Youth unemployment is a hot topic all over the world right now. How do we make sure that youth get the skills they need to succeed in today’s market?

Dreams of Wild Health is an organization that is helping Native American youth in the Twin Cities do just that.  Dreams of Wild Health runs a Garden Warriors Apprenticeship program that aims to teach Native teens about the basics of farming, agriculture, and health.  They offer two four-week sessions during the summer, and each one concludes with a community feast.

“It’s a day program, so we pick them up each morning and bring them out to the farm,” said Diane Wilson, Operations Director of Dreams of Wild Health. “ We begin each morning with circle, and prayers with tobacco. The youth learn to plant, grow, harvest - away from an urban setting.  They also learn about healthy nutrition, safe food preparation, and basic cooking.”

Wilson says the food is one of the best parts of the program.  “Every day, a small team prepares lunch for the whole group.  It’s good for all of us.  It reminds you that a meal is a community experience. It’s about building relationships.  A lot of the kids haven’t tasted these foods before.  Our camp policy is no pop (soda), no cell phones, no video games, no electronics.  We want them to connect to the land itself. Otherwise, they’re not present.  We want them to be committed to what they are doing.”  

Would you like to find cheap travel, good food, a way to support sustainable farmers, and the experience of a life time? Just WWOOF!

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is the up and coming way for youth to see the world. According to The Independent in the UK, the number of youth volunteering in WWOOF locations increased from 1,600 in 2005 to 9,000 in 2010! I asked 21-year-old WWOOFer, Emilie Barnett, to tell us what all the fuss is about.

“I heard about it from a friend, and it seemed like a cool thing to do.” Barnett spent ten days in a little community, about one hour outside of Guadalajara, Mexico. Barnett and her friend decided that they wanted to travel, and WWOOF was cheaper than hostel-hopping between towns. They looked at the WWOOF catalog of options, and said, “Let’s go for it!”

With additional reporting by Ana Beatriz and Adania Navarro.