FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2024
Contact:
Lawrence Hajna (609) 984-1795
Caryn Shinske (609) 984-1795
Vincent Grassi (609) 984-1795
(24/P025) TRENTON – The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection today kicked off its fourth annual Youth Inclusion Initiative program, which partners with community-based organizations to give young people from overburdened communities the opportunity to learn about various careers in the environmental field through interactive skill-building activities. For the first time, participants will have opportunities to work on projects in their home communities, ranging from cleaning up parks to planting community gardens.
Since its inception in 2021, the summer program has grown from 18 participants to nearly 80 this year, and from two host organizations to eight this year. Beginning as a State Park Service workforce development program, the Youth Inclusion Initiative has been continually updated and expanded to become a far more comprehensive program that provides exposure to nearly every program area within the DEP, as well as private and non-profit environmental organizations. The program runs from July 8 through August 16.
“After months of planning between DEP and our partner organizations, we are pleased to welcome this year’s group of young people to our headquarters in Trenton to kick off this special summer experience,” said Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “Our environmental professionals are eager to share their passion for protecting the environment with these young people in hopes of sparking an interest in environmental careers.”
The program focuses on providing opportunities to participants, ages 16 to 20, from communities that have disproportionately less open space or historically lack natural lands access. During today’s kickoff at DEP headquarters, participants were introduced to DEP’s senior leadership, learned about the functions of the department and the services it provides the public, and got acquainted with the activities planned for the summer. The orientation also featured engaging career spotlight presentations by staff from the department’s Office of Emergency Management and Office of Environmental Justice.
For the next six weeks, eight community organizations will facilitate the participants’ journeys as they learn from DEP professionals about careers in water and air monitoring, natural resource management, wildlife conservation, and more.
This year’s partner organizations, formally called Community Host Organizations, include:
A new addition to the program is community project days for participants to work on an environmental project within their home communities. These projects help them bring improvements to their neighborhoods, boosting community and self-pride. Activities include park cleanups, installation of environmental education exhibits, and planting of community gardens. The DEP provides the partner organizations with funding for the projects.
“We empower tomorrow's leaders through our Youth Inclusion Initiative, driving meaningful change and fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Elizabeth Dragon, Assistant Commissioner for Community Investment and Economic Revitalization. “This year, our enhanced curriculum includes dedicated weekly days for participants to engage in tangible and impactful environmental projects within their communities.”
The program was also expanded to include a rehearsal day focusing on public speaking skills and mock interviews, crucial components of an individual’s professional development. Throughout the summer, participants will continue to take part in resume and cover letter writing sessions and attend presentations from guest speakers. Several 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.
In addition to growing as a young professional, participants will spend most of their time gaining technical skills through hands-on activities such as conducting a mock environmental impact investigation, collecting macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects) from a stream to determine water quality, handling fish at the state trout hatchery, and designing a park with Green Acres staff, among other activities. The program also includes a visit to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regional office.
DEP’s award-winning Youth Inclusion Initiative directly supports the Murphy Administration’s goal to build a diverse, inclusive environmental workforce equipped with the skills to expand the state’s green economy and advance environmental justice. Community Host Organizations help the state work towards achieving that goal by teaming up with the DEP to recruit the program’s participants, and plan and supervise their summer experience. Additionally, the organizations promote their continued growth by helping them identify next steps, such as furthering their education.
Here is what this year’s Community Host Organizations, which includes several who have partnered with DEP in past years, have to say about the Youth Inclusion Initiative:
For more information about the Youth Inclusion Initiative, visit dep.nj.gov/yii/.
NJDEP PHOTOS/Top: Orientation Day group photo; Bottom: 2023 program participants collect aquatic insects from a stream to measure biological health