Endangered New Jersey: Youth Inclusion Program

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection launched this summer its third annual Youth Inclusion Initiative summer program. The goal is to engage young people from overburdened communities that have disproportionately less open space by providing hands-on training and exposure to career opportunities within the environmental field.

Launched in Summer 2021, the program advances key elements of the Council on the Green Economy, which serves to develop a blueprint for expanding the green economy and building a diverse, inclusive workforce to support Governor Murphy’s clean energy and climate goals.

The DEP is partnering with five community-based organizations to provide participants ages 16 to 20 an opportunity to explore various careers within the environmental field by learning from DEP professionals in nearly all department programs such as water and air monitoring, natural resource management, and wildlife conservation.

This year’s partner organizations are Neighborhood Improvement Association (Trenton), Rutgers-Camden, Groundwork Elizabeth, Ironbound Community Corporation (Newark) and The Work Group (Camden). The program will include 47 participants and runs from July 6 to August 16.

“The DEP is thrilled to launch its third year of the Youth Inclusion Initiative program that will advance the Murphy Administration’s goal of building a more diverse and inclusive green workforce,” said Commissioner LaTourette. “My DEP colleagues and I thank our community-based partners, who worked to recruit participants from areas that have disproportionately less open space. Our DEP professionals are eager to work with these young people, providing invaluable lessons and insights on protecting public health and the environment in some of the state’s wonderful outdoor settings.”

The program’s partner organizations, formally called Community Host Organizations, will support participants throughout and after the conclusion of the program by identifying next steps for furthering education, obtaining credentials and other actions to promote their growth.

This year, the Youth Inclusion Initiative was expanded to include professional development days, which will incorporate resume and cover letter writing sessions and presentations from guest speakers. Many of the guest speakers selected for the professional development days were awarded apprenticeship grants from the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development for creating opportunities for those from underserved communities through career pathways that support sustainable green jobs.