Jubilee Homes’ Community Day Shows Us the Importance of Engaging Youth as Environmental Citizens
This past weekend myself, our co-president Bri and a couple of our friends went to Jubilee Homes’ first community day of the year. Jubilee Homes is a local organization that is committed to revitalizing the Southwest side of Syracuse through affordable housing, workforce and entrepreneurship programming, economic development and youth development programming. With their work, their vision is to “provide access to homeownership, economic growth and employment opportunities to the community to turn generational poverty into generational wealth in our community” (News, 2021). One of these opportunities is the Southwest Community Learning Farm. The innovative project is run by Jubilee Homes with the help of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County. The project “provides youth from the inner city with employment opportunities while simultaneously promoting good citizenship and positive environmental practices” (Syracuse Grows, 2020).
It was surprisingly a warm day in Syracuse, and at first, there was some reluctance in attending. After some reflection, I realized how rewarding it felt to benefit the community in which I wanted to feel closer to, and seeing some of my peers from ESF in attendance as well. But what I most enjoyed seeing was the next generation of young people engaged in both environmental and civic activism, getting visibly excited by the amount of progress we were making as a community.
This isn’t the first time that young climate activists have caught our attention. Indisputably, Greta Thunberg is a great example, but there are many young Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color who are at the center of the environmental movement who are often overlooked. It’s important to support youth in bringing attention to environmental disasters, especially those youth who are part of disproportionately affected communities, such as low-income and Indigenous communities. Young people have been shown increasing interest in community and civic engagement. A report conducted by Dr. Jennifer Willet and Dr. Mary Hylton showed that there was a “stronger belief in the importance of becoming community leaders than previous generations did” (Youth Activism Matters, 2020). Today’s youth have inherited a planet ravaged by climate change. As they look toward their future, they’re more motivated to be environmentally active than older generations — and they have more tools than ever before with which to make their voices heard through youth activism.
Bri and I spoke with a professor from Syracuse University who was from the area. She came with her son to volunteer, who was also involved in Earth Corps as a youth volunteer. We spent the majority of the day raising beds for additional planting and winter planting and harvesting together. In the meantime, the professor spoke about her son’s experience working with Earth Corps of Syracuse and the Southwest Community Learning Farm initiative. She exclaimed that her son wouldn’t stop bragging to her and her family about all the work he was doing with the groups last summer, and all the people and community members that were doing the work with him. Her son found solace in working with some older community members on the garden bed. Ever since, him and his mother come to the Community Learning Farm at least once a month to do their part in the community.
Engaging youth in environmental activism, activities, and protection not only creates a direct impact on changing youth behaviors and attitudes, but possibly influences their parents, relatives, and families. Whether through education, technology, science or law ─ young people are tapping into their skills to speak up for climate action.
Sources
News, U. (2021, April 23). Jubilee homes southwest community Learning farm Community DAY Saturday, April 24th. Retrieved May 08, 2021, from https://www.urbancny.com/jubilee-homes-southwest-community-learning-farm-community-day-saturday-april-24th/
Syracuse Grows. (2020, March 12.). Retrieved May 08, 2021, from https://syracusegrows.org/gardens/southwest-community-farm/
Why youth environmental activism matters. (2020, January 07). Retrieved May 08, 2021, from https://onlinedegrees.unr.edu/blog/youth-environmental-activism/#:~:text=Why%20Is%20It%20Important%20to,low%2Dincome%20and%20tribal%20communities.
