Engaging City Youth in Urban Agriculture

Examining a Farm-Based High School Internship Program through the Lens of Self-Determination Theory

Abstract

Urban gardens and farms increasingly seek to engage inner-city youth through programs aimed at promoting healthy eating, life skills,and environmental awareness. However,engaging adolescents in urban agriculture often proveschallenging. Through a year-long case study we examined the experiences of a cohortof six eleventh-and twelfth-grade students participating in ayouth internship program at a farm in Baltimore, Maryland. UsingSelf-Determination Theoryas an analytical framework,we identified program components that promoted participants’engagement by meeting their needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness.Our findings indicate specific strategies that urban agriculture programs can use to more effectively engage youth.