The Green Heart Beet: 6 weeks complete ✅

Peas out Summer Youth Internship Program 2025 ✌️💚

As the sun sets on our sixth summer of the Youth Internship Program (YIP), we want to take a moment to reflect and celebrate the 2025 YIP crew and all that they have accomplished this summer . On June 9th, we welcomed six youth interns from different high schools across Charleston, each bringing their unique perspectives, talents, and energy to the program. Together, they formed a tight-knit team rooted in curiosity, compassion, and community impact.

A few of the biggest milestones this summer?

This team dove all in on our weekly Farm Stand and took full ownership of its operation. From setting up and prepping produce to making produce deliveries and engaging with community members, they’ve learned what it takes to run the market all while enjoying their time doing it. In fact, many interns have noted that it has been their favorite part of the summer!

On the ground, our interns made lasting impacts across Charleston gardens. From extending the walkway at the Urban Farm at Enston Home, to cleaning and revitalizing school gardens at Burke High School, Memminger Elementary, Sanders-Clyde Elementary and Mitchell Elementary, they’ve been busy (and hot) bees 🐝.

The summer was also filled with flavorful field trips and delicious lessons. Our interns joined Earth Heart Growers and Chef Reggie Miller at the Joseph Fields Farm for a garden-to-table cooking experience. Garden Educators Amy and Lily led engaging sustainable agriculture and culinary lessons throughout the summer, and Gloria Moore from Gladys Country Canning guided a hands-on canning session, teaching preservation skills that are as practical as they are fun.

Local restaurant partners added even more flavor to our days: Basic Kitchen and Taco Boy welcomed our interns for celebratory lunches, while Chef Alex Eaton from Estadio brought the restaurant experience to us with an in-house cooking session.

We were also joined by other engaging guests, including a yoga session with Zach Pritchet, who inspired our interns and connected their own knowledge and skills to core program focus areas like health and wellness, leadership, career preparedness and more.

And tomorrow, to mark the last day of the program, our interns will celebrate with a kayak adventure—send good vibes for great weather!

A Moment of Green Heart Gratitude

To our interns: thank you for your energy, curiosity, and dedication. You’ve not only grown our gardens, but also deep roots in our community and will forever be a part of the Green Heart team. We can’t wait to see what you’ll do next!

To our community partners, supporters and Green Heart year-round staff: Thank you for helping to make this summer so successful. From hands-on workshops to warm meals, every act of support helped to challenge, grow and celebrate our interns and for that we are so immensely grateful.