Anonymous Foundation Supports Summer Youth Employment
Summer Youth Employment Expansion
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 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 an anonymous foundation has 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.
Highlights:
- Eighteen organizations submitted applications
- Twelve organizations received funding for 14 supervisors, tools, training, t-shirts and on-going consultation
- Over 130 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 training 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.
For more information on the Summer Youth Employment Expansion,
please visit Boston Youth Environmental Network or call 617)345-5322 x110
.