As one way of living out our core values, The Huss Project has collaborated with local non-profits over the past several years to develop and implement enriching nature-based programs for children in our community. In 2024, these partnerships evolved into the Huss Experiential Learning Partners (HELP)—a partnership of local nonprofits who meet monthly to co-create experiential learning programming for youth and families in Three Rivers. The Huss Project, Three Rivers Area Mentoring (TRAM), Three Rivers Public Library, and the St. Joseph County Great Start Collaborative are committed to connecting all Three Rivers area neighbors to nature and place-based learning to promote a culture of curiosity, resiliency, and trust.
Through our HELP collaboration, the Three Rivers Public Library installed a monthly outdoor Story Walk for six months at Huss. These rotating titles, selected by TRAM students, were displayed in the public areas of our campus from May through October, and featured titles like If You Plant a Seed, Runaway Signs, and The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster!
In 2024, HELP published the Summer Adventures Treasure Map, a pamphlet featuring all our summer activities. Just a sampling of these available Passport events were the petting zoo at Scidmore Park, TRAM’s Reelin’ in the Future fishing tournament, the Library’s Geocaching Adventure, and the Meet Up and Eat Up summer lunch program at Huss. There were a multitude of ways for families to engage in their communities through these events, and we loved seeing these programs flourish for another season!
We were delighted to once again host Musical Storybook events this summer at Second Saturday Farmers Markets. Members of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra visited our newly-renovated Children’s Area on the farm and brought to life different books each month including They All Saw a Cat and The Carnival of the Animals. These special events were always highly-attended, and the audience loved participating by singing, dancing, and – of course! – bringing home a free copy of each book performed.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book-gifting program that mails free, age-appropriate books to children from birth until five years old, no matter their family’s income. The Huss Project first became an affiliate with the Imagination Library in August of 2022, and since then we have sent out over 3,500 books! In 2024, we coordinated with Great Start to include our Imagination Library brochure in welcome packages given to all new babies born in our community. If you have a child in the 49093 zip code and are interested in this program, visit the *culture is not optional website to sign them up.
It truly “takes a village” to organize and host these literacy events, and we are sincerely grateful for all the support from our partners, donors, volunteers, AmeriCorps VISTAs, staff, and community. If you would like to donate to this on-going work, please click the donate link in the main menu!