Cincinnati’s youth green workforce is getting hundreds of teens outside.
Nonprofit Groundwork Ohio River Valley employs high school students, many from communities underserved by conservation movements, to work in parks and community gardens throughout the city.
Youth leader assistant Sophie Glenn joined the Green Team in 2020.
“It felt like the world was ending and everyone was like ‘Oh the climate crisis is going to kill us all in 10 years, or whatever,’ ” Glenn said. “As a young person, that’s sort of like ‘Oh, I don’t have a future at all.’ ”
She spent that summer weeding out Madisonville's community garden and removing invasive species from Bramble Park. Glenn has joined the Green Team every year since.
“I do it because I want to make a difference, however cheesy that sounds,” Glenn said.
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The Green Team operates in groups of 10, each one led by two older members.
Haneefa Valentine worked on the Green Team for the first time this year, also as a youth leader assistant. Though she enjoys being outside, she had not done conservation work before.
“I tried it just because I wanted to try something new, expand my horizons,” Valentine said. “It worked out really well. Turns out I actually like doing this.”
She helped lead younger Green Team participants as they monitored air quality and did trail maintenance.
“People don’t realize how important the environment is and I feel like the kids this summer really got a firm grasp on that,” Valentine said. “I feel like they will be able to share that information with other people or other youth.”
Groundwork wants to prepare people working on the Green Team for environmental jobs.
Green Team member Morgan Pennington worked on projects at Winton Woods. Though she plans on becoming a mental health therapist, being on the Green Team gave her appreciation for how spending time outside can support wellbeing.
“I feel like the outdoors really helps,” Pennington said. “Being outside this summer, I feel like it calmed me mentally. With everything going on in the world, it’s nice to just have a space you know you can come to.”
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The summer Green Team wrapped up its work Thursday. The youth workforce cleared 13 acres of invasive species, removed 825 pounds of trash, and completed 180 hours of professional development, according to Groundwork.
Green Team Director Sierra Hayden started off as a Green Team member. She hopes the program instills an environmental mindset in the young people who participate.
“Just being able to share the natural world with them, I feel like really opens up doors,” Hayden said.