The CITY Project

C.I.T.Y. Project is one of the newest 4-H programs in New York State. The focus of this group is to serve the community and to improve their way of living. C.I.T.Y. represents Community Improvement Through Youth. The project consists of teenagers between the ages of 14-18 who find solutions to problems they face in their community. There are 4 groups that make up C.I.T.Y Project. Two of them are located in Binghamton and the other two in New York City. The Group follows the “Public Adventures” Curriculum, which you can find on the YouthCAN website.

I spoke to Asia Ambler and Vicki Giarratano, both of whom are deeply involved with the CITY project, to get an inside look at how the project works. The main purpose of the project, according to Asia Ambler, is trying to improve the city to be more youth friendly. One of the things they did was they built a shed to donate to a community garden. This taught them the skills they need to build small structures, as well as the horticulture skills needed to start and maintain a garden. When asked about the best two parts of the CITY project, Asia said the interaction with the community and the new opportunities that the CITY project has provided for her. Because of the CITY project, Asia is now involved with the Binghamton municipal youth bureau and Youth in Motion.

If you would like to get involved with the CITY project, you can contact Vicki Giarratano at (607)584-5022 or at vlg4@cornell.edu