Last August, I explored food waste in America on the Millennial Trains Project, a crowdfunded, transcontinental train journey for future leaders. We went to seven U.S. cities all innovating to improve various facets of the food system: San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Denver, Omaha, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Washington, DC.
While our involvement wasn’t obvious at first, it became clear that our program could also help young people by instilling in them the values, skills and healthy work habits to prepare them for a lifetime of career success.
One day, in her English class at East River Academy, a school for incarcerated youth on Riker's Island, Jordyn Lexton had her students reRegardless of what I was doing inside the facility, it wasn’t enough," she says. "I wanted to literally stop selling dreams and actually create channels for young people to have a successful reentry experience.”
How can designers find careers in social impact work? There is no single trajectory. It is a constellation of skills, relationships and opportunities that individuals navigate to create a meaningful life practice.