Note: Fernando Betancourt Jr. attends New Haven’s Sound School. He wrote the following story as part of a school internship program.
On a cool April day, I joined Solar Youth’s Citycology group for a brief hike in the woods. During the hike adult educator Curtis and four other youth interns engaged the Citycology group comprised of 5 – 8 year-old youths in fun activities such as songs, story telling, and listening to animal noises. From walking on the hike with Citycology, I learned that these activities were designed to be more than just fun.
Founded by Yale School of Forestry graduate Joanne Sciulli in the fall of 2000, the non-profit youth development and environmental education organization Solar Youth has worked to provide youths who reside in New Haven’s low-income areas, opportunities to develop a positive sense of themselves and connection and commitment to others. To achieve their mission, Solar Youth has programs that incorporate studies about the environment, leadership, and community service.
There are currently seven groups in Solar Youth; the Neighborhood Steward Team, Leaders in Training Adventures, Green Skills, Hands-On Outdoor Learning, Summer City-Wide Steward Teams, and the previously mentioned Citycology group. Citycology trains and hires teenagers as educators for younger children.
“The internship opportunities offer teens a way to make a bit of money in addition to developing valuable employability skills,” says Maggie Dressel, an environmental educator with Solar Youth.
“Solar Youth is a really good place to get job readiness skills,” says Nicole Dunnaville, a senior youth intern in the program.
Meeting every Monday and Wednesday from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m., Citycology’s four teenage educators engage 5 – 8 year-olds in their lesson plan that can include anything from math to going outside into the community and cleaning things that are bad for the environment.
“I learned about the two types of trees,” says Marquatte Kelley, who is 5. “Coniferous and Deciduous” Kelley said with confidence.
“We learn about where water comes from and we have field trips,” says Adrian Medeley 7 years old, another Citycology Youth.
Solar Youth’s program is based on the program model “Kids Explore! Kids Do! Kids Teach!“ The title of this program model is self-explanatory. First kids explore and learn about their community’s local ecology. Then the kids use what they have learned and do something that benefits the community such as community clean up and beautification. Finally, kids teach what they have learned to others through presentations that include posters and public billboards.
“I used to be shy and now I can give presentations in front of people,” says Nicole. “I started working with Solar Youth and I realized that I wanted to work with kids,” continued Nicole who next year will be studying to go into education.
In a time where the job market and environmental issues have frequently made front-page news headlines, Solar Youth continues to give kids and teens job readiness skills, while at the same time, giving them a better understanding of the environment around them. Especially in today’s tough times an understanding of the above is invaluable.
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