Growing Leaders provides paid work to a small group of Berkeley Technology Academy students each school year. Student interns gain job readiness skills through their work in the garden, kitchen, and at the BTA Food Pantry. 

Program participants are responsible for developing and recipe testing the food products they sell, and business decisions are made as a team. Many of the products feature produce from the Willard garden. 

Of the 100+ pounds of produce harvested from the garden each month, the majority is distributed to the South Berkeley community at the student-run BTA Food Pantry.

As a part of the internship program, students also enroll in a community public health course, where they cover topics such as food justice and nutrition. 


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