The Department of Environmental Protection has launched its sixth annual Youth Inclusion Initiative, a partnership with local organizations that offers young people in underserved communities the opportunity to experience careers in a wide variety of environmental fields.
Participants aged 16 to 20 are from communities that have disproportionately less open space or lack access to natural lands. They will work closely with DEP staff and community host organizations over the next six weeks to learn about careers in water and air monitoring, natural resource management, wildlife conservation, and more.
“The DEP is proud to once again offer this award-winning program to help the next generation of New Jerseyans develop skills that prepare them for careers in a variety of environmental professions,” DEP Acting Commissioner Ed Potosnak said. “Our staff is excited to share their expertise and commitment to protecting the environment with emerging environmental leaders dedicated to improving public health and quality of life in their communities.”
The Youth Inclusion Initiative is believed to be the only state-led program in the nation of its kind that focuses on connecting young people in overburdened communities with hands-on experience in environmental professions.
Since 2021, the summer program has progressed from 18 participants and two host organizations to more than 100 participants from 10 host organizations. Private nonprofit community host organizations are essential to the success of the program by working to recruit participants and then planning and supervising their summer experience.
Additionally, the organizations promote participants’ continued growth by helping them identify next steps, such as furthering their education.
This year’s community host organizations are Groundwork Elizabeth, Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC, Newark), the Neighborhood Improvement Association (NIA, Trenton), NJ Community Development Corporation (Paterson), the Environmental Justice Alliance (Newark); the Outdoor Equity Alliance (Trenton), Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken), Team Wilderness (Jersey City), United Parks as One (Newark) and WNW Strategies Inc. (Willingboro).
This week, participants were introduced to DEP’s senior leadership and took part in an orientation at DEP headquarters, where they familiarized themselves with the department’s work to protect public health and the state’s resources, as well as the many activities planned for the summer.
Participants will spend most of their time gaining technical skills through hands-on activities such as utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to collect and analyze survey data on park facilities, conducting field assessments of wetlands, building rain barrels, collecting macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects) from a stream to determine water quality, and more.
In addition, they will work on environmental projects in their home communities such as cleaning up local parks and planting community gardens. DEP provides the funding for these projects to the community host organizations.
To complement participants’ exposure to environmental careers, each week of the program will conclude with opportunities for professional development, such as resume and cover letter writing as well as presentations from guest speakers.
Some of the program’s guest speakers work alongside the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development to open career pathways to sustainable, green jobs for those from underserved communities. Speakers from the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs will also provide insight into the professional and educational benefits for pursuing green careers offered through the National Guard.
