Green Teens City-Wide Initative Pilot Fact Sheet
& Sustained Outcomes
Background:
In March 2009, six open space conservation organizations and three city agencies came together to discuss how to maximize funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for summer youth employment and park stewardship in Boston. As a result of a series of discussions and a survey (42 respondents) to gauge organizational capacity to expand summer youth employment programming, the group set as its goal adding 100 more youth positions to Summer 2009 environmental employment programs. Survey respondents pointed to the critical importance of supervisory staff to accompany additional youth employees and the challenge of finding and funding additional supervisors, especially with only three months before the start of summer work. With this in mind, BYEN acted as the coordinator for a collaborative effort to secure funding and support for supervisors, materials, training and a field coordinator for network member organizations. A grant from the Barr Foundation allowed BYEN to activate network members to swiftly act to take advantage of ARRA funds, address park maintenance labor shortages, get new projects off the ground, and tap the expertise and experience of other network member organizations. Below are the highlights from the expansion project launched on June 24, 2009 and the sustained outcomes since.
Highlights from 2009:
« Eighteen organizations submitted applications
« Twelve organizations received funding for 14 supervisors, tools, training, t-shirts and on-going consultation
« Over 135 additional environmental jobs for youth (an increase of roughly 22% over the expected number of 600 environmental jobs for 2009)
« 9 organizations and "friends" groups are new to environmental youth employment programs or environmental youth employment programs with a park improvement project component
· Southwest Corridor Park Conservancy (with the Emerald Necklace Conservancy),
· Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association (with Maverick Landing Community Services),
· The Roslindale Wetlands Task Force (with Boston Natural Areas Network),
· Talbot Norfolk Triangle Neighbors United (with the Boston Project Ministries),
· The City School (Environmental Justice Leadership Program for 24 youth)
· United Neighbors of Lower Roxbury
· Warren Gardens Pathways Junior
· Green Beginnings, Inc. (Energy Efficiency building model)
· Victory Programs’ ReVision Urban Farm
· BOLD Teens
· EarthWorks
· Franklin Park Zoo
« BYEN engaged the US Forest Service to provide funding to an organization for an additional supervisor – Carlos Moreno, a graduate of REEP (an environmental justice program in Roxbury) and recipient of the Brower Youth Award.
« Over half of the supervisors funded by BYEN are former participants or employees of Boston-based environmental programs.
« BYEN helped to build a referral network by disseminating Boston-based program graduates' resumes among BYEN member organizations.
« Majority of supervisors attending the BYEN Supervisor Training Institute were people of color.
« Network Tool Depot idea initiated by EarthWorks and supported by summer grant to be a resource to BYEN in the long-term.
ABCD worked with Boston Climate Action Network (BCAN) and Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) to host energy efficiency field trips for BYEN members.
Sustained Outcomes Summer 2010 Highlights:
« Of the 9 organizations and "friends" groups that were new to environmental youth employment programs or environmental youth employment programs with a park improvement project component during the summer of 2009, the following continued their work during the school year and/or summer.
· Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association (with Maverick Landing Community Services)
This partnership continues. Maverick Landing placed a crew to work with Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association during the summer of 2010.
· Talbot Norfolk Triangle Neighbors United (with the Boston Project Ministries),
The Boston Project Ministries continued their work with these neighborhood groups.
· The City School (Environmental Justice Leadership Program for 24 youth)
The City School continued to offer the Environmental Justice Leadership Program during the summer of 2010 without extra funding for it.
· United Neighbors of Lower Roxbury
This program was offered again during the summer of 2010.
· Green Beginnings, Inc. (Energy Efficiency building model)
This program continued to be offered during the 2009-2010 school year and summer 2010.
« BYEN helped connect organizations and new “friends” groups to place more youth crews in Boston’s green spaces. A Youth Unlimited Boston youth crew worked in Franklin Park. The Greater Four Corners Action Coalition worked with BYEN and Franklin Park Coalition to place a youth crew in Geneva Cliffs Urban Wild.
« At least 10 of the summer supervisors that attended the 2009 BYEN Supervisor Training Institute continue to be involved in the network. 3 helped to plan and implement the 2010 training. 9 all returned to the 2010 training as participants. Others continue to work within and/or communicate with the network for professional leads.
« BYEN’s referral network continues to be an effective in organizations’ youth and adult staff hiring practices.
« The Network Tool Depot continues to be a resource and has been moved to the Franklin Park Coalition since EarthWorks is no longer in business.
Some of 2012's program highlights:
« The City School ran their 3rd successful Environmental Justice LEadership Program.
« United Neighbors of Lower Roxbury(UNLR) employed youth for the 3rd consecutive summer. UNLR shared two of their youth employees with BYEN so that they could work with the BYEN Media Crew documenting the work youth are doing in the environmental sector and collecting thier stories.
« The Boston Projects Ministries employed more youth than ever this summer and accessed the BYEN Supervisor Training Institute to help them prepare their summer supervisors.