Our YAP Story
Since 2006, YAP has been providing at-risk or disengaged youth, ages 16-21, opportunities to experience success!
We started with one garden in Bennington and one crew but that, you might say, was just planting the seeds for future growth.
Since then The Tutorial Center’s YAP Program has expanded. Today we’re maintaining multiple sites in four towns across two counties.
Throughout the season we not only work in our own gardens but also improve and maintain town and community lands.
No matter where you look, we have our hands, and hearts, in a lot of fertile dirt!
We grow, sell and donate thousands of pounds of fresh organic vegetables every year. Plus we volunteer and assist other community organizations like Meals on Wheels.
Yes, we get into the gardening, but we’re not just learning about agriculture. We’re learning how to be part of team and part of the community; job skills and how to work with money; how to plan and achieve our goals.
We learn about nutrition and how important it is for our whole family’s well-being. Plus each of us develops personally, working on our own rough edges while building deeper respect for ourselves and others.
Today, YAP serves three times the number of original participants, planting and maintaining more than five separate organic gardens. Recently we launched The YAP Food Network which bridges southwestern Vermont farmers and producers with institutional and commercial buyers, such as The Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.
Every season we grow a little more, as a program and as individuals, both inside and out.
After our YAP experience we go on to pursue our education and careers.
We thank you for taking the time to learn about and support our efforts and accomplishments!
