Join us in celebrating Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project’s 2nd Annual Silent Reading Benefit Party, hosted by world renown MC & Poet, Ms. Ryan Nicole! PLUS!! Meet our New York Times best selling guest author, Justina Ireland!
Bring your favorite book to the gorgeous Lake Merritt Sailboat House (568 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland) the evening of Saturday, November 16th, from 6pm – 8pm.
Drink wine & spirits, eat delicious locally-sourced food. Bid on goodies, provided by local business and partners, at our Silent Auction! Support the work of Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project and meet our other special guests and ANV’s Victory V. Lee Award for Excellence awardees!
Early Bird tickets are on sale until October 7. Limited amount available so be sure to get yours ASAP!
From the desk of our Camp Manager, Miss Nataly ortiz:
During Session One of Camp ANV 2019, campers enjoyed art classes, photography, and were empowered through farming, cooking, and fun & educational field trips! A special thank you to Revolution Foods, who paid us a visit with their Mobile Kitchen showing us more examples of what healthy eating can look like in our community!
Campers experienced a weekend camping at Lake Del Valle, where they helped with meal prep, cooking, enjoyed boat rides around the lake and ended their nights with an appreciation circle and s’mores.
We’re the Kings & Queens of the WORLD!!
At the end of Session 1, campers showcased their mural project, read an original poem written by our Leaders In Training (LIT’s) called “They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds” along with a dance choreographed by Mr. Byb Chanel from The Congo that ended with families dancing with their children! Can’t forget the delicious food campers made!
During Session Two, elementary-level campers had so much fun singing and dancing to the sounds of Reggaeton music!
We Should Be DANCIN’ YEAH!!
Reggaeton is influenced by Hip Hop, Latin American and Caribbean music. Campers learned new moves, spanish words, they practiced for their showcase and could not get enough of their dance instructor Ms. Geneva Demmitt . Ms. Geneva started her class with meditation and closed with meditation as well.
In cooking class with Ms. Sanela, campers got to make pizza, burgers, chicken skewers and fresh salads with ingredients they harvested from our garden. In art class campers were introduce to working with pastels, water color, stencil making and spray painting.
Each week, our LIT group watched different documentaries that would talk about the effects of the contaminated water in Flint Michigan, or the poor air quality here in East Oakland.
They would then cut out stencils related to the theme of the week. LIT’s worked at our farm at the Oakland A’s Stadium as well as WOW Farm and harvested fruit to bring back to share with the younger campers. In their Leadership Development Club, LIT’s were able to take the lead in coming up with our breakfast, lunch and dinner menus as well as activities for our Session 2 camping trip.
Along with planning and leading our Last Day of Summer Program “Team Challenge Day”. LIT’s planned and executed this funtastic day for all of Camp ANV! There were 7 stations where campers were challenged to work as a team. At the end campers turned in their Camp Passports to enter a raffle to get a chance to pie a staff!
Thank you staff that were willing to be pied! Campers had so much fun and Thank You to the LIT’s for taking the lead in this event. LIT’s were able to take a tour of 106.1 KMEL and OAKSTOP.
For CO-Op/ East Oakland rising week campers took a trip to OAKSTOP where they met lawyers, engineers, and other professionals that reflect the communities they come from. In the end, they worked with Aya on a grocery store design project.
Campers had a lot of fun camping in the Presidio in San Francisco! Campers and their families did some bird watching, searched for bugs with magnifying glasses, played games, cooked breakfast and dinner and performed funny and scary skits at night during S’mores time at campfire!
Take a look for yourself at the pictures below!
Many thanks to our funders, partners and sponsors! Together, we create more smiles in East Oakland!
The Oakland Athletics is a “Grow Your Imagination” Garden Delight Sponsor!
This week the Atlantic and Allstate announced the winners of the fourth annual Renewal Awards Wednesday at an event in New York City! This annual event recognizes non-profit organizations that are stepping in to play a vital role in building healthy, sustainable, and equitable communities. Five winners from across the country were carefully selected from a pool of over 9,300 hundred candidates and Acta Non Verba was one of them! ANV’s Founder & Executive Director, Kelly Carlisle, and Office Manager & Program Coordinator, Ayano Jeffers-Fabro, travelled to New York City this week to receive one of five Renewal Awards AND the Youth Empowerment Award for 2019! Watch the full video below.
The original prize was $20,000, but as a surprise to the winners, each of the organizations will receive $40,000 over two years to support their work. The winning organizations come from all corners of the country. They are: Adelante Mujeres, Forest Grove, Oregon; The Compton Initiative, Compton, California; New Moms, Chicago; Welcoming the Stranger, Langhorne, Pennsylvania; and Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project, Oakland, California, which was the Allstate Youth Empowerment Award winner. Read more about these brilliant awardees.
Kelly and Ayano spent a few days in New York City for the Renewal Awards celebration. The festivities kicked off with a phenomenal dinner at Ai Fiori, a Michelin Star recognized restaurant. There, they met with other awardees, past awardees and the Renewal Project Team — where they were officially inducted into the Renewal family. After the dinner, awardees gathered on the rooftop of the Ink48 Hotel to see one of the best views in NYC — soaking in the brilliance of the lights and bustling activities of the city. At the awards ceremony the next day, Kelly sat on a panel alongside fellow awardees to showcase ANV’s work.
Acta Non Verba would like to thank all of those who attended and supported this event! Here are some highlights from “Grow Your Imagination” A Silent Reading Party Benefit for Acta Non Verba!
Photos Courtesy of Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project | All Right Reserved
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Our After-School Program (ASP) made their first store delivery to Mandela Foods Cooperative Grocery Store, last week! Youth members participating in ASP pick fresh pineapple-guavas from our WOW Farm site. We walked them across the street and down the road from the farm, to our neighbors at Mandela Foods. There, we were warmly greeted by the coop workers’ and customers. What a great way to kick off this partnership!
Stop by Mandela Foods (1430 7th St, Oakland, CA 94607), get you some hand-picked pineapple guavas, and support your local coop today! ?????????
On August 29th, Acta Non Verba teamed up with the Golden State Warriors to revitailze the garden at Brookdale Park! Check out some before and after photos below!
Photos by: The Golden State Warriors and Acta Non Verba. All Rights Reserved.
Photos by Pete Rosos, Planet Bee Foundation and Camp ANV Staff | All Rights Reserved
One of the best parts of Camp ANV is all of the things we learn about and on our farms! This summer we worked at ANV’s Tassafaronga Farm and A’s Farm. Mr. Aaron and Mr. Peter taught us all about the importance of growing our own food and how to do it! Not only did we learn how to plan, plant and harvest food, we also learned how to dry and dehydrate herbs, pickle veggies and other ways to transform fruits and vegetables in our farming & cooking classes. We were also visited by the Planet Bee Foundation for a lesson on bees and Mr. Josh who taught us how to survey insects on the farm!
Photos by Pete Rosos, Planet Bee Foundation and Camp ANV Staff | All Rights Reserved
Every day at Camp ANV, we make our own lunches and snacks during our cooking classes! This summer, Ms. Aya, our Farm-to-Table Chef/Cooking Instructor not only taught us basic cooking skills, but we learned what “farm-to-table” really means! We harvested ingredients off of our farm, learned about how culture and heritage plays a role in our diet, and discovered some new summer camp favorites like banana lumpia, veggie samosas and dumplings!
Photos by Pete Rosos, Planet Bee Foundation and Camp ANV Staff | All Rights Reserved
The Little Seeds and Sprouts spent the summer learning the history and fundamentals of Capoeira with Professor Malandro (Filhos de Bimba – Califonia Bay Area School of Capoeira), Ms. Menina and Mr. Django. We learned how to move our bodies and sing our hearts out in ways passed down from our ancestors.
Photos by Pete Rosos, Planet Bee Foundation and Camp ANV Staff | All Rights Reserved
Our Seeds and Sprouts were lucky enough to work with 106 KMEL’s very own GBiz! As our Digital Storytelling instructor GBiz taught us elements of photography, videogaphy, DJing, and storytelling through podcasts. Listen to what our campers were creating this summer during their DJ lessons in Digital Storytelling…
Photos by Pete Rosos, Planet Bee Foundation and Camp ANV Staff | All Rights Reserved
This summer we piloted our Leaders in Training (LIT) Program for middle school aged youth! Remaining a huge part of Camp ANV’s family, the LITs branched off this summer to explore new avenues of urban farming, food justice, self-care and wellness, restorative justice and overall community leadership. At the A’s Farm, we were introduced to the term food justice and the many intersections of the present-day food system that effects our daily lives, and how our ancestors once lived symbiotically with the environment and resources that we need to survive. We also learned how to grow and sell our produce. Ms. BE gave us weekly lessons on self-care, what it means, why it is important for EVERYONE, and ways we can practice self-care and wellness outside of camp. Our LITs gained experience and knowledge in ALL of these categories and are well on their way to be Junior Counselors!
Listen to what our Leaders in Training learned about during Week One!
In addition to all of our classes, we got to go swimming at Cull Canyon and attend a field trip every week. Every third weekend of each session, we get to go camping! This summer we camped at Garin Regional Park and Tilden Regional Park!
Camp ANV #UnStungHero: Peter Varas; Food Justice Educator/ Camp Counselor
Camp ANV’s #UnStungHeroes celebrates our camp staff and campers who have stood out this summer!
Camp ANV: What is your name?
Peter Varas
Camp ANV: How many years have you worked at Camp ANV?
Peter Varas: This is my first year at camp ANV and I wish I had been here sooner!
Camp ANV: What are some of your hobbies or interests?
Peter: I’ve been skateboarding for 10 years and continue to do it because it keeps me outside and active while also learning new tricks.
I love to farm and recently graduated from UC Davis with my degree in Sustainable Horticulture & Food Systems. I manage an urban farm in Berkeley. When I’m not farming, I’m traveling, reading or watching the Celtics.
Camp ANV: What is your favorite age group to work with?
Peter: They are all fun, but I enjoy working with the LIT’s because some of them are going to high school and are starting to think about what they want to do and I want them to be excited about food justice and farming!
Camp: What does Camp ANV mean to you?
Peter: Camp ANV means that youth can have a safe, fun, experiential learning space that empowers them to grow their own food. They learn about native plants, explore the greater bay area all while connecting with other kids from East Oakland. I really wish I had this when I was growing up.
Camp: Can you name four interesting things about yourself?
Peter: I’ve been to and skated in 49 states! I’m just missing Alaska. I’m the first person in my family to go to college. I’m first generation born in Lawrence, Massachusetts and was raised between there and Nashua, New Hampshire. I worked at a butterfly farm in Encinitas for 3 years!
Camp ANV: Thanks so much for becoming a part of the ANV Family Peter! You’re doing AMAZING things!
Camp ANV #UnStungHero: José Antonio Nuño; Camp Counselor
Camp ANV’s #UnStungHeroes celebrates our camp staff and campers who have stood out this summer!
Camp ANV: What is your name?
José Antonio Nuño
Camp ANV: How many years have you worked at Camp ANV?
José Antonio Nuño: I have worked for camp ANV since the summer of 2017. This is my second summer working with Acta Non Verba.
Camp ANV: What are some of your hobbies or interests?
José: I have a variety of hobbies and interested that occupy my time both on and off work. I love to dance, thinking critically and engaging with performance, listening to music to improve my expansive playlist, living an active lifestyle, but my biggest interest is continuing my education and preparing for a career in education that emphasizes performance and technology as viable forms of communicating issues, potential realities and hypothesizing solutions.
Camp: What is your favorite age group to work with?
José: It’s hard for me to choose a specific age group as being my favorite group to work with mostly because the type of attention, or lessons, each group appears to need vary. The Little Seeds are amazing because they are the easiest friends to make, as long as you let them become friends with you. Same with the Sprouts yet they are more prone to being interested in their imagination or what their friends are doing. The L.I.T.s are older and usually at an age where I’m sure all adults sound like the parents from the Charlie Brown franchise. That said, when vital conversations take place (be it about food or reformative justice, oppression and intersectionality, individual determination for success, and even how to be a role model for the younger kids) you can begin to see rough exteriors fade away. The L.I.T.s, in my opinion, want to be respected and treated as adults, at least on an intellectual level if nothing else, and they become enveloped into critical conversations that at best only rarely occur in public schools. All in all, each group teaches me everyday to be patient, think before speaking, and hot to stay swift on my toes when tough questions arise.
Camp: What does Camp ANV mean to you?
José: When I first started Camp ANV a year ago, I felt that being on the team meant much of what I detailed in my application: “words only go so far, actions get you to the next destination.” Now, the meaning of camp still has the same basic formula, but anyone who works at Camp ANV grows just as much as the campers. Where else will you find over 50 beautifully individual children – each with unique personalities, dreams, experiences, and struggles – and be in a position to guide them in a more positive light everyday? You would like to think it’d be in public school, but part of the reason all of us here working at ANV continue to show up for these kids everyday is because we know it isn’t the case. The meaning of ANV, at least for me, has developed into a living self-justifiable tool of survival youth in our communities desperately need to compete with more privileged communities affluent with resources and opportunities. To me, Camp ANV is nothing but love that doesn’t quit.
Camp: Can you name four interesting things about yourself?
José: Four interesting things about me: 1) I speak three languages and encourage everyone to learn how to communicate in different ways; 2) I’m a creative and political personality, and this aspect of my character drives me to show others the power of their bodies, voices, movement and performance; 3) I can probably beat at least 50% of people older than me at a contest to identify oldie songs and artists; 4) I’m a first generation college student with 9 other siblings, and the first in my family to receive a bachelor’s degree – soon to be the first to receive a master’s degree.
Camp: Wowzers, Jose!! Thank you so much for working with us! Your passion shines through every day!
Camp ANV #UnStungHero: Aya Jeffers Fabro; Camp Administrator
Camp ANV’s #UnStungHeroes celebrates our camp staff and campers who have stood out this summer!
Camp ANV: What is your name?
Aya Camp ANV: How many years have you worked at Camp ANV?
Aya: Three years total! I started off as a intern for my Food Systems minor at UC Berkeley, that same summer, I came on as a camp counselor and have worked my way up to be ANV’s Office Manager and Camp Administrator! I love it! I get to see the kids every day in our After School Program and during our Camps! Working at ANV has taught me so many new things about youth development, community empowerment and so much more!
Camp ANV: What are some of your hobbies or interests?
Aya: Cooking, for SURE! I love gardening and having my hands in the dirt. I love the ocean, so sitting on the beach and being out in nature!
Camp: What is your favorite age group to work with?
Aya: I LOVE the little seeds! They are like little sponges that absorb info! But this year the older group… the LIT’s (Leaders In Training) have grown on me! It’s nice to see the ones that have grown up with me in this community! It’s really inspiring to see!
Camp: What does Camp ANV mean to you?
Aya: ANV has given me a sense of place here n Oakland which is not my native city. ANV has helped me make rural/ urban connections to my passion which is environmental education. It give me an opportunity to be a kid and to play and have fun as well as remember why our work is so important. Because the next generation really is our future.
Camp: Can you name four interesting things about yourself?
Aya: Four… Things… 1) I was born and raised on the north shore of Oahu in Hawai’i. 2) I’ve never been on a surfboard or danced hula in my life. 3) I will eat almost anything from the ocean. 4) …and I’ve been growing my hair our since the 8th grade! BONUS!! I used to play rugby in college!!
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