Youth Development

The Ecology Center’s Youth Development program prepares young people ages 15–24 to become environmental leaders and advocates through hands-on learning, mentorship, and paid work experience. The program primarily serves BIPOC youth and prioritizes participants from low-income communities, building skills, confidence, and pathways into environmental careers.

Participants begin with the Youth Environmental Academy (YEA), a foundational program that introduces youth to environmental issues through interactive workshops, field trips, and community-based learning. YEA combines environmental education with leadership development and job readiness, engaging participants in topics such as zero waste, climate resilience, sustainable food systems, and environmental justice. Youth gain hands-on experience through activities like recycling and composting education, farmers’ market engagement, shoreline cleanups, and site visits that connect classroom learning to real-world systems. Alongside this, participants build critical skills in communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, while exploring how environmental challenges intersect with social and economic inequities. Grounded in a climate equity lens, YEA empowers youth to see themselves as changemakers and prepares them to take meaningful action in their communities.

From there, youth can advance to paid internships that offer opportunities to apply what they’ve learned in real-world settings. As interns, participants deepen their understanding of environmental issues while gaining hands-on experience in outreach, education, and program support. Interns work alongside Ecology Center staff to engage community members at farmers’ markets, events, and neighborhood outreach efforts, sharing information about zero waste, sustainable food systems, and climate resilience. Through this work, interns build practical skills in communication, teamwork, and public engagement, while developing confidence in their ability to lead. The internship experience is designed to be both educational and empowering, helping youth explore their interests, strengthen their voice, and begin to see themselves as active participants in environmental solutions.

Program Assistant roles represent the next step in the leadership pipeline, offering returning participants the opportunity to take on greater responsibility and play a more active role in program delivery. As paid staff, Program Assistants support the coordination and facilitation of workshops, outreach efforts, and community events, and mentor new participants and interns. They contribute ideas, lead activities, and serve as peer leaders within the program. In this role, youth further develop leadership, organizational, and professional skills, gaining experience that prepares them for future employment in environmental and community-based fields. Program Assistants act as ambassadors of the Ecology Center’s work, helping to connect communities with resources and solutions while strengthening the program’s reach and impact.

Together, this structured pipeline builds power for communities most impacted by climate change while preparing youth for careers that strengthen environmental and community well-being. By centering paid opportunities, reducing barriers to participation, and investing in long-term leadership development, the Ecology Center is cultivating the next generation of environmental leaders and advancing a more just and sustainable future.