DALLAS- School may be back in session, but one Dallas teenager spent part of his summer teaching in an outdoor classroom.
Jubilee Park sits on the corner of Parry and Bank streets, just a short walk for children living in the Fair Park neighborhood. The kids are learning about gardening. They're growing fresh fruits and vegetables, including cucumbers, peppers, squash, tomatoes and watermelon.
Juan Moreno, 17, is a senior at Townview Center and has his sights set on MIT. This summer he interned at ExxonMobil. Twice per week, ExxonMobil donated his time - in partnership with Texas Discovery Gardens - to teach these kids about environmental issues and work in the garden.
"Once you're in here, all the noise goes away," the teen said. "This is our classroom. It's like a vehicle; we get to push the accelerator [and] take them on a ride."
The Jubilee Community Center built its summer program using student interns like Juan in place of paid staff, which makes it possible for Jubilee to serve twice as many children as it would have otherwise.
"We couldn't do it without our interns," said Mary Hernandez, the director of the center. "They've been truly amazing as they share their gifts and talents with our kids, and they are great role models."
Great role models that are helping grow some great young minds.
