Caitlin Hearn and Amanda Langhals served as AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates at Case Western Reserve University. They worked with unique populations including high school students from low-income backgrounds, refugees, adults with developmental disabilities, and college students. Their projects involved operating an innovative community farm using practices like solar power, drip irrigation, greenhouses. They also ran a refugee response program and will continue their work with a farmers market and refugee English tutoring. The experience reinforced their interest in non-profit and community development work.

1. Caitlin Hearn and Amanda Langhals
AmeriCorps VISTA Summer
Associates at Case Western
Reserve University

2. Who are we?

3. Who are we serving?

4. • High school students from low-
income backgrounds
• Adults with developmental
disabilities
Unique
• Refugees from
Populations Bhutan, Burma, Tanzania, and
We Serve Liberia
• College students and university
community

5.  Solar Panels are used to power the timer for the
water system.
 Drip irrigation systems decrease time spent
watering and limit water waste.
Innovative
 Biodegradable weed controls shorten time spent
Practices weeding, and prevent plants from being taken
over by weeds.
 Greenhouses and hoop houses extend growing
season.
 Buried fences keep pests out and protect crops
from being eaten.
 Covering plants with clay to keep pests out.

6. CWRU Farm

7. Drip Irrigation
• Controlled by solar panel-
powered timer
• Homemade system cost
less than $1000 to build
Solar panel Hoses
Solar energy
converter
and battery

8. Soil Quality Detectors and Weed Controls
Anti-weed Paper Soil Probe

9. New This Year
• CSA Program
• Farmers Market

10. Cleveland Crops

11. Greenhouses and Hoop House (High Tunnel)

12. Green Corps

13. Farm-fresh food
Farm tours Open House
Games for kids
Yellow House Learning Farm
Free recipes
Hosted by Green Corps
Information about
healthy eating East 66th Street and Chester Avenue
Fresh produce for Saturday, August 4 th
sale Free! 4:00pm-7:00pm
Everyone in the community is invited –
bring your friends and families!
Green Corps Open House

14. G
R
E
E
N
C
O
R
P
S
O
P
E
N
H
O
U
S
E

15. Refugee Response

16. Refugee Response Open House

17. Refugee Response Open House

18. Refugee Response Open House

19. New This Year
Educating Mexican and Iraqi
high school students about
leadership through civic
engagement

20. • Break out of the bubble!
• Patience
Lessons • Role of community partners in
service
Learned • Working at more than one site
provides crossover experience
• Impact that small service can
have on others in the
community

21. What Next?
Amanda
• Continuing CWRU Farmers Market into the fall
• Opened my eyes to working with disabled
children and adults as potential career.

22. What’s Next?
Caitlin
• Continuing the CWRU CSA Program into the fall
• Continuing to work with the refugees from the
Refugee Response
– Developing an English curriculum for volunteer
tutoring program
• Encouraged me to go into non-profit work or
community development

23. Thank you to the OCC staff, the CCEL
staff, and all community partners for
making this AmeriCorps experience
possible!