The Emerald Necklace Conservancy's Green Team and Leadership Programs: An employment opportunity for youth, involving environmental work in Boston’s historic parks

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy (emeraldnecklace.org) works with the linear, Olmsted-designed Emerald Necklace parks in Boston and Brookline. We bring people together from the public and private sectors to enrich, enliven and advocate for the Emerald Necklace parks. Our programs are dedicated to park restoration and maintenance, public education, constituency-building and park advocacy.

The Emerald Necklace Parks include the Back Bay Fens, Riverway, Olmsted Park, Jamaica Pond, the Arnold Arboretum, and Franklin Park. Working to protect, restore, maintain and promote the historic parks, the Conservancy runs volunteer programs, family events, a Maintenance Collaborative, as well as our youth programs, which include the summer Green Team and the academic year Youth Leadership Program.

The mission of our youth programs is to cultivate future leaders and park stewards while helping to address the need for continuing restoration and maintenance in the Emerald Necklace Park System. Our youth programs prepare participants for real life leadership experiences and provide a foundational work experience for young people interested in pursuing careers involving land stewardship, landscape architecture and design, horticulture, and environmental studies.

A) Academic Year Youth Leadership Program: This program is designed to create qualified leaders for parks-related youth work. The program enrolls 8-10 former Green Team members and other enthusiastic youth ages 17+, and teaches personal and community leadership skills, empowering youth to help make the world around them a better place.

The Leadership Program runs in three sessions (Fall, Winter and Spring). Youth meet twice a week for two hours after school and for four hours on Saturdays. During that time, they participate in environmental education workshops, learn about and complete park maintenance and restoration work, engage in team-building and leadership activities, coordinate community outreach, and practice public speaking and group leadership. Youth in the Leadership Program prepare to lead crews during the summer Green Team program.

B) Summer Youth Green Team: The Summer Youth Green Team (ages 15-17) completes restoration, maintenance, and programming work in the Emerald Necklace park system. Students gain an understanding of the importance of the parks to the surrounding community, become familiar with the significance of the historic park system, implement community events, and gain real job training and experience while learning specific conservation landscaping skills that will enable them to succeed in entry level positions or serve as a step to higher jobs. The summer experience includes an overnight camping trip where crew members learn additional outdoor skills such as cooking a meal over a campfire, pitching tents, hiking, and practicing leave-no-trace.

To join the Green Team, youth complete a job interview and application process. Once hired, Green Team members have orientation and training during the first week of the program, and at the end of the program host a final community event showcasing their work and experiences to family members and friends.

For more info, or to apply, contact Youth Programs Coordinator Julia Golomb at jgolomb@emeraldnecklace.org or 617.522.2700. Visit us on the web at www.emeraldnecklace.org/join-green-team.