(Reshaping Outreach Opportunities Through Self-Discovery)
An Exploration Experience for Urban Youth

Urban ROOTS Application

Urban ROOTS is a transformative program created through a collaboration between the Franklin County Board ofbuckeye, leaf, and roots Commissioners, The Ohio State University, the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), OSU Extension in Franklin County, and local community partners.

This initiative offers eighth-grade and high school students from the urban core of Franklin County hands-on, immersive learning experiences. Focused on food, agriculture, the environment, and realted technologies in their lives, Urban ROOTS nurtures young leaders equipped to tackle tomorrow's challenges.

Thanks to recent Nationwide funding, the program's reach is expanding statewide, creating opportunities to engage more of Ohio's youth in both classroom and field experinces. The program helps to bridge the rural-urban divide, offering educational pathways that connect communities while highlighting for students that agriculture is for everyone, no matter where they live. From animal sciences to agricultural communication, from food science to precision agriculture, Urban ROOTS introduces students to diverse career possibilities within the agricultural sector.

The experiential program includes:

  • Year-round campus and community educational programs
  • Neighborhood-based youth and family engagement
  • Open house visits to connect the university and community
  • Bus tours to events, such as the Franklin County Fair and Farm Science Review
  • Five-day, four-night residential summer camp on campus for 40 youth selected based on their program participation

Priority for this program is given to students from the Columbus, Whitehall, South-Western, and Reynoldsburg school districts.

Collaborative

  • The dynamic curriculum includes a series of interactive guides, experiences, and resources for youth, families, educators, community leaders, and volunteers.

Innovative

  • Continual innovation will come through the guidance of youth, the emergence of new opportunities, and program evaluation.

Trusted

  • OSU Extension demonstrates best practices with youth safety, respectful community engagement, and dynamic camp operations.

For more information, please contact email urbanroots@osu.edu.