THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE YOUTH TEAM is a leadership development program which teaches the youth about community organizing. What does it mean, what are some examples, and then putting it into practice. The way they put it into practice is by using the existing space of a rooftop garden where community led conversations can take place to address issues such as green space access, food insecurity, and air quality while promoting the priority of health and wellness.
ABOUT THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Our goal with this Youth Leadership Development Project is to cultivate a youth base for Nos Quedamos and ensure that we are prepared to build on and promote the legacy of community-led change and empowerment into the future.
The garden network will act as a base for organizing the community toward policies that center community health and food justice in the South Bronx, with young people leading the charge and engaging their friends, families, and neighbors in dynamic programming. The gardens will allow us to address vital community needs, while increasing the capacity of young organizers to get involved in our larger campaigns.
The Youth Leadership Development Project will bring the voices of youth and young adults into our work and empower them to effectively educate and organize their peers, family, and neighbors towards food and environmental justice for Melrose. With this project, it will allow us to build our youth base needed to pass the baton forward to a new generation of community leaders. In addition, our activation of gardens and local parks aims towards the big-picture goal of increasing the self-sufficiency of our community by creating access to quality, healthy food and fresh fruits and vegetables that we plant and cultivate ourselves.
For more info, contact our Community Organizer, Carmen De Jesús at: cdejesus@nosquedamos.org
Click or scan below for the youth cohort's Journey Journal.
