OUR STORY

Made In Broward is a not-for-profit enterprise established in 2013 to prepare Broward County youth for adulthood as contributing citizens. We subscribe to Teddy Roosevelt’s belief that "The first requisite of a good citizen in this Republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his weight; that he shall not be a mere passenger, but shall do his share in the work that each generation of us finds ready to hand; and, furthermore, that in doing his work he shall show, not only the capacity for sturdy self-help, but also self-respecting regard for the rights of others.” 

 

That’s a great ideal, but how does one go about putting such an ideal to practice, especially in an age where all the conventional wisdom says that hard work is for losers? It is not easy. But it starts with a leadership team that believes in creating work, not eliminating it. That goes against the holy grail of modern business practices of industrialization and automation. Why would we want to create work for young people? After all, structuring work that children can do, and then motivating them to do it to a high standard is difficult. Wouldn’t it be easier to give the kid a video game to keep them occupied while we run to the store and buy what we need? 

 

Yes, definitely. But when we fail to create work for our youth, they miss out on developing the skills and inner confidence and financial wellbeing that comes from work. We fail to train them to believe that they can and must earn their own rewards. So here at Made in Broward, we create work and work together. We plant, we grow, we preserve, we measure, we cook, we bake, we sew, we package and label. We spend a lot of time cleaning and doing the dishes. But while we work, we get to know each other. As President Roosevelt said, through working together, we develop regard for the rights of others. We learn attention to detail. We appreciate quality. We respect the makers. We understand what it takes to make the products that we use and consume every day.

We think about how to improve the process. We know that it would be easier and even cheaper to buy than to make. We know that we will never make a fortune making tote bags and soft toys and bars of soap. But we also know that by facilitating our young interns to pull their own weight, they will go on to help run businesses that positively impact the lives of many people, and they will be more serious and more professional and in a better financial position for having experienced their time at Made in Broward. 

So if you believe in what we do, support and encourage our young leaders by buying, using and giving what we grow and make. You will have a great product and make a difference in the lives of our youth. Spread the word on Facebook and Instagram! Consider us for all of your gift-giving needs. Visit us at the cottage. Come and work alongside us. Or start a movement in your community. Start a 4-H Club and train your local youth to be volunteer leaders in the community.

If you would like to make monetary donations, 100% of all donations goes to supporting the work of our young producers.

Our Mission 

Our Mission is to provide Broward County 4-H youth with the place to practice their skills to a high standard. We sponsor a 4-H Club, the Flagler Village Monarchs where the members learn sewing, gardening, food preservation, cooking, and soap-making. They develop skills in production, communication, finance, construction, engineering, problem solving, salesmanship, and teamwork. Through making high quality items for sale, they develop an attitude of quality counts. In the past, youth would practice their 4-H skills in the family business, but in today’s world, that is less likely. Made in Broward plays the role of a surrogate family business for today’s 4-H members, so they can master their technical, personal, and business skills.

We don’t expect that our members will make their career in these areas, although it is a possibility. More likely, they will transfer the skills learned into other occupations, and will apply the attitudes they have learned to achieve their individual goals as part of the American Dream of working hard to be better off. We believe that Made in Broward provides a safe, honest, and constructive pathway for our members.

Our Vision 

Our vision is that every child in Broward County has access to a safe, honest, and constructive pathway for life's journey, so that there is no reason for our youth to feel disenfranchised or alienated from society, or to succumb to the temptation of cheating, violence or self-destruction. These pathways can be developed through a collaborative effort of parents, government, schools, corporations, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations, so that all youth can be properly prepared over their entire childhood to take their rightful place in the world as contributing citizens. Our vision is that one day, our youth will be seen as assets to the community and they will see themselves as youth volunteer leaders, sharing with others what they have learned.   

Our Goal

Our goal is that all of our members become leaders in their community, demonstrating hard skills and a can do attitude so they can achieve their American Dream of a better life. Our goal is that Made in Broward becomes a model for others, demonstrating a simple, low-cost, attainable pathway using a traditional cottage industry business model that relies heavily on waste recycling to maintain a low materials cost structure. Our goal is to be able to demonstrate that this model will work for other youth and neighborhoods, and that through the 4-H model of developing youth leader volunteers, more youth will be given the tools and resources necessary to develop a moral compass that will guide them throughout their life.

Our goal is to generate sufficient income to cover our operational costs, including our stipends, so that we can sustain and expand our operation. Through merchandise sales and donations, our goal is the make room for any youth that wants to choose our pathway and join our team. 

Our Team