COMMUNITY DESIGN CENTER OF MINNESOTA

Community Design Center of Minnesota is a Saint Paul-based organization whose mission is to build vibrant and healthy communities through food, conservation and youth development. Our vision is to be a leader and innovator in using food, conservation and youth development programs so that youth and community members have opportunity for learning, leadership, service and career connections, engage with their community and environment, and learn about and access healthy food.

Each year we provide opportunities for children and youth to learn work, leadership, gardening, ecology and culinary skills. Participating youth:

~expand their knowledge of career opportunities ~increase their knowledge of the local environment ~ improve personal and community health ~develop an ethic of community service.

Each year, our cooking, gardening and conservation youth internship and education programs serve more than 1,700 low-income children, youth and families. Our Community Supported Agriculture program, farmer's market stands, garden and nature sanctuary tours, rain garden demonstrations and other community projects reach more than 1000 additional people annually.

Following are some quotes from program alumni who were inspired by their time in our programs:

My employment at the CDC has given me the opportunity to explore my personal interest in working with people. It was through the PEP cooking classes that I was able to recognize my passion for working with young students. The experience of working with people from all ages during my four years significantly influenced my decision to pursue a degree in Social Work.

The CDC internship made me become a strong leader; not a follower. It has made me do things that I had never thought I can achieve in life.

The CDC has inspired me to help my community, eat healthy, and choose a major within the environmental field. Through the CDC, I was able to create a resume and find jobs.

Thanks to the CDC staff I was able to get a job at the National Park Service for two years, where I learned a lot and was able to give back to the community.

My experience as an intern at the CDC has given me more confidence and expanded my appreciation for nature and the environment. I gained some of my best qualities from my experience from the CDC, such as public speaking, teamwork, and people skills.

I always planned to go to college but it was just sort of a plan. When I worked with CDC, the great staff there encouraged future education. My supervisor especially did this and so I kind of progressed toward seeing the real importance of college. It's not a place you go to learn and get more money, but a place where you go to create yourself and find out what you like to do.

My people skills were developed during my time in the CDC. It helped me become a much more confident speaker. Not just that, but it gave me a reason to be proud of something. I feel that I have accomplished a lot during my time with the CDC.

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