Transforming Rochester’s At-Risk Youth Through Green Visions

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Green Visions

A Workforce Development Program of Greentopia

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Green Visions: neighborhood-based workforce development.

Green Visions is a community-centered program based on a vision for a more vibrant and flourishing Rochester. It is a workforce development program in the City of Rochester’s Joseph Ave and JOSANA neighborhood. Our program installs and cultivate urban cut flower farms on vacant lots .

The flowers from these lots are harvested, arranged into stunning bouquets and then sold at the Rochester Public Market and Wegmans by the program participants. The profits from sales help to support the costs of the program and give the participants a real sense of running a small business.

Our gardens make vacant lots in the JOSANA neighborhood come alive with activity and positive energy. Our program recruits and empowers young and able resident young adults to be the agents of change in their community.

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What is Green Visions?

Green Visions is a neighborhood-based workforce development program designed to give at-risk youth meaningful work experience, support, and confidence in finding the next job and continuing their education while connecting them to their community and opportunities therein.

Green Visions values being a community-centered program based on a vision for a more vibrant and flourishing Rochester.

Who do We Serve?

Green Visions is based in and serves the youth of the JOSANA neighborhood, and, more recently, the Joseph Ave area in the city of Rochester.

JOSANA is one of the most economically disenfranchised in Rochester with a 61% poverty rate and a child poverty rate exceeding 80%.

Over 70% of Green Visions participants start the program without a high school diploma or equivalent degree.

Many of our participants are at-risk youth, high school dropouts, homeless, single parents, and more.

Green Visions seeks to give these youth more confidence in the workforce and to engage these youth in their community.

What We Provide

Certification trainings
- OSHA training
- EPA Lead Safety Course
- Introduction to Landscape Technician Training, delivered by Cornell Cooperative Collective
Financial Literacy Trainings
Resume Writing
Job Interviewing Skills Training
Soft Skills
- Teamwork and working with a group of peers
- Conflict resolution
A Paid Work Opportunity

In Their Words..

Testimonials

{When we went to Wegmans, and I saw my work on display, I was pretty proud of myself. And knowing that somebody’s gonna pay for it, it’s even better.

Jessica A.

Program Graduate

{There’s nothing better than looking back and seeing that all your hard work paid off.

Tamika D.

Program Graduate

{Green Visions made it good for us to have something positive for us to look forward to every day.

Y'Keshia H.

Program Graduate

{I didn’t have a job… But now, there’s jobs looking for me.

Jeremy D.

Site Manager and Program Graduate

{Since I’ve been in this program, it’s the longest I’ve gone since getting in trouble. My whole thought process has changed. More than anything, I’ve learned how to be a vital, positive part of the community.

DeMaun J.

Program Graduate

{At first, it sounded a little too good to be true. But in the end, it turned out to be more than I expected. We started from nothing. But as the garden grew, we grew.

Tiani J.

Former Assistant Director and Program Graduate

{When I get to work, I get a lot of negative things off my mind.

Anthony H.

Program Graduate

{When I found out I was graduating from High School, I even told Morgan and Tiani. I felt like they deserved to know because they pushed me there. They helped me get there.

Deynote S.

Program Graduate

{Everybody here, it makes you feel like you have friends that you can call your family.

Breanna M.

Program Graduate

{I've developed relationships, I’ve learned about teamwork, I’ve just learned so much.

Chelsea

Program Graduate