis. For the last year I have been particularizing on what to study in college and by working with Gateway Greening I have noticed that I enjoy working outdoors and that I enjoy science more than any other specialty. I know that I will decide one day but sometimes I feel like I can’t because I don’t believe in myself as much as I should.
My defining moment was when I was offered the position to be a crew leader for the 2016 Dig It crew. When I was first offered the position I kept pushing it off because I didn’t think I would make a good leader. So after a few weeks I thought to myself if someone I only knew for a few months trusts me to take a higher position as a leader, then why shouldn’t I? So I decided to take the offer because my great, supportive supervisor, Carolyn believed in me more than I believed in myself. To this day I thank her for that push out of the tree and allowing me to fly to learn and develop self-confidence and other skills the position pushed me to have.”
-Myra, Dig It Crew Leader 2016