About James

Reviewed on 10/30/2016

Urban Paradise Guild is a Miami-based non-profit. I am its President and Founder. I work with many extraordinary young people, but Jimmy K. stands out among them. Our Interns make a commitment of 500 hours, usually over 12 months. Jimmy invested nearly 900 hours over about 9 months, while simultaneously working on a farm to pay his rent with sweat equity. Jimmy combines idealism, curiosity, a thirst for knowledge, altruism, and kindness with a very strong work ethic. Many people have a utopian ideal of agriculture which shatters on the realities of hard work. Jimmy took everything Miami s hot, humid environment could throw at him, and kept on working with a smile on his face! Jimmy's commitment was unprecedented: he ran 2 Volunteer Opportunities. Once trained, he co-founded a new Experiential Education program for Pre-Schoolers. Volunteer Management includes handling Volunteer RSVPs, coordinating arrivals, providing project-specific training and experiential education, administration, etc. Garden & Nursery Management requires project planning, resource management, detail-specific plant care, and of course hard work. He worked with Volunteers on Thursdays (Agriculture) and Fridays (Forestry). On Wednesdays, he ran Preschool Experiential Education at Miami Shores Montessori School; co-founder of program; created and implemented curriculum combining Environment, Gardening and Nursery; additional plant care was needed in the Nursery. This was a Paid Internship, with hourly compensation through the School.