Youth Involvement
Building leadership capacity among young people is a crucial element of the overall outreach strategy for the Green Impact Zone®. In June 2010, the zone launched the NEXUS of Excellence summer youth initiative, an intensive seven-week enrichment program designed to encourage entrepreneurship in the fields of energy and the environment.
Participating teens met each day at the Pioneer Campus of the Metropolitan Community Colleges, which donated classroom space and a technology lab to the program.
In addition to classroom training and guest speakers, students participated in "exposure" field trips geared toward reinforcing the concept of green business and the green economy.
Students visited urban farms, power plants, water-treatment facilities, money museums and an environmental justice program. Several of the older teens participated in the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus Foundation conference in St. Louis. The younger students visited Camp Wildwood, an outdoor educational facility in LaCygne, Kan. Students were also able to earn community service hours toward high school graduation.
“These young people were so excited about the exposure they received to new information, new ideas and new opportunities that they often didn't want to leave at the end of the day,” said Anita Maltbia, Green Impact Zone director.
Two youth coordinators — David Bryant, lead youth coordinator, and Veronica Maull-Turner, assistant youth coordinator — were hired to lead the project. Maull-Turner is a resident of the Manheim neighborhood in the Green Impact Zone.
The program ended with a celebration ceremony on July 30 to recognize the 16 teens who participated.
