GARDEN OF LOVE — Students between the ages of 10 and 18 are taking part in caring for a garden belonging to the Sycamore Youth Center. The Sycamore Gardening Camp allows students to tend to the garden every Friday during the summer. The finished produce will be used by the center for its after-school program. -- Contributed

STEUBENVILLE — Every Friday morning during this summer, a group of dedicated young gardeners gather at the Sycamore Gardening Camp between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. They become involved in a hands-on program that teaches how to plant, nurture and harvest fresh produce. And it is all for the sake of others.

Led by Zanea Sammut, with support from her husband, Aidan, the camp is making a transformation. Not only are students transforming the garden’s soil, but they are transforming their hearts.

Children ages 10 through 18 are learning the value of hard work, stewardship and community service, according to Sycamore Executive Director Bobbyjon Bauman. The produce they are growing will be used to help provide meals for children participating in the Sycamore Youth Center’s fall after-school programs. The produce grown through this initiative will be used in the center’s fall cooking classes, offering hands-on learning opportunities for local youth.

“Our goal is to feed both the body and soul,” Bauman said. “I am absolutely thrilled with how the garden has turned out. It’s a living example of what happens when young people are empowered to make a difference.”

The garden itself is located directly behind the Aim Women’s Center, just across from the Sycamore Center. All of the planting, weeding and tending, is being done by the students in the gardening camp.

Rebekah Cohen Morris, executive director of the Aim Center, shared her excitement about the project.

“I’m blown away by the transformation,” she stated. “These children have not only brightened up our space, but they’ve created something truly life-giving and beautiful for the entire community.”

The Sycamore Gardening Camp is part of the center’s larger mission to equip students with life skills, character development and a sense of responsibility, while giving them tangible ways to serve their neighbors. With each seed planted and every weed pulled, these young gardeners are learning that growth takes time, effort and care — not only in the garden, but in life.

Steubenville High School’s STEM Academy Agricultural Program is helping to sow the seeds of education, collaboration and sustainability, through a new partnership with Sycamore.

“This partnership is a wonderful example of what can happen when education and community engagement come together,” Bauman said. “We’re thrilled to be working with Steubenville City Schools to help students gain real-world skills and promote healthy living.”

Special thanks were given to Natalie Campana of the SHS Career and Technical Education Department, and Mason Lucas Campana, who delivered the vegetable plants to the center. Their efforts mark another step forward in a growing relationship between the school district and community-based youth programs.