INDIANAPOLIS, IN – IndyGo is partnering with Youth Power Indiana and providing bus rides to seventh graders for the opportunity to learn about urban sustainable farming. Forty students and parents will take IndyGo buses from Indianapolis Public School to Indy Urban Acres Farm. Indy Urban Acres is “an 8-acre organic farm that donates 100% of the fresh fruits and vegetables harvested to local food pantries through a partnership with Gleaners Food Bank. Since 2011, Indy Urban Acres has grown into a multi-disciplinary farm that provides food equality for low-income families, educates thousands of youth through tours and farm-to-plate workshops, provides community engagement to hundreds of volunteers and groups, teaches valuable job skills, and helps improve Indy’s food system.”
The students will be taught the importance of healthy sustainable food production and its impact on nutrition and climate change. “This is a program partnering with IndyGo to acquire day passes to take kids to witness sustainability successes in Indianapolis. Students will take mass transit to these destinations to enforce the idea of stewardship and carbon emission reduction, while introducing young people to potential career paths. Indianapolis students are learning to take the bus at a young age to help build self-reliance skills,” stated the Director of Youth Power Indiana, Jim Poyser.
More than 200 students have had educational opportunities by taking the bus to the Southeast Community Services Center, Harrison Center for the Arts, Nature Conservancy’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certified building, Paramount School of Excellence, and the Eskenazi Health, thanks to IndyGo. This is one of many partnership opportunities where IndyGo is fortunate enough to contribute.