Actual hands-on training session and site tour of the 2025 Farm

Saturday, April 19, 2025 - 1:00 - 5:00 at Mezzacello Urban Farm

Notes and Recaps

January Launch

The Mentern group met via zoom. We had eight menterns in attendance, and one attending by proxy.

During this meeting we discussed the roles and expectations of an intern and the subtle difference that a Mentor plays at Mezzacello. Then we discussed experiences each student had during a summer camp and what was fun or challenging.

After that we went through the scheduled programming and discussed content, naming ideas, ways to make it more fun, and what the menterns thought would and would not work. The kids were pretty clever and we came up with nine new camp titles that are fun and engaging. I explained how I was adapting the design challenge in a box model to make it easier to teach and prep the lesson and the design challenge.

We covered essential updates to the facility, construction, and new lines of business that will be coming online for Mezzacello Urban Farm. We also covered the new classroom and lab facilities that will be in place for 2025, including:

• The new Eco Gazebos

• The new Narnia Stage

• The Upgraded Hornbeam Allee

• The Biodome with power and water,

• The potential for a new Sustainability Lab attached to the house

• Full Access Bathroom in the House

We ended the meeting with a discussion about leadership and how we guide and grow with the people we are leading. A very lively discussion. And finally we moved to the very subtle distinction between discipline and self-discipline. Specifically we discussed pushups. I view pushups as an opportunity to review the relationship between action and impact. I believe that associating action and impact with a physical result is a good learning tool for young minds. I made it very clear that it was not punishment, but a consequence of a decision they made.

The three simple rules for kids and the five simple rules for Jim:

1. Don’t act or speak rudely about or to another student - show respect or stay quiet

2. Don’t leave lunch bags, trash or water bottles laying about - especially in the allee where people could trip on them

3. Don’t leave the grounds through the front gate without an adult

Jim’s Rules:

1. Do not yell or be openly cross with kids — That is disrespectful and unnecessary

2. Do not rule like an autocrat; No one has to do something just because Jim demands it

3. No cursing

4. Do not lose your coffee cup

5. Do not make others feel they have no value

Mezzacello Urban Farm is a fair and equal kingdom with rules and requirements that must be followed. Rules apply to everyone, adults included. In rare instances the rule is minor and the risk low enough that the rest of the students can decide to show mercy. That mercy showed must be acknowledged and it must be paid forward.

This culture of equality and accountability is important. It allows young people to experience what responsibility, respect, and self-respect feels like AND keeps students’ minds focused and safe in the presence of the dangers at Mezzacello Urban Farm. The animals are wild and must be treated with care and respect. Running without watching where you are going can be dangerous. Using tools requires focus and rough housing is a recipe for disaster. I use physical action to reinforce outcomes so that students (and myself) have time to reflect and experience why we have rules. There was discussion about a form of discipline other than pushups, but that will remain open for debate moving forward.

February Meeting

This lesson was about personality, self-reflection, leadership, confidence, and character. I was joined by five menterns.

In this session we discussed the purpose and practicality of personality. We discussed the path to building confidence and making confidence a tool to change the world. This led us to a conversation about how we grow confidence and come to understand our value and our worth.

This was a challenging conversation for all of us to have. In the future, I will propose that we think about these questions ahead of time.

A Note on Self-Reflection:

I underestimated how difficult it would be for kids to do self-reflection. So I will start asking kids ahead of time to consider these two questions.

• What is your value?

  • We get to decide what our value is, but others will decide what they value about you. A wise leader will learn to curate and cultivate the best of their character and skills. Then act on that.

• What is your worth?

  • When we know our value, we can better determine — and ask for — our worth. Confidence is what allows us to know our worth.

We spent a good deal of time on this topic, and then we moved onto the definition of character.

We will be using this tool to uncover aspects of our character that we want to explore and build upon. By reflecting on how our intention, action, and impact can help us build character in ourselves and help others as well.

The goal of this tool is to help kids identify a virtue or positive character trait that develops when we use these strategies. That virtue will appear after self-reflection and will then fit within the four triangles. The words at each vertex are designed to provide context. Here is an example.

Intention + Action + Focus - Compassion

Action + Impact + Focus = Empathy

Impact + Intention + Focus = Responsibility

Intention + Action + Impact = Accountability

It is my hope that we can use this tool to better hone the ability of young people to start defining the skills and attributes they will need to become leaders and change action innovators. By understanding this easy rubric, they can start building this system with themselves and modeling this behavior for others

Two Sides To Every Story

Lastly, because there are two sides to every story, there are two sides to this tool as well. Inside the tetrahedron of character is a message that will be written in invisible ink. When a kids shows great character and growth, they will open their tetraheadron of character and place it on a heat source. This will expose the message of truth: A parable of confidence will appear and a random stamped number will appear. The kid with the most numbers wins and gets a prize and a prize for the other kids as well (TBD). Frankly, I love the idea of a hidden message inside this tool that is invisible until we take the time to reflect on who we really believe we are and what we have done to prove that with action.

The beauty of this tool is that it can also be used to reverse-engineer the behavior and actions of others. If someone is acting with their intention, action and impact out of balance, this tool can be used to hold those people accountable. Empowering kids with tools that provide them the opportunity to observe, evaluate and act on situations that make them uncoimfortable is a very powerful too,. I believe this is the first step to creating compassionate and effective leaders.

April Meeting

Notes forthcoming…