Sowing Seeds
Our Mission:
disrupt.
Sowing Seeds into the Midlands (Seeds) disrupts the school-to-prison pipeline through advocacy, education, and direct services—fostering an environment for Midlands youth to rest, reflect, and reclaim their futures.
Based in Columbia, South Carolina, Seeds isa grassroots non-profit committed to helping youth ages 13-18 thrive. We offer support services and tailored programming to help teens make informed decisions that benefit their futures. From life skills training and professional counseling to mentoring and after-school tutoring, we create safe spaces for teens to engage authentically and respectfully with themselves and the world around them.
Since our founding, Sowing Seeds into the Midlands has been a pillar of support for justice-involved youth, offering pathways to healing and self-sufficiency. By combining advocacy with direct services, we have helped reduce recidivism, increased access to essential resources, and strengthened community bonds. Our holistic approach ensures that Midlands youth are not just surviving but thriving in environments that uplift and support them.
Rooted in equity, sustainability, and transformative justice, we stand beside young people and their families, ensuring they have the support and opportunities needed to build brighter, more just futures.
Our Programs
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Seeds Guardians
The Seeds Guardians Program ensures that justice-involved youth are not forced to navigate the legal system alone. Seeds will recruit, screen, and train community members to serve as advocates, supporting teens from the moment law enforcement is involved through the court process and beyond.
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Learning & Liberation
This program creates opportunities for education, skill-building, and restorative experiences, ensuring that youth have access to learning environments that nurture both their intellectual and emotional growth.
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Sustainability
The Seeds Sustainability Program equips youth with the knowledge, skills, and tools to lead in environmental stewardship and advocacy. Rooted in environmental justice, the program houses projects like Skylar’s Garden and Repowering the Ride, each designed to inspire action and build resilience in our communities.
Sowing seeds for the future
It’s it's not a crime to be a kid.
While it's no secret that we're champions for fun and games, we're also heavy advocates for the serious work -- the decriminalization of adolescence. Our work with policymakers aims to reform a broken youth criminal justice system on both state and federal levels.