TENDING RELATIONSHIPS
Our freedom cannot be realized until we cultivate healing relationships between young people and the land.
Our Rootwork Youth Internship is a farming + cultural education program centered around local, BIPOC youth in Denver. This program is intended to engage a cohort of BIPOC youth who are passionate about food justice, cultural preservation, social change, and arts + storytelling. Throughout the program, the youth explore a deeply intersectional curriculum that challenges them to think critically about the interconnectedness of their food, cultural history, health + wellness, climate, systemic inequity, and community resilience.
Some of the topics covered:
Cultural land stewardship
Organizing +
Mutual aid
Mental HEALTH
LANDBACK
ART + STORYTELLING
COOKING
JUSTICE
Herbalism
Native foodways
2026 PROGRAM DETAILS:
Our Rootwork Youth Internship is a paid Summer + Fall internship program that will engage BIPOC youth in Denver in community-driven work around food sovereignty, environmental remediation, and social advocacy.
Program Duration:
Students will gather weekly from July 7th through November 7th.
On the summer schedule, students will meet 2x a week on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 9 am -- 12 pm.
On the fall schedule, students will meet once a week on Saturday mornings from 9 am -- 12 pm.
If you cannot commit to both the summer AND fall dates, then you will not be able to participate.
Students must complete their final project (collaborative) to receive the stipend.
Program Requirements:
All students must be between the ages of 14 to 22 in order to participate. Participants do NOT need to be in school to join.
There will be 23 total classes with mandatory required attendance, with an allowed 5 excused absences.
Priority will be given to students who live in GES (Globeville, Elyria-Swansea), however all students are encouraged to apply.
Program Stipend and Educational Credit:
Each student will receive a stipend upon completion of the program. Stipends will be awarded at the final class. Our program qualifies as an internship opportunity and The Abolition Garden will coordinate with students and teachers to determine if the program can qualify for class credit.
Interested in joining our 2026 Youth Cohort? Want to learn more?
Take a look at some of the special moments that made up our recent cohorts:
Our 2025 Program Sponsor:
This program is generously supported by the wonderful community of people at the GES Community Investment Fund! If you would like to donate to their initiative and support community projects that help build healthy, thriving neighborhoods for generations to come, you can visit their website.