Applications for the Indigenous Youth Farmers Program are now closed.
Completing this registration should take about 10-15 minutes. Registrations are due by midnight on July 1st, 2026. Ages 15-26, no farming experience required. Field trips open to all ages.
What is the Indigenous Youth Farmers Program?
- A unique opportunity for Indigenous youth to learn both urban and rural farming practices, meet and build community, and practice traditional lifeways centering Indigenous knowledge and values.
- Learn from local Indigenous teachers, Imagine Water Works staff, and each other.
- Attend 6 workshops, including two educational field trips.
- Co-steward The Imagination Farm with support from peers and mentors.
Confirmed Workshops and Educators:
- Kasha Clay, Youth Coordinator, Bayou Youth Leadership Project (Field Trip)
- Bette Billiot, Climate Advocate, Bayou Youth Leadership Project (Field Trip)
- Nanih Bvlbancha and SwampNet (Field Trip)
- Dr. Tammy Greer, Professor, Southern Miss Medicine Wheel Garden
- Esprit, Spiritual Guide & Educator
- Déja Jones, Artist & Youth Development Specialist
- yrécha gay Jheneall, Transdisciplinary Artist
- Dr. Maris Jones, Afro-Indigenous Scholar, Creator, and Traveler
- Dr. Kellyn LaCour-Conant, Restoration Ecologist and Climate Strategist
- Chenier “Klie” Kliebert, Lead Farmer, The Imagination Farm
This program is co-designed and coordinated by Ida Aronson, Déja Jones, and Klie Kliebert.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Louisiana youth, ages 15-26 with North, Central, or South American Indigenous ancestry. This program is home grown and we recognize the many ways we experience our Indigeneity across Louisiana, including barriers to enrollment or ancestry records that are often rooted in racism, displacement, and disaster. No one will be turned away for lack of tribal information or enrollment. We encourage participation from BIPOC and multi-tribal, multi-racial, multi-ethnic youth. If you are unclear on this qualification please contact deja@imaginewaterworks.org.
- No farming experience is required.
- If you do not meet the age requirement or are unable to fully participate, we invite you to attend our field trips! To receive more details and an invitation, share your contact information with us here: https://forms.gle/TVnhvBeZfscnmu4M8.
- If you are Deaf, DeafBlind, or Hard of Hearing, we encourage you to apply. We will have a certified interpreter (who is also one of our farmers!) available upon request.
What are the additional benefits?
- A $300 stipend at the end of the program
- A Certificate of Completion
- Food, snacks, and sport drinks while on site
- A sense of belonging and a “home base” at the farm, now and in the future, with continued mentorship from all who are connected to the farm
- Completion of the program qualifies each farmer for IWW’s Imagination Farmers Program, an ongoing paid opportunity to continue stewarding the Imagination Farm, and/or IWW’s Imagination Responder Program which activates during and after major hurricanes and floods.
What is The Imagination Farm?
The Imagination Farm (TIF) is a Two-Spirit, Creole Indigenous farm and sacred intergenerational space where those most impacted by climate change can explore, imagine, and share solutions for our future. TIF feeds both our stomachs and our spirits. We encourage experimentation, collaboration, education, imperfection, and creativity, as we collectively build in the midst of ongoing climate catastrophe. More about the farm can be found HERE.
Where do we meet?
When is the program?
August-November 2026, plus graduation, with the opportunity to stay connected to volunteering and other paid opportunities through the Imagination Farmers Program and Imagination Responders Program.
What’s the time commitment?
Workshops, field trips, and farm work days will be throughout August-November 2026. Participants will receive a full schedule once accepted into the program. The time commitments are:
- One orientation in early August
- Four workshops on select Fridays, 6-8pm
- Two Saturday field trips, one in Orleans and one in Terrebonne
- 30 hours of farm tending with support/mentorship, several weekdays and weekends to choose from*
- One graduation on either November 14 or December 5 (TBD)
*Those interested in continuing with Imagine Water Works as an Imagination Farmer after graduation are required to complete an additional 12 hours of farm tending throughout the program.
What is the notification timeline?
NOTE: We may not be able to accept everyone into the program. We will be reviewing registrations for eligibility and have a limited number of spots. We encourage you to register sooner rather than later to make sure you reserve a spot in the program.
- Midnight, July 1st: Registrations are due.
- Mid July: We will reach out of we have any additional questions about your registration.
- Late July: Notification date. All registrants will hear back about the status of their registration, and selected participants will be given additional information and invited to accept their offer into the program.
- Mid August: Program start.
- End of November: Program end.
Use the form below to apply by July 1st.
This program is made possible by many Imagine Water Works friends, with leadership from Ida Aronson, Déja Jones, and Chenier “Klie” Kliebert.
Issues with the application? Try the direct link here: https://forms.gle/k4AHaVx4FZx85z2c7.
How can I support this program?
Your support will help us pay for meaningful workshops, transportation, first aid, and farm tools, and will ensure that the program can thrive for years to come. To donate, use our donation link here and specify that your donation is for the Indigenous Youth Program. If you are a philanthropic organization and would like to partner with us to help support this program, please email klie@imaginewaterworks.org.