Engaged Opportunity Grants
Hortus Forum’s New Leaf
Expanding a student horticulture club’s reach by providing low-income families with vegetable plants and engaging the public about growing food.
Hortus Forum is a longstanding Cornell club dedicated to cultivating a positive social community that fosters a passion for plants and teaching the value of horticulture. To increase the reach and positive impact of the club, members work with faculty to grow vegetable plants that are ultimately used to teach community members about growing food. At a daylong event with the Geneva Community Gardens, students give low-income families the transplants, providing written instructions so inexperienced gardeners can learn to grow food on their own. While the students learn how to engage ethically and sensitively with community members, participating families takes a step toward food security and food justice.
Grant category: Student Leadership
Topics: Access, Equity and Justice; Food and Agriculture
The Team
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Hauk Boyes ’18
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
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Sarah Hetrick ’18
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
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Jonathan Price ’19
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
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Elsa de Becker ’18
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
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Myles Collinson ’18
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
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Patricia Chan ’19
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
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Marcia Eames-Sheavly, School of Integrative Plant Science - Horticulture Section
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
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Neil Mattson, School of Integrative Plant Science – Horticulture Section
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Community partner: Geneva Community Gardens
Engaged Opportunity Grants
Supporting a wide range of community-engaged learning projects, from student leadership programs and partnership building to events and conference travel. Open to all faculty and staff.