Andrew Franklin, Youth Leadership Grant Recipient

Andrew Franklin, 2008-2009 Grant Recipient
Glenelg Country School, Maryland

Baltimore Station Greenhouse

Andrew Franklin is a 16-year-old, 11th grade student at the Congressional Page School here in Washington DC. This semester he has been working for the 111th Congress as a page in the United States House of Representatives Page Program. Upon returning to Glenelg Country School for the spring semester, he will fulfill his duties as Treasurer of the Student Council, President of the Community Service Club, and President of the Mock Trial Team. He participated in last year’s musical, “Into the Woods,” and plans to participate in this year’s production of “Urinetown.” Andrew is also a member of the men’s choral ensemble. He enjoys playing baseball for the high school varsity team, as well as outside of school for the Howard County Raiders metro team. He would like to especially thank Mr. David Weeks and Ms. Marianne T. Green for their unabated support and guidance in his enterprises. And lastly, he would like to thank his family for being the foundation and inspiration for his success in every endeavor.

Project Summary

The Baltimore Station is a homeless shelter and recovery/rehabilitation center for former drug addicts. The two goals of the Baltimore Station project are the construction of a sustainable rooftop greenhouse and a garden in a vacant lot near the homeless shelter. The greenhouse will serve as both an urban agricultural center to grow an assortment of fruits and vegetables and as an educational center for the immediate community: the center itself, the neighborhood and the local school. Maintenance of the garden and greenhouse will primarily be the responsibility of the men of the Baltimore Station.

Andrew L. Franklin will arrange the initial project startup as project manager and David Weeks will act as his faculty advisor on this project. Partnership arrangements will be made with the following organizations: The Baltimore Station, Glenelg Country School, Baltimore City Master Gardener’s Club, The Goldseeker Foundation and the Parks and People.

A micro-grant of $1,000 will be used for the initial funding of this project. The final estimated cost of this rooftop garden will be approximately $15,000.00. Additional funds will be needed to establish the garden in the vacant lot near the Baltimore Station homeless shelter.

Fundraising activities will include proposal writing to foundations and collaboration on fundraising events with the local neighborhood and school.

Due to the extent of the construction and material costs for the building of the green house and the establishment of the community garden, matching grant opportunities will also be sought.

Project Update

Watch this video of the 2009 Youth Leadership Grant recipients, including Andrew!