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GREENING YOUTH FOUNDATIONHow engaging youth/young adults

can be a solution to preserving local parks and greenspaces

Presentation to:Park Pride ConferenceMarch 31, 2014

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MISSIONGreening Youth Foundation (www.gyfoundation.org) is a non-profit

organization whose mission is to nurture enthusiastic and

responsible environmental stewardship among underserved and

disconnected children and young adults.

GYF does this through its two main programs:

-the Public Schools Initiative

- the Youth Conservation Corps

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PUBLIC SCHOOL INITIATIVE (PSI)In the last six years, GYF has engaged over 30,000 students in the metro-Atlanta

area as well as its international program in lessons and activities that generate

environmental stewardship, notably through:

- the C.L.E.A.N. Program® (Children Living Energetically Advancing Nature)

- the Eco-Force Club®, a student-run environmental club

- the Green Speaker Series ®, which introduces environmental professionals to

the students, and

- the STEM Program, which introduces high school students to environmental

careers

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SCHOOL INTERNS IN ACTION

Giving conservation lessons

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GREEN SPEAKER® SERIES

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STEM ACTIVITIES

Energy & Water Conservation Audits at a partner High School

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GYF ECO-FORCERS® IN SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

Kennesaw Mountain NBP Junior Ranger Internship

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GYF’S GHANA INITIATIVE

Imparting Environmental Programming in 3 Public Schools

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Through our cooperative agreements with the National Park

Service in 2009, and subsequently with the US Fish and Wildlife

Service and US Forest Service, GYF has introduced over 100

diverse youth to careers in conservation through internships and

service crews.

GYF’S YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS (YCC)

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These interns have worked in areas such as biological and cultural

research, interpretive and visitor services, accounting and financial

internships, museum and curatorial research, facility energy auditing and

retrofitting, sustainable trail building and maintenance, and invasive

species control.

YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS CONT.

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9 HBCU students from Hampton University and Tuskegee University were placed at nearby African American centered NPS sites in summer internships in an effort to link HBCU’s with NPS sites and units with a focus on the African American experience and culture.

PROJECT EXAMPLESHBCUI PROJECT

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16 diverse and at-risk youth were trained, certified, and employed in energy auditing and retrofitting of 10 national park sites (including the Grand Canyon) in Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico

PROJECT EXAMPLES – G.R.E.E.N. PROJECT

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Southeast Regional Office, NPS - Accounting, Budgeting & Finance, Partnerships

Everglades NP - Biological Research, Interpretation

MLK Jr. NHS - Interpretation & Visitor Services, Curatorial.

Kennesaw Mountain NBP - Technology, Junior Ranger

US FWS – Internships in FL, SC, and LA

US Forest Service – Internships in Milwaukee, Tuskegee; Service Crews in GA

OTHER SAMPLE PROJECTS

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SUCCESS STORIES

• GYF Interns transitioning into permanent NPS positions

at Everglades and Great Smoky Mountains

• GYF G.R.E.E.N. Interns in Colorado pursuing

sustainable careers

• GYF high school students transitioning into paid NPS

summer internships

• PSI GreenCorps intern transitioning into paid

internship with NPS, and then into GYF Recruiting

partner

• Partner organization for the Department of Interior’s

21st Century Conservation Service Corps

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OPPORTUNITIES

-Deferred maintenance and resource improvement

opportunities nationally (about $1.446 million in SE

Region)

-Untapped federal partnerships (Department of Defense,

Department of Labor, Bureau of Land Management,

Geological Survey, etc.)

- High profile “Youth” and “Diversity” mandates

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EXPOSING DIVERSE YOUTH TO CONSERVATION CAREERS

…ONE PROJECT AT A TIME

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THE PROBLEM• City of Atlanta owns & maintains 350 parks & green spaces & 28 recreation

centers

• Due to budget & city population growth, many are neglected or under-

maintained

• African-American youth in Atlanta between 16 and 24

• Face an unemployment rate of close to 45%• Lack necessary skills to obtain gainful employment

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THE SOLUTIONThe Atlanta Youth Corps

• Assembles crews of 6 members ages 17-24

• Assigns crews to special projects throughout Atlanta

• Assists with ongoing maintenance of Atlanta parks and recreation centers and

other designated projects

• Provides services such as

• Garden installation• Tree planting• Landscaping• Painting• Light construction• Trail restoration• & More

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THE CREWS

• Crew members are a part of the program for one year

• Each crew has

• One team leader (over 21) –paid $13/hour• 5 crew members (17-24) – paid $11/hour

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AYC SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

• Financial Literacy

• Entrepreneurship Training

• Continuing Education –GED, H.S. Diploma, Certifications,

etc.

• Cultural Awareness

• Community Service

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QUESTIONS?