​As an advocacy program at City

Schoolyard Garden, the

Charlottesville Food Justice Network

cultivates grassroots leadership

among our youth in city schools

and residents across Charlottesville

neighborhoods.

We believe that building a pipeline for leadership to show up at the decision making table ready to invest their power and wisdom towards systemic change must be diverse and inter-generational.

Why diverse and intergenerational?
Systemic inequity in our food system, is not only about historical wrongdoings but also about traditions which have been passed down through generations. So undoing these inequities means that we must start thinking about our future leaders today, while cultivating the skills and capacity of those that have knowledge and direct experience of the past. We've found that working across generational lines, simultaneously builds a deeper understanding of systemic injustice while cultivating new traditions honoring voice, power, and decision-making among our multicultural grassroots leadership group.

How do we do this?
During the summer, City Schoolyard Garden runs an 8 week youth food justice unit in collaboration with Charlottesville Food Justice Network's 12 week Community Food Justice Advocate Program. This past summer 7 youth interns and 4 community advocates worked alongside one another.

Local Food Justice

​Youth & Resident Leaders 

Meet the youth, residents, and staff supporting food justice leadership in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Shantell Bingham
Works at City Schoolyard Garden as the Program Director of the Charlottesville Food Justice Network. Alongside Tamara Wright, Shantell worked to envision the Community Food Justice Advocates program as a way to develop grassroots power and leadership.

Community Food Justice Advocates

Tamara Wright
A mother of 4, entrepreneur, and powerful housing and food advocate, Tamara is the co-board chair of the Urban Agriculture Collective of Charlottesville and a key resident lending voice and vision to the redevelopment of Friendship Court. Tami's formal advocacy training started out at the Public Housing Association of Residents Internship Program, but her informal training started out with advocating for her children in Charlottesville City Schools.

Food Justice Interns

* Please note, one awesome intern is not pictured on our website.