Youth Leadership Program

with Green Village Initiative

Green Village Initiative’s Youth Leadership Program strives to cultivate young food leaders in Bridgeport by developing skills in agricultural knowledge, food justice, leadership, and future readiness.

Since 2012, youth from Bridgeport have been helping GVI grow vegetables, protect the land at Reservoir Community Farm, and advocate for a more just food system.

We currently host an eight-week summer program for high school aged students called the Youth Summer Leadership Program (YSLP). During the school year, we offer four to six week learning sessions as part of our Food Leader Advocacy Group (FLAG). Interested in learning more? Reach out to youth@gogvi.org or visit Reservoir Community Farm on Saturdays from 10AM-2PM.

Group of people sitting on towels and blankets on a grassy field, some writing or drawing in notebooks. Several backpacks and water bottles are scattered around.
Three people working together in a community garden, planting or tending to the soil. One person is shoveling dirt into a wheelbarrow, while two others stand nearby.
A group of people standing in a line in a community garden with green plants and a greenhouse in the background on a sunny day.
A diverse group of five people working in a garden on a sunny day; some are standing, one is sitting, and they are harvesting plants while wearing casual clothes, with a background of trees, power lines, and a building with a liquor store sign.
A group of children wearing large sun hats gather around an adult who is showing them a honeycomb frame in a garden.
Group of people standing and sitting outdoors on a grassy field, enjoying drinks on a sunny day with a backdrop of green trees and a partly cloudy sky.

Applications for youth to participate in the 2026 Youth Summer Leadership Program have closed.

Colorful flowers in red, orange, pink, and purple arranged on a wooden surface in a garden setting.
Group of diverse young people and adults posing outdoors under a wooden structure decorated with orange fabric and greenery. Many are holding colorful flowers and smiling.