Getting Youth Involved in Environmental Projects
The Environmental Sustainability Team heard a presentation in February from Ken Hamilton who directs a student-led environmental organization in the Pottstown area. Ken is Executive Director of GreenAllies, whose mission is to empower and support students as they become environmental sustainability leaders.
GreenAllies owns and manages a nature center on a 17-acre farm located north of Pottstown where they have gardens, trails, and other environmental features. It’s basically an outdoor education center and community space. From this farm, called Althouse Arboretum, the kids plan and initiate environmental projects in the area and provide environmental education. There currently are students from five high schools who are involved in the program.
The students are the leaders of GreenAllies. And, they are spreading the word about environmental leadership for youth by training high schoolers outside the immediate area. They have held conversations and training sessions with students and teachers across Pennsylvania and even out of state. Their goal is not to establish clubs, but to develop a network of student-led groups that plan and do their own environmental projects where they live.
We are trying to connect GreenAllies with high school students who may be interested in starting an environmental initiative in their school. We thought that a good place to start is with our Interact Clubs.
GreenAllies will be holding a High School Conference on Saturday, March 8, at Montgomery County Community College in Pottstown. It’s not too late to sign up. www.green-allies.org. Call me if you would like to discuss it.
And, if students from your Interact Club can’t make it to the March 8 conference, we would welcome the opportunity to connect them with GreenAllies to learn how they can kick off an environmental initiative in their school.
Oh, and don’t forget that April is Environment Month in Rotary. Hope your club is planning to do an environmental project either on the Rotary Day of Service on April 19 or sometime during the month of April. If you need ideas, visit the “Supporting the Environment” page under Service on the District website.
Terry Reed
Chair, District Environmental Sustainability Team
610-743-0818
terry.reed731@gmail.com