The BTR Organization is so excited to continue our work with the Cody Complex of Schools. While we are still focused on addressing and eradicating poor decision making concerning social pitfalls associated with urban life, we have discovered that an even greater level of commitment is needed. After traveling across the world and being exposed to many other education systems, it is apparent that the whole student be addressed. When the basic needs of a single person is not met, the community has to make up for the shortfall. When the basic needs of a community are not met, the shortfall is harder to meet and that community is degraded socially, economically and morally.
Since 2014 we have conducted our 7 part workshop series. We have had great discussions with students and have provided many with the necessary tools required to navigate their current environment and transition into the next phase of their lives. It has been our focus to improve the lives of young people by inspiring a goal driven life, encouraging decisions that support that goal on a daily basis. It is important to make the right decision every time especially in an environment where the wrong decisions can be disastrous. We now recognize that we are at a crossroads and we must make some defining decisions.
Building on our seminar series where we share skills to help guide students to reach their educational goals, the next logical step is to feed the body and create a viable community that they can live in and contribute to its success. These under served communities still do not have viable mixed income housing, as they once did. Growing up in a neighborhood where blighted homes meet you at your front door and vacant lots are commonly used as dumping grounds, effective change is needed. In these communities it is easier to purchase a 40 ounce bottle of malt liquor than spinach. The former being less than a block away from residential living.
BTR Solutions has begun a pilot program in the unused greenhouse located in the Cody Detroit Institute of Technology College Prep High School. The government recognizes that good nutrition plays a significant role in a child's success. Healthy, nutritious, food sources are a cornerstone for all healthy communities. Because of this, we are incorporating a nutrition aspect to our outreach.
This test program is self funded in the hopes that we will be able to garner private donations to duplicate its success across the Detroit Metropolitan Area. The foundation of this program centers around enhancing education through hands on experience, teaching transferable business skills, and providing nutritious food to students beginning in pre-school. It is important to teach about healthy foods, how to prepare them and the important part they play in assuring vibrancy of these communities. Our intent is to partner with other organizations to not only assist in growing vegetables, but to make students aware of the education and employment opportunities that exist surrounding agriculture. Agriculture encompasses day to day business operations, management skills, acquiring and tracking inventory, contract negotiation, and determining profits and loss. All of these skills are necessary and transferable to all careers. The USDA has hundreds of scholarships that go unused every year simply because very few students apply.
This program is designed to be an after school program for upper grades and during the day in pre-schools. Discussions facilitate and augment topics of their current biology curriculum. We then take it a step further by discussing personal responsibility for our planet and the everyday actions that make an impact on our community and in turn the world. Finally, for elementary through high school, we teach the students how to manage the green house. Our hope is to implement this program in many pre-schools, elementary, middle and high schools across the city of Detroit. We would then like to open commercial green houses that produce all year round providing jobs for those in the community as well as consistent high quality, affordable produce. This will also provide an avenue to spur economic growth and pride in the community.
We have crisscrossed the country looking for a growing system that can withstand Michigan's harsh winters and be able to produce all year round. We believe we have found that system and have begun testing it at Cody as of March 31, 2017. Our goal is to feed the community. This produce will be ALIVE until it is cut from its roots by the end user customer. This program incorporates cooking demonstrations and recipes to show how easy it is to prepare dishes in a timely manner, reinforcing the impact that proper nutrition plays on health, wellness and reducing illness.
Please join us by supporting the continued growth of this program. With your help we can provide this program across the city on a year round basis. The initial investment is $6,000. This program is designed to be self sustaining, utilizing minimal power and water. Selling the vegetables to faculty, parents, and community residents will support this program well into the future without seeking additional funding. If you have a school in mind that you would like to sponsor please contact Chrystal Ridgeway at 347-543-8516 for more information and program details.
