Inspiring Future Green Job Candidates – Youth Tree Team 2021
Thirty-six teens representing 15 high schools from Fulton, Clayton, DeKalb, Henry, and Newton Counties were hired for the Summer 2021 crew of Youth Tree Team at Trees Atlanta. The summer program is a paid job training program that also includes enrichment curriculum that sparks young peoples’ environmental stewardship, teaches financial literacy, launches wider exploration of green careers, and cultivates soft skills for professional development.
Throughout the eight-week job training program, students have been working with our staff on the Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum and greenspaces throughout the city to water, mulch, prune, and weed so that newly planted and existing trees thrive.
The students completed their summer program with a capstone project that included mock-up designs for educational signage and possible planting palette designs for canopy and ground cover installations for the Flowering Forest – a Tree Tribute to Congressman John Lewis in Freedom Park. Their hands on work advanced our biodiversity efforts by preparing the site for the next phase of planting in the fall.
Collectively, the team logged some impressive metrics this summer:
- Worked over 5,600 hours
- Cared for 450 trees
- Removed invasive plant species from 14 acres of greenspace
- Hand carried 635 gallons of water for trees
Please watch this recording of the Youth Tree Team 2021 Graduation and Capstone project student presentations.
One of the goals of Youth Tree Team is to increase awareness of green job options, whether for organizations like Trees Atlanta, our program partners, or as a professional in any career path they choose. The students’ week was divided into work days with our staff where they learned and practiced tree care and landscape management. Other days were “enrichment days” when various partners coached the team through life skills they can apply in any job application process, including interview and presentation practice, resume writing, and how to open a bank account. All students increase their capacity to be stewards for our environment while building applicable skills for jobs.
The 2021 Youth Tree Team program was made possible with the collaboration of local environmental nonprofit organizations and businesses, like Community Sustainability Enterprise who have been our teaching partner for Financial Literacy for the past four years, and through the financial support of these funders: Fifth Third Bank, Delta Community Credit Union, Home Depot Foundation, Community Sustainability Enterprise, Mercedes Benz, City of Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia Forestry Foundation, Norfolk Southern, and Children & Nature Network.
The continuing success of Youth Tree Team is due to the community and partnership support that includes teaching enrichment classes and hosting students on field trips to meet with professionals in various green industries.
We thank these 2021 Youth Tree Team Program Partners and Sponsors.
Recruiting and Application for 2022
In November, Trees Atlanta will begin the recruiting and application process for the 2022 Youth Tree Team, our seventh year of the program. We encourage schools, as well as students, to sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up with the latest youth programs and notices, including the Urban Tree Tracker in-school environmental education program.
Please watch this recording of the Youth Tree Team 2021 Graduation and Capstone project student presentations.
Are you interested in becoming a Partner or Sponsor for our 2022 class of Youth Tree Team? Please contact: dana@treesatlanta.org .
Posted: 8/4/21
