Youth Council Seeks Garden Team Apprentices for Farm to School Program

July 30th, 2010

The Sustainable Nantucket Youth Council got its start in the spring of 2008, with the help of a generous grant from the Nantucket Golf Club Foundation, and in the spring of 2009, they built a garden at Nantucket Elementary School.

Currently, Sustainable Nantucket is looking for 10 Nantucket Residents, age 12 to18 years, from every Island School, to become members of its Youth Council Garden Team whose first charge will be to apprentice with local landscapers and farmers to build a new garden at the Nantucket High School. This garden is a part of the Farm to School Program that Sustainable Nantucket and the NPS Food Services Dept. are working to put in place for the fall of 2010. Apprentices will be paid a stipend of $150.00 for their work on planning, building and completion of the Youth Council Garden.  Click here for Application.  Application deadline is Sept. 21st, 2010, so get started now!

This group of 10 apprentices and members of the Youth Council will start the planning stages for the garden as soon as possible. The apprentices will be part of the planning process and decision making from the very beginning, deciding on what to build, how to build it, its nutrient system and what to plant. This project will continue through the late fall/ early winter, requiring a commitment of roughly 2 to 4 hours a week.  Apprentices will also act as liaisons within their school, spreading the word about the Farm to School program, and helping to recruit for an after-school school Garden Club, which will take over the harvesting and garden upkeep once the building has been completed.  It is our hope that Youth Council Garden Team  members will also become part of the Garden Club as “Leaders and Founding Members.”

Contact Morgan Beryl for more information on becoming a part of the Youth Council Garden Team.

Click here for Application. Application deadline is Sept. 21st, 2010.

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Posted in 2010/2011 Projects, News, Uncategorized, Youth Council

Nantucket Golf Club Awards Grant to Sustainable Nantucket Youth Council

July 8th, 2010

Sustainable Nantucket’s Youth Council would like to extend our thanks to the Nantucket Golf Club for their recent grant to help fund our Youth Council’s ongoing “Top Up From the Tap!” Campaign.

We appreciate their generosity, and their grant which will help us continue our campaign. Begun in 2008, this campaign is designed to raise awareness and educate our community about the island’s superb water quality and includes:

  • Distributing information on the high quality of Nantucket’s town water supply, urging our residents and visitors to “Top Up from the Tap”.
  • Selling stainless steel, reusable containers at a discounted rate as an alternative to using and purchasing plastic bottles.
  • Performing advocacy aimed at providing alternatives to plastic water bottle consumption on-island.

We are grateful to for the Nantucket Golf Club’s ongoing and generous support for our Youth Council and the programs that benefit the children of our community.

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Posted in News, Top Up From the Tap, Youth Council

Youth Council Thanks Nantucket Atheneum

July 8th, 2010

The Youth Council would like to thank Maggie Sullivan and the Nantucket Atheneum for choosing Sustainable Nantucket’s Youth Council as the beneficiary of the fundraising aspect of their Summer Reading Program. Here at Sustainable Nantucket, where we have long focused our thoughts and efforts around the sustainability of this island,our sense of place, and what will keep us a thriving, vibrant community, we recognize the Nantucket Atheneum as a true island treasure: an anchor and a hub in our downtown, a multi-faceted community resource and an intellectual and cultural center. Where would we, as a community, be without the Atheneum? An historic gem of a library with a highly-regarded collection, the Atheneum also provides us all with thoughtful, lively and engaging programing for all ages. Their Summer Reading Program is just one example of the fine programs they continually provide for the youth of our community. The Atheneum is truly a community-minded nonprofit: collaborating frequently, and genertously sharing space and resources with other island nonprofits. We’d like to thank them very much for their support, and to take this opportunity to urge our fellow community members to become members of, and to support the Atheneum.

Funds raised by the Summer Reading Program will go toweards ongoing Youth Council projects:

  • The Top Up from the Tap Campaign aimed at reducing bottled water consumption and educating the community about the high queality of Nantucket’s drinking water.
  • Continued maintenance of the garden they installed for the 3rd grade class at the Nantucket Elementary School.
  • Construction of a second garden at the High School as part of the community’s growing Farm to School Initiative.

Again, we’d like to thank the Nantucket Atheneum for their generosity and support, and for choosing the Youth Council as the beneficiary of their “Going Green” Summer Reading Program in 2010.

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Posted in News, Youth Council

Enter Our Raffle!

July 2nd, 2010

Have you ever won a raffle? If you have, then you know how much fun it is to get that call informing you that you are the lucky winner. If Lady Luck hasn’t smiled on you yet, well then here’s your chance!

In 2010 we will be holding raffles throughout the Farmers & Artisans Market season. To enter, all you have to do is purchase any NFAM or Youth Council product or donate to our annual fund and you will be entered to win one of the fabulous prizes listed below. For more information, contact us or stop by the Sustainable Nantucket table at the Nantucket Farmers and Artisans market.

The drawing schedule is as follows:

June 26 – Dessert for Two at 21 Federal – Winner of this prize was Hilary Newell! Congrats Hilary!

July 17 – 2 Summer Soiree (drinks, dessert, dancing) tickets for the July 24th  Sustainable Nantucket Farm Fresh Feast & Summer Soiree

August 7 – (National Farmers Markets Week) – Family Value Ticket to the Boston Pops on Nantucket

August 28 – 2 Tickets to Maria Mitchell Association

September 18 – 2 Tickets for the Whaling Museum

October 9 – $15.00 Gift Certificate to Bookworks

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Posted in Farmers & Artisans Market, NFAM Annoucements, Youth Council

2010/2011 Projects

June 15th, 2010
  • Continuing to spread the word to reduce plastic bottled water use on Nantucket with our Top Up from the Tap! Campaign.
  • SN Youth Council is committed to helping  maintain the Nantucket Elementary School Garden -which they built under the leadership of adult mentor and SNYC volunteer, Chris Getoor in 2009.
  • Assist with construction of a second community garden at Nantucket High School.
  •  Providing opportunities to increase parent involvement within the school system – our Youth Council will help with the development of the Farm to School Initative.
  • Reduce the energy output for the school system through a composting program – SN Youth Council will to help facilitate a program in conjunction with the two gardens – the one already existing at the elementary school and the one we will help build at the High School.

working in the garden Garden Tomatoes Installing New Gardens

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Posted in 2010/2011 Projects

Sustainable Nantucket Youth Council

June 14th, 2010

Sustainable Nantucket created it’s Youth Council Program in 2008 for the purpose of helping the island’s youth to become leaders in implementing sustainable practices in our community. SNYC members were instrumental in the conception, planning and installation of the garden at the Nantucket Elementary School, are currently raising awareness through their “Top Up from the Tap” Campaign of the essentially excellent water quality on Nantucket, and the environmental impact of bottled water consumption, and helping to develop a Farm to School program in conjunction with the Food Service Department at NPS and Nantucket High School.

In 2009, SNYC members completed a research project focused on water quality testing on Nantucket, and the comparison of Nantucket water with bottled water. The results will soon be available to the public in the form of an informational brochure. SNYC members educate the community on the high quality of Nantucket’s water, the environmental impact of bottled water, and encourage the use of reusable water bottles such as Klean Kanteens, the stainless steel water bottles that they sell to help raise funds for ongoing projects.

SNYC members, with help and support from community volunteers and businesses, installed a community garden at the Nantucket Elementary School in 2009. The garden has become a part of the NES 3rd grade curriculum, and during the school year the school utilizes produce harvested from the garden. In the summer months, produce harvested from the garden is sold at the Nantucket Farmers and Artisans Market to help raise additional funds for the SNYC program.

SNYC welcomes new members on an ongoing basis. All children from the 3rd grade through high school are encouraged to participate, whether they are on Nantucket year round or seasonally.

To join, contact us.

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Posted in Objectives, Youth Council

Top Up from the Tap!

June 13th, 2010

Clean Water Nantucket

In 2008 the Sustainable Nantucket Youth Council began a “Top Up from the Tap!” Campaign — raising awareness and educating our community about the island’s superb water quality; and performing advocacy aimed at providing alternatives to plastic water bottle consumption on-island.

In 2010, as part of Top Up from the Tap! the SNYC will be:

  • Working with the NNS Science dept to test and collect data on the most popular water bottle brands to determine water quality and show comparison of bottled water vs. island Town water. Outcomes to be publicized as part of the education and outreach effort.
  • Improving public access… the SNYC  will follow up with Stop N Shop and Grand Union representatives regarding their proposal to install water vending machines at the two supermarkets on island. They will follow up with Wannacomet regarding their request to winterize the public fountain on Milestone Road.
  • Selling (at a discounted rate) Klean Kanteens (stainless steel, reusable, and recycled containers) as an alternative to using and purchasing plastic bottles.
  • Distributing an information packet of facts and statistics pertaining to Nantucket’s water supply and bottled water quality.

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Posted in Campaigns, Top Up From the Tap, Youth Council

Youth Council Year-in-Review

June 9th, 2010

In 2009, SNYC members completed a research project focused on water quality testing on Nantucket, and the comparison of Nantucket water with bottled water. The results will soon be available to the public in the form of an informational brochure. SNYC members educate the community on the high quality of Nantucket’s water, the environmental impact of bottled water, and encourage the use of reusable water bottles such as Klean Kanteens, the stainless steel water bottles that they sell to help raise funds for ongoing projects.

SNYC members, with help and support from community volunteers and businesses, installed a community garden at the Nantucket Elementary School in 2009. The garden has become a part of the NES 3rd grade curriculum, and during the school year the school utilizes produce harvested from the garden. In the summer months, produce harvested from the garden is sold at the Nantucket Farmers and Artisans Market to help raise additional funds for the SNYC program.

SNYC welcomes new members on an ongoing basis. All children from the 3rd grade through high school are encouraged to participate, whether they are on Nantucket year round or seasonally.

To join, contact us.

Posted in Youth Council