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High School Fellowship: Year Three

 

After two years of successful implementation, Sustainable Long Island is proud to announce the launch of its High School Fellowship Program: Year Three!

Sustainable Long Island has hired five junior and senior high school students interested in issues of sustainability, community planning and development, and civic engagement to participate in planning processes, engage other young adults in planning for the future, and learning about local and regional food systems. The Fellowship is an opportunity to learn about and participate in community based planning and regional efforts to ensure a sustainable Long Island for generations to come.

Sustainable Long Island's Fellowship Class of 2011-2012

  • Ashif Hassan
  • Holly Josephs
  • Stephanie Mejia
  • Makese Powe
  • Emily Wilkins

Here's some of what's in store for year three:

Participate in a planning process by developing the youth component to the project including:

  • Conducting outreach to youth –develop key messages, create youth-focused materials
  • Developing educational materials to engage youth on sustainability and land use planning—this may involve a walking audit of a community, taking photographs, developing a survey
  • Working with a certified teacher to execute interactive planning workshops for youth of all ages
  • Report on findings

Participate in youth-focused farm stand/farmers market pilot projects in low-income communities:

  • Visit farmer market stands several Saturdays/Sundays until October/November helping market set-up, selling produce and engaging local community members
  • Work collaboratively to learn basics of business management, local agriculture, healthy eating, interpersonal and community building skills
  • Conduct post-season evaluation and generate ideas for next years’ project

Engage young adults across Long Island in sustainability issues and planning including clean water conservation, brownfield redevelopment, and environmental justice:

  • Develop educational materials and pledge for commitment to sustainability through individual actions
  • Assist with social media communication

HS Fellowship Recap (1st and 2nd Year):

Participation of youth is essential to the future of planning. Through Sustainable Long Island’s High School Fellowship Program, participants will have the opportunity to learn and participate in community based planning and engage other youth from across the region. These young adults are smart, creative and hard working. They have taken ownership of the fellowship and completed their work with excellence and professionalism.

Sustainable Long Island's Fellowship Class of 2010-2011

  • Sarah DeGray
  • Ibeth Escobar
  • Matthew Lippertshauser
  • Sean Mohan
  • Monica Velasquez
  • Brian Yakkey

Sustainable Long Island 2nd Annual High School Fellowship employed numerous high school juniors and seniors across Long Island  to work closely with staff on community planning and revitalization projects within the organization.  

Funded by the Levitt Foundation, this program engages students in a local community planning project, develop creative, fun outreach methods targeted at young adults, and learn about local and regional food systems while helping with Sustainable Long Island’s youth-run farmers’ markets.

“This fellowship gives the chance for students to see what it’s like to work at a nonprofit organization, complete day-to-day tasks, while focusing on numerous projects and planning processes” said Sarah Lansdale, Executive Director, Sustainable Long Island. “Students will be active in and learning about issues of sustainability, community planning, and development and civic engagement.”

Students including Sarah DeGray of Sachem High School North, Ibeth Escobar of Roosevelt High School, Matthew Lippertshauser of Bethpage High School, and Monica Velasquez of Uniondale High School receive a stipend for their work, which entails a one year part-time commitment including 20 hours a week in the summer and five hours a week during the school year. This program helped students build different skills, while providing experience to those who will soon be off to college looking for more part time, and eventually, full time jobs.

“It’s important to me to get younger people involved in issues that our communities face on a daily basis,” said Matthew Lippertshauser. “I hope to learn from this experience and educate others along the way.”

Sustainable Long Island's Fellowship Class of 2009-2010

  • Rachel Kaufman
  • Adam Roberts
  • Colby Sim

The inaugural year of our High School Fellowship was a tremendous success. Some highlights for the students included the opportunity to attend and present at the Long Island Regional Planning Council and meet with several regional leaders including Kirk Kordeleski, President and CEO of Bethpage Federal Credit Union.

Additionally, they attended a week-long Environmental Citizenship Institute at CW Post. Other experiences have included presenting at a Sustainable Long Island Board of Director’s Meeting, attending press conferences with local government officials and meeting Former Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi and NYS Governor Paterson at a local Long Island event. From these experiences, the students learned first-hand how government operates informing them of how to be advocates for environmental change.

The students assisted in outreach for Freeport community process and developed draft outreach materials for the general community and for youth, while also participating in physically placing the materials in the community.

Contact Janice Moynihan at 516-873-0230 x105 for more information on future fellowship opportunities!


First Year Fellows Bethpage Powerpoint
Second Year Fellow Farmingdale Visioning Report