The PAL KCK’s beautiful and bountiful garden has helped to transform a crime-ridden area of downtown Kansas City Kansas into an outdoor learning lab for kids in the urban core.
We expanded our program into a “Growing & Cooking for Good” initiative that not only impacts the hundreds of disadvantaged kids we serve each week, but equips them with skills and resources to serve the community for years to come.
How the PAL KCK is teaching kids delayed gratification
Kids in the PAL KCK Garden program learn all facets of planting, growing and harvesting foods and plants. Most importantly, they work alongside mentors (often KCKPD police officers) that spend time helping them understand the value of hard work. Together, they realize that good things come to those who wait!
In today’s fast-paced world, PAL KCK programs give kids a chance to disconnect from negative influences and create new connections with mentors, police officers, and fellow students of different ages, schools and backgrounds. As they care for plants, chickens and bees in the garden, PAL KCK students build a sense of accomplishment from their hard work.
Young kids learn old-world cooking techniques
Middle-school and high-school aged kids at the PAL KCK can immerse themselves in our Healthy Cooking program, where they learn how to preserve and prepare foods that they’re growing in the PAL KCK garden.
Here, kids preserve meats from our smokehouse and learn to can fruits and vegetables from the garden. Often using old-world techniques, PAL KCK instructors stress economical methods of food storage and preparation, and design simple recipes that kids can prepare at home.
Kids get a taste of service in action at the PAL KCK
Produce from the PAL KCK garden is often served at our weekly Community Dinners, where volunteers prepare and serve nutritious meals to 100+ kids twice a week. Kids in our PAL KCK community service program (a requirement for kids who want to enter our Driver’s Education program) help prepare, serve and clean up these dinners alongside mentors, police officers and corporate & civic volunteers.
