Community Outreach and Partners

Youth Partnerships

BLS Youth CAN is partnering with the Food Project and the Real Food Challenge in planning the Northeast Regional Food and Justice Summit in February.  Click here for their website.

Boston Latin Academy - Students will put together Faculty Engagement Tool Kits aimed at helping student groups raise faculty interest in implementing Education for Sustainability (EfS) curriculum and greening facilities.

Codman Academy - Developing a model for ensuring use of Roofscape data sets in classrooms at offsite schools. http://sites.google.com/site/codmanccan/Home

Codmon Academy and BLA - Proposal for an energy performance contracting pilot at our three schools. Click here for more information.

Dorchester Bay Youth Force - Partnership will develop school-based student-led Greening Our Curriculum advocacy committees to promote the roll out of the EfS curriculum (using the Faculty Engagement Tool Kits).  Collaboration will also provide paid summer jobs for students to put together Energy Audit Tool Kits for students to use next fall that will evolve into an ongoing program giving city students jobs performing energy audits for schools, homes, and businesses. https://gotchayouthjobs.org/programs/youth-force

The Fenway Area Green Roof Student Coalition

Youth CAN initiated a coalition of colleges and high schools in the Fenway area seeking to green our respective institutions.  Individual groups will pursue their green projects with the greater support and enthusiasm that comes from being part of a larger initiative. Together we have the power to make a real difference and become the first green roof enclave in Boston.

The John D. Philbrick School

Mentoring partnership between BLS Youth CAN students and 5th grade students at the Philbrick School guiding them in pursuing sustainability initiatives as leaders at their own school based on BLS Youth CAN experiences.

Community Partnerships

Alliance for Climate Education (ACE)

Youth CAN is collaborating with ACE to get the word out in Massachusetts about Climate Change. http://www.climateeducation.org/content/mission-goals

The City of Boston and Mayor Menino

Mayor Menino’s Climate Action Leadership Committee includes a Youth CAN member.  Youth CAN members helped the Mayor collect pledges on Earth Day and lead Youth Climate Workshops in Boston.  To announce his committee, Mayor Menino chose to hold the press conference at Boston Latin School with Youth CAN students and Al Gore in attendance Several Youth CAN students met the former Vice President personally.  Also BLS Youth CAN collected more than 500 energy pledges for the Mayor at a UMass Boston Recycling event for Earth Day.

Boston City Councilor-At-Large John Connolly

Youth CAN students facilitated two local public hearings on climate at the Councilor’s request.  John Connolly is a great supporter of our Education for Sustainability (EfS) Campaign.  Youth CAN members serve on a Connolly environmental education advisory group.

The Food Project - Partnership to engage youth in a summer farm-to-market program using Roofscape gardens. http://thefoodproject.org

National Grid Foundation

The National Grid Foundation provides funding for the Annual Global Climate Change Summit, the Massachusetts Education for Sustainability Campaign, and the Sustainable Roofscape & Community Learning Center.

National Wildlife Federation - BLS is an Eco School - and NWF NASA Pilot School

BLS Youth CAN has partnered with the National Wildlife Federation since the second summit where the NWF generously funded the summit and provided an additional $10,000 to fund teen-led Climate Action Grants. The National Wildlife Federation has applied for a NASA grant to participate in a three-year pilot program where educators would develop climate curriculum with specialists at Goddard Space Center and bring it back and implement it at their schools. Travel, lodging and stipends included!  NWF has invited BLS to participate in the pilot and were awarded the grant.

Studio G Architects, Gail Sullivan, Principal

When Youth CAN sought pro bono design help for a green roof to reducing the school’s carbon footprint, Gail Sullivan of Studio G Architects stepped in to help.  Students are thrilled with the Roofscape design that Studio G and Youth CAN have developed in ongoing collaboration. See animated 3D virtual tour at http://studio-g-architects.blogspot.com/2009/10/movie.html

Technology and Culture Forum at MIT

Youth CAN partners every year with The Technology and Culture Forum at MIT, hosting its Annual Global Climate Change Summit for students and educators.

Partnering with the GOAL (Green, Opportunity, Leadership, Action) Network

In January 2009, the GOAL Network began piloting a green jobs mentoring program with BLS Youth CAN students to match youth to internships in local green businesses. GOAL offered six fellowships to rising juniors and seniors at the Boston Latin School for its inaugural pilot program. The fellowship program called GOAL Fellows included a summer-long mentorship program, a yearlong sustainability project and a career support system.  Each GOAL Fellow is paired with a GOAL Business Partner, a 'green' business in the Boston area. During the summer of 2008, the GOAL Fellows shadowed an assigned GOAL Mentor from within the respective GOAL Business Partners. The mentorship introduces the Fellow to the exciting field of ‘green’ business and ultimately teaches him or her the fundamentals of the respective organization.  During the mentorships, the Fellows will meet regularly for scheduled educational, training, recreational and/or networking events. http://www.goalnetwork.org/?forstudents.html

Partnering with Mass Power Shift

Youth CAN is also partnering with Mass Power Shift. Massachusetts Power Shift (MAPS) is a non-partisan network of climate activists advocating for immediate, bold, and comprehensive solutions to climate change.   MAPS is primarily led by college students, graduate students, and young professionals and is open to anyone who wishes to participate. Youth CAN students will partner with MAPS college student liaisons to engage Youth CAN students in MAPS efforts to support the goal of obtaining all of our nation's electricity from clean sources in 10 years.  Shifting to clean power will mean we can jumpstart the economy by creating millions of jobs, eliminate our dependence on foreign oil, and begin reversing the effects of global warming. www.masspowershift.org

Partnering with World Wide Waldens - BLS Youth CAN is serving as youth advisors to World Wide Waldens as they plan a youth leadership World Wide Web Summit event for the spring of 2010.  http://www.worldwidewaldens.org/

TCI Jewbilee - Facing Global Challenges in Support of a Better World 2010

16 students from BLS Youth CAN led a session about forming a climate action group at Jewbilee 2010 engaging 80+ student attendees. http://www.tcionline.org/programs/jewbilee.shtml

Down2Earth - BLS Youth CAN participates annual at the Down2Earth Sustainability Expo at the Hynes Convention Center in the spring. http://www.d2eboston.com/

The New England Aquarium http://www.neaq.org

Youth CAN has attended the Aquarium’s Oceans Summit, and invited Aquarium staff to lead workshops at Youth CAN’s annual Climate Summit at MIT

Boston Climate Action Network http://bostoncan.wordpress.com/

Boston's Environmental Ambassadors to National Parks

http://www.nps.gov/boha/parknews/community.htm

Boston Nature Center

http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Boston/index.php

In October of 2008 BLS Youth CAN helped build a 100’ long fish weir at the Boston Nature Center in Mattapan to help prevent refuse from an adjacent stream from flowing onto nature center property during flooding of the stream.  (See photo)

GreenSchools http://www.greenschools.net/

BLS Youth CAN Participates in Several Environmental Festivals and Fairs Annually:

Franklin Park Zoo Conservation Day (Earth Day); Boston Children’s Museum; Green Fest; Wake Up the Earth; etc.

BLS Youth CAN invites new partners to list themselves on the Youth CAN Network Page at:

http://youthcannetwork.org/Youth_CAN_Network/Youth_CAN_Members_and_Partners.html