Youth gardening class deepens cultural roots in Cedar Rapids

A summer gardening and yoga class in Cedar Rapids is helping Black and biracial students connect with agricultural heritage and personal identity, according to The Gazette.

Now in its fifth year, the program is held at Buffalo United Methodist Church through a partnership between The Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success and the Empowered Solutions Collective, The Gazette reported. The curriculum combines growing culturally relevant vegetables like collard greens and okra with yoga and creative projects exploring family food stories, according to the report.

Tamara Marcus, an earth and environmental sciences Ph.D. and climate scientist who founded Empowered Solutions Collective, said the program offers students a vital sense of grounding. "There’s importance to having students connect with themselves," Marcus told The Gazette. "It gives you a sense of peace and power."

Marcus also noted in the feature that the classes aim to instill pride in traditional foods rather than just teaching basic horticulture. For Linn County families, the initiative provides a tangible link to food justice and community building.

Zara Smith, a 17-year-old senior at Linn-Mar High School who participated in the program, told The Gazette that the hands-on work shifted her perspective. "You wouldn’t think, with growing your food, how big of an impact it would have on your community," Smith said. Exact enrollment numbers and full scheduling details for the 2026 summer sessions have not been confirmed.