cool roots

April: Our High Schoolers Tackle Climate Change and Promote Environmental Justice in Service-Learning Projects

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Center for Family Life at Sunset Park High School includes school day, after school, and summer services for young people in 9th – 12th grade. Our leadership focused program LINK & Step-Up (funded through our Learn and Earn contract with the DYCD) helps high school juniors and seniors transition to college, providing support with their application process, and workshops designed to prepare students for life after high school.

Every spring our LINK and Step-Up students choose a service-learning project of interest to them. This year, the students decided to focus their service-learning month on issues and actions around climate change and environmental justice.
 
One team created a project centered on thinking about climate change and health, and the decisions we can make as individuals each day that effect our environmental impact. Students put together a vegan cookbook to encourage people to add more meatless meals into their regular diet, with a meal plan, favorite recipes, and helpful resources for cooking vegan.

The other team worked in collaboration with Sunset Park High School’s Green Team to repair the outdoor raised garden beds and plant spring bulbs and seedlings. They also put together a guide, with helpful gardening tips and information about some of the flowers they planted.

The service learning month culminated with a field trip to the High Line and Little Island to see how spaces in the city have be repurposed into urban parks, and to celebrate all their hard work. We’re so proud of everything our students have put together, and we can’t wait to watch as their efforts and their flowers continue to bloom.

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