*Media Release July 22, 2009 Contact Person: Jim Embry *
*Miranda Hileman*, a recent graduate of Berea College in Kentucky, was awarded one of 10 prestigious Compton Mentor Fellowship awards which allows her to implement a self-directed project and contribute her talents and energy to real-world situations. Her fellowship proposal entitled, “Grow Lexington! Nurturing Young Minds on Common Ground for a Greener Tomorrow,” focuses on providing food security for low-income residents of Lexington,KY. She will lend both hands in enhancing the existing community gardens, and supporting the development of school gardens and educational programs in and around the city. Jim Embry of Sustainable Communities Network(www.sustainlex.org) and Central KY Council for Peace and Justice will serve as her mentor and will provide guidance, encouragement and impetus for continued learning and service. *Compton Foundation:* The Compton Foundation annually sponsors ten Compton Mentor Fellowships; the program is based on the belief that life-changing experiences occur when formal learning becomes transformed by action. They believe that complementary learning, creativity and a serious commitment helps one see and appreciate the entire world through different eyes and a broadened perspective. The Fellows create their proposals alongside Mentors and through the self-directed nature, the Fellowship is meant to deepen and enrich knowledge, and guide Fellows to apply new understanding of themselves and the world in original ways. More information is accessible at http://www.comptonmentorfellowship.org *Miranda Hileman, 2009 Compton Mentor Fellow Statement:* I’m Miranda Hileman, 2009 Compton Mentor Fellow, and have just arrived in Lexington. I am ready to get my hands dirty and grow some food! Since graduating from Berea College in May with a degree in Sustainable Agriculture, I have been fortunate enough to work in partnership with Jim Embry, founder and director of Sustainable Communities Network. We are responsible for creating and sustaining community and school gardens all over the city! I chose Jim as my mentor for this fellowship because of his passion for creating a sustainable community and because he focuses on food production and consumption. We share the conviction to educate people about the sources of their food and share the joy of growing and eating our own food. I want to learn all that Jim has to teach about channeling my passion for food into continuous service to this community. My fellowship proposal entitled, “Grow Lexington! Nurturing Young Minds on Common Ground for a Greener Tomorrow,” focuses on providing food security for low-income residents of Lexington. I hope to provide a hand in enhancing the existing community gardens, and supporting the development of school gardens and educational programs in and around the city. I believe that food security is a basic human right. I want all people to have access to affordable, fresh food and to be able to take part in food production. Improving the local food system of a community is one way to increase the resilience of the city to some of the environmental and economic pressures headed our way. I hope to support, encourage and put forth the extra help necessary to initiate a school or community garden and actually break ground. Through working in the schools with teachers, I hope that we can reach the children of Lexington, teach them about the importance of good food grown in a local economy and ultimately educate students to allow them to make just, sustainable choices in their lives and their communities. The programs and materials developed will be useful to all who follow, in Lexington or the broader world. I hope to bring vitality to the community of Lexington through food and fellowship. www.aceweekly.com Love and hugs > > Jim Embry > > > 859-312-7024 > > Sustainable > Communities Network www.Sustainlex.org > > "Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I > can hear her breathing." ~Arundhati Roy > > "Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable ... It comes only > through the tireless efforts and passionate concern of dedicated individuals > ... This is no time for apathy nor complacency. This is a time for vigorous > and positive action."~— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. > > -- Jim Embry 859-312-7024 Sustainable Communities Network www.Sustainlex.org "Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing." ~Arundhati Roy "Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable ... It comes only through the tireless efforts and passionate concern of dedicated individuals ... This is no time for apathy nor complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action."~— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20090722/0b0aa305/attachment.html> _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. 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