8/22/2019 Green Team Denver Urban Spectrum August 2013

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Team Green...By Chandra Thomas Whitfield

Makalah Emanuel, 19, remem-bers well her first day on the job as amember of Groundwork DenversGreen Team.

First, she was informed that sheand her fellow youth environmentalassociates would be riding mountainbikes to the days assignment (its arequirement for all projects within 12miles round trip of Groundworkshome office).

Then, after shed huffed and puffedher way through the two-hour and 10-mile yes, 10-mile trek beneath the

beaming Denver sun, Emanuel,drenched in sweat, was also less thanpleased to hear the details of the jobahead.

Here I was trying to look cute andI was soaking wet (from sweat); thenthey tell us that wed be painting treesfor a few hours, recalls Emanuel,now a sophomore at the University ofNorthern Colorado. I was like, I rodeall the way over here just to paint treeswith sand and paint? Then my shoes

got all messed up (from the paint) andit started raining.

Somehow she pushed through thatarduous first day wet tresses (gasp)and all. Four summers later shesamong the youth leaders in the teengroup of about two-dozen high schooland college students employed byGroundwork, an environmentallyfriendly Denver non-profit. Whilemost young people spend their sum-mers flipping hamburgers or bagginggroceries, these students get paid some year-round to work on a vari-ety of environmental projects aroundmetro Denver, including a sustain-ability garden in the heart of the FivePoints area. The vast array of greenprojects of which members have par-taken in include, maintaining commu-nity gardens and local parks, land-scaping, repairing bicycles for neigh-borhood residents, stenciling storm

sewers and educating communitymembers on water quality. Not manypeople, let alone teens of color, can saythat theyve helped create a photo-voltaic (a fancy word for solar electric)system or joined in lead poisoningoutreach programs for schoolchildrenand adults.

Last summer, for example, teammembers wrapped up their service witha trip to Rocky Mountain National Parkin Estes Park, Colorado, where many

experienced camping for the first timeand helped the park service workerseliminate an exotic plant species thatwas endangering the area.

The Green Team program is opento all local students ages 14 to 24 whomaintain at least a 2.5 grade point

average in high school or are enrolledin college. Applicants must submit aresume and complete a face-to-faceinterview for consideration. The racialdiversity among team membersthough, Emanuel says, is often met bylooks of surprise and shock: particu-larly when she and fellow African-American team members show up forassignments. Ive never had a nega-tive reaction (from people in the com-

munity), she says. Its mostly been alot of people stopping by asking,what are you all doing and how canI donate to this (effort)?

The extreme reactions are par forthe course, as a huge portion ofGroundwork Denvers mission is toget more young people, especiallythose of color, engaged in the environ-mental movement.

I think this is a great opportunityfor the youth of Denver to learn about

sustainable culture, says YouthProgram Director Shane Wright. Itsa great way to bring the concept ofurban agriculture into urban commu-nities that havent been as engaged. Byhaving youth at the forefront we arehelping them grow into leaders of thegreen movement. Theyre learning thevalue of hard work and becomingadvocates for healthy eating andhealthy living at the same time.

Along with providing invaluablehands-on educational opportunities,program administrators boast that theGreen Team program also help itsyoung participants earn while theylearn. The youth are paid from $7.86up to $14 dollars per hour (depending

on experience, commitment and lead-ership skills), thanks to the financialsupport of the National Park Service,Denvers Youth Employment Programand a diverse mix of private, publicand non-profit partners.

Participants say the program has hada lasting effect on their lives overall.

Ive learned so much about healthand the environment since joining thisprogram, gushes Emanuel, while

dragging black rope through rows ofhay and dirt at the Five Points gardenlocated at 26th and Lawrence streets.The fruit and vegetable garden alsofeatures low-impact housing demon-strations, an aquaponic greenhouse, apermaculture demonstration, compostand an event space run by RedLine artgallery and the Denver HousingAuthority. Emanuel and a fellow teammember were working on extending atrench that will allow more water to

reach some recently planted alfalfaseeds. Ive shared a lot of what Ivelearned with my family.

Aurielle Thames, a junior at CareerEducation Center in Denver, can relate.

Lets just say that since Ive joinedthe team, Sunday dinner looks a littledifferent, quips Thames, 16. We stilleat greens and stuff, but now theresalso some fresh fruit or tomatoes onthe table too. Ive even helped my dad

create his own backyard garden. Hedalways wanted to do it, but he didntknow how.

Second year team member RenGarcia, of the Northeast Denver com-munity of Swansea (a known hotbedof environmental justice battles), says

hes also learned a lot about how tonetwork and work with others.

Its not just about working; itsalso about making connections andbuilding memories with young peoplelike yourself, says the BruceRandolph High School student. Ithink I might want to pursue a careerin this field; this program is giving mea head start.

First year member Agnes

Mukagasana, 16, goes a step further,insisting that Green Team participa-tion has the potential to change ayoung persons entire life trajectory.

A lot of kids get into troublebecause they dont have anything todo with their time; programs like thishelp keep them away from drugs andout of trouble.

Mukagasana, an Aurora CentralHigh School student, says she speaksfrom personal experience.

Last year all I wanted to do washang out, I wasnt doing anything pro-ductive at all, she recalls. This sum-mer is very different. This programhas helped me to become more pro-ductive and get involved in the com-munity. Ive learned a lot of things,like how to plant, how to take care ofplants and hoe tomatoes. I feel reallycomfortable working with [my fellowteam members.] We need more

African-American students to getinvolved in programs like this.

Editors note: For more information on theGreen Team, visit groundworkcolorado.orgor contact Shane Wright atshane@groundworkdenver.org.

Denver Urban Spectrum www.denverurbanspect rum.com August 2013

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