New Jersey's Youth Inclusion Initiative Empowers Environmental Stewardship Among Underserved Communities

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has launched its fifth annual Youth Inclusion Initiative, a summer program designed to provide young people from overburdened communities with hands-on experience in environmental careers. The program partners with community-based organizations to give participants aged 16 to 20 the opportunity to learn about careers in water and air monitoring, natural resource management, wildlife conservation, and more. Through a combination of technical skills training and environmental projects in their home communities, participants are empowered to become the next generation of environmental stewards dedicated to helping their communities become healthier and better places to live.

Key Takeaways:

The Youth Inclusion Initiative is a state-led program that focuses on connecting young people from overburdened communities with hands-on experience in environmental careers, a key priority of the Murphy Administration and Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette.
Since 2021, the summer program has progressed from 18 participants to over 100 this year, and from two host organizations to 10 this year.
Community host organizations play a crucial role in the program's success, helping to recruit participants, planning and supervising their summer experience, and promoting their continued growth and education after the program.
Participants will spend most of their time gaining technical skills through hands-on activities such as utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS), conducting field assessments of wetlands, building rain barrels, collecting macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects) from a stream to determine water quality, and more.
In addition to technical skills training, participants will complete environmental projects in their home communities, ranging from cleaning up local parks to planting community gardens.
The program provides opportunities for professional development, such as resume and cover letter writing, and presentations from guest speakers who work alongside the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development to open career pathways to sustainable, green jobs for those from underserved communities.
The New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner, Shawn M. LaTourette, stated, "Our staff is excited to begin the fifth year of this highly successful program and is eager to share their knowledge and passion for protecting the environment and helping these young people develop valuable skills that prepare them for careers in the environmental field."
Elizabeth Dragon, DEP's Assistant Commissioner for Community Investment and Economic Revitalization, said, "It is remarkable to see how much energy and enthusiasm the students show as they engage in tangible and impactful environmental projects with DEP and within their communities."

Statistics:

Since 2021, the summer program has grown from 18 participants to over 100 participants.
Community host organizations have increased from two to 10 organizations since 2021.
The program has a focus on connecting young people from overburdened communities with hands-on experience in environmental careers.
The program aims to provide participants with technical skills training and environmental projects in their home communities.

Sources:

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (2025) - The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection today kicked off its fifth annual Youth Inclusion Initiative, an innovative summer program in which DEP partners with community-based organizations to give young people from overburdened communities the opportunity to learn about careers in a wide variety of environmental fields.
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (2025) - The program directly supports the Administration's long-standing goal to build a diverse, inclusive environmental workforce equipped with the skills to expand the state's green economy and advance environmental justice.