This week I spent a considerable portion of my time away from the Summer Arts Camp environment. Out for some professional development opportunities, this week was extremely different from the usual day to day operations at the Complex.

Ohio State University has an annual Buckeye Bus Tour of Ohio. Centered around providing a select group of a  students with the opportunity to understand and serve the neighboring cities of Ohio, this opportunity by chance had a major focus on food insecurity in North East Ohio. As a Cleveland native who is currently working on a food and gardening program for The King Arts Complex, this couldn’t have been a more special opportunity. Using my platform as a student, I spoke with professors and community members on the trip about possible resources they could provide to help make a community garden and food pantry possible at the Complex. To my surprise, there are many efforts to address food insecurity in Columbus that are interested in partnering with local nonprofits. Getting the opportunity to learn more about an area that is so close to home was nostalgic and will have a great impact on the work that I am doing at the King Arts Complex.

Even with the amazing opportunity I was provided with by the Buckeye Bus, I missed being with the kids at the summer camp. Although they fall a little short when it comes to using terms like 501c3 and assets, they offer a relentless energy that can’t be matched by any person over the age of 13. Next week I will be returning with new knowledge on how to start the proposal process for the Community Garden and will be teaching a poetry/rap workshop for the kids in the camp as they start finalizing pieces for the Final Production at the end of camp. Here are some farm pictures, a photo of me rocking a fashionable hairnet with a fellow Buckeye, and a photo with Brutus.