Our youth after-school programs - Semillas del Futuro and Raíces de Cambio - provide opportunities for young people in our community to develop leadership skills, learn about sustainable agriculture, and engage in cultural activities.
Semillas is a youth leadership building program focusing on arts, Puerto Rican culture, entrepreneurship, and gardening. Our Semillas program youth get help with homework, coaching, college prep, and exposure to a range of art skills, and get paid a stipend based on achievement and commitment. It is a year-round program, with an emphasis on work readiness during the summer, as well as outdoor experiences such as photography, gardening, camping, and canoeing.
Youth can attend 2-5 times per week and rotate topics that include NSNP history, gardening, art, cooking, sex education, healthy relationships, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. This year, Semillas youth have developed products and sold merchandise at the community farm stand.
For any questions and/or to register in our Semillas del Futuro program, please get in touch with Evelyn.
For any questions and/or to register in our Raíces de Cambio program, please get in touch with Evelyn.
The Raíces program is an apprenticeship program that teaches youth gardening, farming, food justice, and the cultural impacts of urban green spaces. The program aims to prepare young people for entry-level positions in horticulture or agriculture and teach them about Puerto Rican history and indigenous Taíno gardening practices. Raíces de Cambio apprentices are paid hourly, and spaces for this unique opportunity are limited.
Every Saturday from the start of the summer into the fall, participants in the program sell their produce to community neighbors. To support our program and get access to our fresh produce, please visit our Farm Stand.
VISIT OUR FARM STANDSophie Taylor-Havens (she/her) has returned to NSNP after interning here as a college sophomore. After graduating from Kalamazoo College with a bachelor’s in Art and Psychology, she moved to Philadelphia to become a teaching artist with Mural Arts Philadelphia. Sophie is passionate about sustainability and social justice and believes in the power of art as a tool for promoting reflection, growth, community, and empowerment. At NSNP, she hopes to create a space for students to explore themselves, discover their power, and engage with their communities. She enjoys making art, laughing with loved ones, exploring new places, following the sunshine, and eating delicious foods in her spare time.
Evelyn Matos (she/her) has been part of the Norris Square community since the 90s when her parents moved to the neighborhood from Puerto Rico. Before NSNP, she worked at Norris Square Civic Association for eight years as a preschool teacher while her two children attended NSNP’s youth programs, now program alums. Evelyn is a graduate of Ashford University with a bachelor’s in education. When Evelyn has a day to herself, she enjoys cooking, being with her grandson, and especially old-school salsa music. She describes herself as “LOUD,”; and her favorite thing about NSNP is that it allows her to be herself.
Toni-Anne McDonald (she/her) is a Temple University alumna with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a minor in Environmental Sustainability. She is the lead instructor for Semillas del Futuro, NSNP’s after-school program for teens to learn entrepreneurship, technology, arts, gardening, and Puerto Rican culture. She volunteers her time with BloodyBtches, a non-profit working to provide menstruators in the Black community with free hygiene products and educational resources. She is passionate about community support systems. You can find Toni chilling in a park with her friends or going out for dessert in her spare time.
Ria (they/them/she) is excited to join NSNP as the Garden Educator for Raíces del Futuro, our youth garden apprentice program. After graduating with a Critical Theory and Social Justice degree and working as a Youth Development Intern at Hidden Villa, Ria dedicated themselves to obtaining skills in agriculture, animal husbandry, and herbal medicine. A child of food-loving Cuban immigrants, Ria is particularly excited to work with Latinx youth. They are passionate about food justice, relational healing, and accessible healthcare. At NSNP, they hope to infuse garden education with cultural context, community care, and personal responsibility. In their free time, you can find Ria going for long walks, learning about astrology, ancestral healing, dancing, and spending time with loved ones.
You must be in high school to attend the program. We have a few limited spots available for middle school students, but these are often reserved for family members of our current youth.
The best way to get into the summer program is to join the after-school program! The youth who have been here all year get first priority in the summer program. If you can’t attend the after-school program, the best way to join the Summer program is to reach out to our Youth and Family Services Manager in early Spring.
The after-school program runs from 3 pm-6 pm. Usually, 3 pm-4 pm is time for you to arrive, eat a snack, get help with homework, hang out with friends and decompress from the day. Our activity for the day begins at 4 pm. The program ends at 6 pm, this is also the time the office closes.
You are welcome to attend every day, but we only ask that you attend twice per week.
Yes! Totally free, and you have the opportunity to earn incentives for your participation.