Boys and Girls Club of Greater New Bedford

Address: 166 Jenney Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
US

Telephone: (508)992-8011
Email: ccmillett@comcast.net
Website: http://www.bgcnewbedford.org/

Culture Club is a youth garden club located at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater New Bedford and sponsored by the Bristol County Sheriffs Office. The idea of the Culture Club is to offer interested children from the club an opportunity to be involved in a positive environment that promotes peace. The Culture Club worked on a "peace garden" project last year. We designed and created a garden outside the club. Once a week the club coordinator and the children would take part in following through with the vision of completing the project located at the north entrance of the club. In the Fall of 2005 the club members planted daffodils in the shape of a huge peace sign. In the spring the coordinator and the children worked hard to finish the garden site before school was out for the summer.

The Culture Club is about promoting health and nutrition as well as physical activity that is associated with planting and gardening. Beginning in 2006 the coordinator began using a curriculum offered through Junior Master Gardner. This program offers horticultural and environmental science education and leadership and life skills development through fun and creative activities. The JMG program is committed to helping young people become good gardeners and good citizens so they can make a positive contribution to their community family and school.

Some other topics that Peace Works will cover with the Culture Club are cooking, sustaining food resources, and cultural awareness and conflict resolutions. By teaching youth about wellness, teamwork and conservation we hope to empower youth to take charge of their own health, life and the environment.

Last Spring or garden had a major transformation turning it into the intergrated urban space it is today. We have an above ground cooking space, a trellis, a shed and picnic tables for crafts, learning and meetings for the community.

Colleen Millett