Green Dreams in Flint, Michigan
Flint resident Royce Stephens had been mentoring the city's youth through sports for over a decade when, in 2015, his mother passed away from Lupus, an autoimmune disease with yet unknown causes.
"Other people from our neighborhood, I started finding out they were diagnosed with Lupus," he said. "Even then, in my mind, I always thought it was like something that we're eating and putting in our body."
Stephens wanted to improve his neighbors' access to healthy foods, he said, and at the same time, he wanted to expand his mentorship programs beyond sports. So he began planning for a program called Green D.R.E.A.M.S. with the intention to teach young people about urban agriculture.
With the help of local agriculture and health experts — and a recent move to an aquaponics greenhouse in Burton, Mich. — D.R.E.A.M.S. offers young people paying jobs that teach them about growing food and eating healthy.
Producer: Jiquanda Johnson
Cinematography: Michael Indriolo