One of our brand new community service and adventure summer programs tailored specifically for middle school students, Seeds for Change takes us on a journey from seed to table. We meet in Chicago, but quickly point our wheels to the gorgeous coastline of southwest Michigan. Here we'll explore orchards, farms and markets, learning how our "chow" goes from seed to plant to seedling to market. We'll enjoy a sunset sail, kayak the Galien River, and kick back with a s'more and marvel at the stars in the sky, laughing all the while. Click Read More for further details.

Watch our Global Perspectives Video!

“In the long view, no nation is healthier than its children or more prosperous than its farmers." -Harry S. Truman

Ahhhh. Bite into any of Michigan’s just-picked fruits or vegetables and you’ll never want to buy from a grocery store again. The fun starts 90 minutes from Chicago, just around the curve of Lake Michigan. Here we find miles of soft sandy beaches where we can splash in waves, race down towering dunes, kayak rivers, bike the beautiful backroads, and sail the only tall ship in the Great Lakes.

Our educational adventure from seed to table begins in Chicago where we travel along the southwestern coastline to the neatly manicured landscape of the Michigan fruit belt. We lodge together among orchards and bike trails through meadows, streams, and farmland to get a lay of the land.

We begin by protecting and preserving the scenic beauty and heritage of the Bangor/South Haven Heritage Water Trail. This stunning canoe and kayak tributary encompassing 21 miles is full of ravines, wet meadow, and expansive Southern Mesic Forest. Get in the water or stay dry, it’s your choice as we navigate the river and join others using hand tools and bow saws to remove small obstacles and cut branches along the river trail clearing debris and leaving the river cleaner than we found it.

We move to the land and its sandy fertile soils for our next adventure. Making connections with a hip new generation of regional farmers throughout the area we see how green markets bring the heart of the country to the asphalt-paved urban jungle. We learn about stewardship, sustainability, and the connections between food, health, and the environment. In interactive learning experiences, we follow the “chow”, from planting the seeds to selling our produce at a local nighttime farmers market. At a pick-your-own farm which offers sun-ripened and rain-sweetened deliciousness we pick our own berries and make our own jam and gain an understanding of local agriculture and the importance of fresh, seasonal foods–for our bodies, the environment and our communities. We assist with the cleaning and harvesting and gain a better understanding of how delectable food can taste when it comes right from the source as we make our lunches fresh from the garden. After our mornings of work on the farm, we kayak the meandering rivers, enjoy beach time under skies filled with kite surfers, take a sunset sail, and delight in a traditional camp fire full of stories and laughter complete with s’mores.

When we’re done you’ll bring home some mouthwatering goodness to your family and friends while also planting the next seeds of change!

Settling In

Arrive in Chicago; transfer to Michigan; Orientation; prepare for the week

Our Work

Black river conservation work, farming

Our Play

Bike the Kal-Haven trail, Hikes at Warren Dunes National Park, Day Hikes, Kayak, Tall Ships

El Fin

Final banquet; Transfer back to Chicago; homeward bound

A Certificate of Service indicating the number of hours worked will be issued upon completion of the program.