NOAH Youth Leadership Crew members, also known as N-YO, for NOAH Youth Organizers, are a group of dedicated local teens aged between 14 to 17, who are being trained in Leadership Development with a focus on environmental justice projects. They involve themselves in community organizing and direct service in East Boston. The year-round program helps young people develop leadership and career skills that positively influence their academic and social lives while providing them with meaningful local employment. The program also offers the opportunity for the youth to have their voices heard while directly getting involved with environmental justice and other related issues effecting their home neighborhood. Through hands-on experience as well as extensive training in environmental justice and community organizing, the youth leadership curriculum instills confidence and skills in the youth to enable them to be “climate leaders” in their community.
Youth Leadership Crew members determine which projects will improve their urban environment and work towards achieving their goals. The group meet regularly to share their knowledge though youth get-togethers known as ‘getties’. These meet-ups allow the youth to implement group actives, practice public speaking and provide a space to discuss Climate Change. Alongside climate concerns and urban tree canopy restoration, N-YO have tackled such issues as social equity, food insecurity, and legislative lobbying for environmental justice.
N-YO’s work involves mobilizing on Environmental Justice issues, basement flood assessments, clean air campaigns, an East Boston Youth Task Force, running Environmental Justice Tours, community events and more. The Youth run successful campaigns in Anti-Littering and Flood-Risk Awareness, Urban Tree Planting and Maintenance and have surveyed residents on emergency preparedness and actively participated in climate conversations. The youth have also spearheaded an Outdoor Movie Nights program, continued an ecofriendly community gardening and park maintenance initiative as well as directing the NOAH Boating Safety & Learn to Kayak initiative, yearly youth summits, and more.
N-YO aims to empower and build strong relationships with the community, educate and create public awareness on issues impacting East Boston, transform the Chelsea Creek, fight against environmental racism, create change, and work to achieve Environmental and Social Justice.
For more information on NOAH Youth Organizer related programming, please reach out to Manlio Mendez at mmendez@noahcdc.org or 617-418-8242.