Groundwork Portland launched its Green Team Program in the summer of 2011. Green Teams are youth and young adults who build awareness of environmental and social justice issues, brownfields redevelopment, job skills, environmental career exposure, watershed restoration, and environmental stewardship. Green Teams offer leadership opportunities for youth from disadvantaged backgrounds to influence development in their neighborhoods and region overtime, calling for more equitable distribution of natural resource assets.
Summer 2011 Accomplishments:
- Engaged over 30 diverse youth and young adults in the first year of the Green Team Program.
- Education: City, County and METRO services, examples of Environmental Justice, superfund and Brownfield remediation, community-based development, and local history.
- Job skills: Restored split rail fences, compost bins, sheds, and gazebo, and demolition work. Learned how to use tools for construction and welding.
- Environmental change: Green Team youth removed invasive species from Johnson Creek Watershed; learned about the impact of pollution on water, soil, animals and people; sculpted a bench made of cob, removed trash, and harvested native seeds.
- Leadership: Green Team ambassadors to the Groundwork USA and Youth Assembly at Rocky Mountain National Park to represent their experiences in Portland
BECOME A GREEN TEAM SPONSOR!
$100 - Sponsors gear for a Green Team youth
$250 - Provides field trips for an entire Green Team
$500 - Offers a summer work stipend for one Green Team youth
If you are interested in participating, partnering, sponsoring the Green Team Program, or donating tools and supplies to Groundwork Portland make a secure online donation at:
or
contact:
Cassie Cohen, Program Director
(503) 662-2590
cassie@groundworkportland.org
Currently, Groundwork Portland is partnering with students and teachers from King and DaVinci Schools to involve youth in the Emerson Street Garden and help them learn about growing food and neighborhood history.