This fall marked an exciting milestone for Urban Sustainability Solutions as Wake Young Men’s Leadership Academy participated in Growing More Than Rain Gardens for the first time. Led by a dedicated team of four teachers, the program welcomed 27 apprentices through the Introduction to Rain Gardens course, including several participants from Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy.
One of the unique advantages of this cohort was access to a project site located within walking distance of campus. This allowed apprentices to visit the site multiple times throughout the program, giving them the opportunity to see a stormwater project evolve from planning and design through installation and completion.
Throughout the course, apprentices learned about stormwater management, rain garden design, and the role green infrastructure plays in protecting local waterways. They assisted with the design process by taking site measurements, developing plans, evaluating drainage patterns, and helping prepare the site for construction. Apprentices carefully removed plants from an overgrown garden area, cleared weeds, measured and staked the project footprint, and conducted infiltration tests to better understand how water would move through the site.
After a contractor excavated the initial rain garden basin, the apprentices returned to evaluate the work. By measuring the depth of the garden and comparing it to the design specifications, they determined additional excavation was needed and helped dig the garden to its proper depth. Once the grading was complete, the group planted and mulched the site, installing a diverse selection of native species including Balmy Rose Bee Balm, Superstar, Cinderella Swamp Milkweed, Blue Star, and Wild Bergamot. The program concluded with apprentices presenting their work to friends and family, sharing what they had learned and explaining the process of designing and installing the rain garden.
We are incredibly proud of what this first cohort accomplished. Our teacher team did an outstanding job guiding apprentices through every stage of the project, and the enthusiasm and dedication shown by the group made this inaugural year a tremendous success. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Wake Young Men’s & Women’s Leadership Academy and are excited to see what next year's apprentices will accomplish.
