Jumping Into New Territory!
Hello fellow gardeners and nature connoisseurs!
I am very excited to share with you an internship opportunity I have been given to help me develop some very important marketable skills that will help me throughout my schooling and when I get my first “real” job. I am in charge of designing a green space for a home owner in Raleigh!
The Victory Garden Network is an organization devoted to assisting students in learning the soft skills they need to be successful in the workplace! With guidance from my mentor, I will lead a team of recruited volunteers to install a garden in a local family's yard to develop these skills. Through marketing, fundraising, and coordinating of this project, I hope to acquire skills of communication, project management, and leadership.
I already started thinking about the location of the family, layout of the garden, and how many volunteers are needed. I have been searching Pinterest for creative garden ideas- and I was certainly not disappointed. I would like to feature a creative activity in the installation- whether it be through garden markers, a raised bed, flat rocks, or a small trellis. The goal of this project is to create a simple, accessible, and efficient garden for a family to grow their own food. In today’s society, many people have stopped growing their own vegetables and fruits. It’s time to show the world how exciting having a sustainable garden can be! Pictured below is a creative idea I found interesting that I hope to include in the Victory Garden installation.
I also created a Website Profile to introduce myself. I am hoping to have the application for interested families sent out within the month, so I can sit down and interview them individually to find the perfect fit for a sustainable project.
My goal is to share with your through my blog posts, my development and growth. This is the first of many reflection pieces planned awaiting my Victory Garden installation on Saturday, April 1st, 2017.
I am estimating my design will cost about $500 to implement which includes, compost, topsoil and delivery . And this week I'm aiming to raise $100 to start the campaign off with a bang! Not only can you donate to this cause, but you can recommend a plant for us to grow in the garden for the month of April. Please post in the comments which vegetables you'd like for us to include in the garden!
Here’s to helping me start off with a bang! Check out my fundraising page: gofundme/oliviavg
I appreciate all your continued support and encouragement throughout my Victory Garden journey!
Olivia Chadwick
VG Intern
NC State University ‘17
