Greening Youth Foundation: Empowering the green stewards of tomorrow

By Quameiha Raymond-Ducheine, storytelling associate

As green spaces become increasingly rare, Greening Youth Foundation (GYF) leads efforts to engage underrepresented youth and young adults, connecting them to the outdoors and careers in conservation. Greening Youth Foundation’s culturally based, environmental education programs engage children from local communities and introduce them to healthy lifestyle choices, fostering a healthier community overall. These programs cover everything from sustainable agriculture to outdoor adventure, equipping young people with the skills and confidence to thrive in environmentally focused careers that range from conservation science to fire ecology, each playing a vital role in building a more sustainable and equitable world.

Although these jobs are in high demand, Black people remain underrepresented in the conservation sector. A 2022 Data USA report found that 91.5% of the conservation scientists and foresters workforce were white and less than 2% were Black. Several factors contribute to these disparities, including environmental injustice, income inequality and knowledge gaps. Shatiba Bradley, chief operating officer of GYF, says, “The biggest challenge for our communities is knowing where to start.” Therefore, the organization’s role is to ensure that 21st-century leaders know what green jobs are and are equipped to thrive in those environments.”

In 2023, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta invested $600,000 in GYF through its GoATL Economic Inclusion Fund, an innovative investment fund focused on driving economic inclusion through measurable increases in job growth and wealth creation for underinvested businesses and nonprofits in the region. The goal of this investment was to help the organization strengthen their internal infrastructure and build capacity to better achieve their mission of closing the diversity gap in the environmental workforce.

“The green space is growing. Fifty years ago, people looked at outdoor jobs as just landscaping. Now, we know there is synergy between funding and our federal government to support green initiatives,” says Bradley. Efforts like Mayor Andre Dickens’ Atlanta Youth Climate Initiative, for example underscore the importance of empowering youth in creating climate solutions for a sustainable Atlanta.

Greening Youth Foundation also has a partnership with Trees Atlanta to reforest areas impacted by urbanization, help restore Atlanta’s iconic canopy. “Atlanta’s getting 10 degrees hotter on average… because of all the cement,” Bradley explained. “The answer is to plant more trees. In five years, we’ll have 2,300 extra trees on the Beltline that our young people are planting and taking care of.”  Ari Hawkins is one of the young leaders stewarding this initiative through GYF. She currently serves as a team leader for the Youth Conservations Corps program. “Before this program, I did not see myself as a leader,” says Hawkins. “In the process of going through the program, I got to understand my style of leadership.” She aspires to be a gardener like Stephanie Simmons. “I want to be a master gardener and grow food for my community,” she says. Through this program, Hawkins has maintained a consistent income while learning valuable skills like beekeeping, botany and financial literacy. “Greening Youth is a holistic program,” she says. “It provides much-needed stipends while preparing us for our careers.”

In addition to local partnerships, GYF collaborates with major outdoor brands like Patagonia and The North Face, securing funding to expand its reach and impact. These partnerships support community projects and create transformative experiences for youth. Bradley emphasized the importance of paying a livable wage in the green sector to retain talent and provide stability for employees, particularly in a city with rising housing prices. “We want to make sure that, as an organization, people come here with a livable wage,” she said, underscoring GYF’s commitment to equity.

With that in mind, Greening Youth Foundation’s work extends beyond environmental impact. They aim to foster an empowered generation that understands its role in preserving the planet.

To learn more about Green Youth Foundation’s work, click here. To learn more about the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta’s impact investing work, click here.