TEEN VALUES

Teens Grow Greens works with Interns and Apprentices to define and embrace 3 key values--Respect, Responsibility, and Resilience--

with each value applying to

the Self, the Team, and the Environment.

Because we believe in the maxim “Nothing about us without us,” we start with core definitions of the

3 R's, like those below, and interns and apprentices add and adapt their own workplace expectations for themselves and their teammates,

co-creating Community Agreements.

Samples from past Community Agreements

appear below.

RESPECT means that we will

be good to our minds, bodies, and spirits--and not allow others to destroy them.
see beyond our mistakes and struggles instead of beating ourselves down--or letting others do so.
listen actively to our teammates because we care about what they are saying.
develop strategies for responding positively and empathetically to our teammates because they struggle just as much as we do.
get to know our teammates’ physical and emotional boundaries--and learn when to knock and when to enter.
keep each space we work in clean, tidy, and better than when we entered it.
follow the protocols of each space we work in, whether physical or virtual.
be mindful of things that need to be done--even if they’re not on our “task list.”

RESPONSIBILITY means that we will

honor our commitments, including showing up, showing up on time, and staying engaged until the end.
communicate with staff and teammates when we need to be late or absent.
know what tools we need and where to find them so we can get our job done.
take pride in our accomplishments and acknowledge our struggles.
work together to accomplish our shared goals.
encourage our teammates, especially when they’re in a low space.
treat each space--whether physical or virtual--as a work space.
remember our responsibility to the communities in which and for which we work.

RESILIENCE means that we will

let our purpose and values be our guiding light in difficult situations.
embrace challenges and persist in the face of setbacks, but ask for help when this is difficult.
learn from constructive criticism--and demand that criticism be constructive.
try to give 100% effort as fully as possible, as often as possible--knowing that this won’t always be easy or possible.
try, fail, learn, and try harder--together, as a team.
hold ourselves and others accountable for the things we/they say they can/want to do.
be role models for each other, for our peers outside of TGG, especially those younger than ourselves.
understand that all we do is for ourselves and our team, as well as for the communities we serve.