A 6-week youth Learn & Earn summer job at Grow Pittsburgh
Grow Pittsburgh’s Urban Farmers in Training Program provides local teens with the opportunity to gain summer employment while learning about the value of growing and eating healthy food. Our program has four components that are woven throughout the summer experience:
Together we will…
Learn how to grow food
Every participant is intimately connected to the process of growing food from planting seeds, to garden maintenance, pest i.d. and harvesting. Teens leave with skills that can be applied to other farm projects, community gardens or backyard gardens.
Gain understanding of the food system
Throughout the program there will be a series of workshops and discussions to help teens understand the larger food system and the implications that they have on the health of the environment, the community and the individual.
Cooking
It is essential to make the connection between growing the food and actually preparing and eating the food. We focus on using seasonal produce from the farm to prepare easy and delicious meals with the youth.
Build leadership and public speaking skills
UFIT youth are consistently given authentic leadership and public speaking opportunities through working the farm stand, and presenting in the annual youth garden summit.
To apply:
- Apply to Learn & Earn through Partner 4 Work
- Choose Homewood Children’s Village as the organization where you wish to work
- Tell Homewood Children’s Village that you want to work at Grow Pittsburgh
2026 Program Dates:
Application Period: March 2nd-June 5th, 2026
First day of work: June 22
Garden Youth Summit: Jul 30
Last day of work: Aug 7
Work days/hours Tuesday– Friday
9:00am-3:00pm
Work site location:
Shiloh Farm: 7209 Thomas Blvd., 15206
Grow Pittsburgh: 6587 Hamilton Avenue #2W
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Compensation: $12/hour; 20 hours per week
FAQ
What happens on a typical day?
• Meet your Crew Leader at the designated farm site where we will meet the farm manager who will provide guidance for our hands-on farming tasks for the day. We will spend this time doing a variety of farm tasks such as harvesting, weeding, mulching, etc.
• you will be expected to bring a full water bottle each day. You are also expected to bring food for yourself most days, we will always have light snacks and depending on availability.
• Most afternoons will be the time for food system related activities, workshops, or presentations from an industry pro.
Daily Schedule
9:00-12:00pm hands on farm work
12:00-12:45pm Lunch
12:45-3pm Workshops, Guest Speaker presentation, cooking, etc.
Annual Garden Youth Summit
Every year gardening youth groups from around the city convene for a day of recognition and celebration. This is your opportunity to share what new farming skills you have gained over the six weeks of programming and to see what other gardening groups have been working on as well.
Who should apply?
The UFIT Learn & Earn summer job program is for highly dedicated individuals who are committed to social justice and equity, are eager to get their hands dirty and learn more about urban agriculture. UFIT is an immersive 6-week program for youth ages 16-18 from surrounding neighborhoods who are passionate about nature, community wellness, and learning about food systems.
About Grow Pittsburgh
Grow Pittsburgh develops and supports food-growing initiatives and programs across the region as a key way to improve the social, economic, environmental, health, and educational realities of people in our community. Our work can be summarized in three approaches:
- We teach people how to grow food through school garden curriculum, teacher trainings, workforce development for youth and adults, workshops, and other resources.
- We grow and distribute food for our community through our urban farm sites, providing affordable sustainably grown fresh fruits and vegetables at our farm stands and through donations to free food distributions.
- And we build and support gardens for schools, early childhood centers, and low-income communities throughout Allegheny County.