JORDAN Katarah

The theme of growth both literally and figuratively—is one that looms large for Katarah Jordan. She’s a certified Master Gardener via Penn State Extension who loves getting her hands dirty. “Anywhere that I can get my fingers in the soil, I’m there,” she says. She’s penned a book about gardening for kids called It’s Harvest Time, which relates to the other kind of growth the fuels her—the cultivation of young minds. “I don’t find a lot of books on food liberation—really teaching children to feed themselves,” Jordan says, “and I think that’s such a huge value in the world we live in today.”

It’s just one of the many lessons she can offer young students, or “scholars” as they’re called at the James Lawson Freedom School in Allentown, where Jordan is in her second year as program director. It’s a six-week initiative that aims to lessen the impact of the learning loss experienced by many inner-city children after the traditional school year winds down. “We help with the summer slide, really trying to make sure that when they leave in the summer they don’t lose those months of training and learning,” Jordan says. The program continues to grow, while staying true to its mission of setting up Black and Brown children for future success. But it’s not all work and no play; they have fun, too. “We don’t want it to feel like summer school,” Jordan says.

Jordan was also a cohost of the 2023 Lehigh Valley Woman’s Summit in June, and she previously served as director of Second Harvest Food Bank, two more roles that combined her penchant for outreach and advocacy for those who are underrepresented or underserved. She says she learned early on the importance of community, and the void it leaves if it’s lacking. “Having a sense of belonging is huge. Our children need it; us as adults, we need it. If I can develop space for that, if I can offer that in any way, I’m all about it.”