Greening Youth Foundation

GYF Makes a Difference in Ghana

A profile of GYF Ghana intern Yvonna Pearson, an NYU student who was thrilled to turn her Ghana students into "environmental detectives."

GYF Executive Director Receives Prestigious Award from Spelman

Angelou Ezeilo, Executive Director of the Greening Youth Foundation, has been awarded the prestigious 2011 Local Community Service Award by Spelman College, her alma mater. Here she poses with Spelman's Green Team and college president Dr. Beverly Tatum.

GYF Crew Gets Down and Dirty at NPS site

A GYF crew spent a week at the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (CHCH) in Ft. Oglethorpe, GA, performing important work at the site.

“…the future belongs to our youth, and if we do not involve our youth in conservation management, we will not succeed in our efforts to save nature or humanity. That’s the bottom line.”

—President Nelson Mandela, World Parks Congress, September 2003

Greening Youth Foundation provides interactive, hands-on programs for young people with the intent of having participants develop a deeper relationship with nature, with others and with themselves, resulting in healthier individuals, communities and environments.

Greening Youth Foundation programs are critical because there is a pressing societal need for:

Environmental awareness among underserved and disconnected youth
Career-bridging and the promise of rewarding futures
Skilled and motivated workers in natural resource professions
More diversity within the environmental movement
Positive programming for youth that emphasizes stewardship, team-building, personal responsibility and leadership development

Environmentally responsible children are the hope for our planet’s sustainable future. One of the goals of GYF is to change the way we consume by educating people about the environmental impact of our personal, institutional and community choices. GYF is focused on such areas as clean energy, fuel alternatives, transportation recycling, forest certification efforts, water consumption and conservation and groundwater depletion. The foundation’s mandate is to help restore the global ecosystem, foster healthy living, and reduce the public’s impact on local environments.

“Teaching our children to become stewards of their environment is a critical step to our survival as a society.”

—Angelou C. Ezeilo, Founder and Executive Director, GYF

Duncan Announces Plans for Green Ribbon Schools Award

FOR RELEASE September 29, 2011 Program Will Honor Schools for Excellence in Environmental Education, Sustainable Facilities and Healthy Practices Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today invited states to take part in the inaugural year of the Green Ribbon Schools program, which will recognize schools for reducing environmental impact on their communities, promoting healthy school environments [...]

Healthy Kids Outdoors Act Supports Strategies to Connect Kids with Nature

(story from National Wildlife Federation) Bill to address health, economic and future conservation concerns by supporting state, local and federal strategies 11-03-2011 // Max Greenberg Just days after American kids took to the outdoors for Halloween, two members of Congress have formally suggested we make it a year-round habit—but without the costumes and candy. Rep. [...]

The Plastic Bag Wars

(from RollingStone.com) The world consumes 1 million plastic shopping bags every minute—and the industry is fighting hard to keep it that way By Kitt Doucette American shoppers use an estimated 102 billion plastic shopping bags each year — more than 500 per consumer. Named by Guinness World Records as “the most ubiquitous consumer item in [...]

Estimated costs of environmental disease in children at $76.6 billion per year

Experts suggest new policy to reduce toxic chemical exposure and subsequent burden of disease In three new studies published in the May issue of the journal Health Affairs, Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers reveal the staggering economic impact of toxic chemicals and air pollutants in the environment, and propose new legislation to mandate testing [...]

“David White is our most recent Greening Youth Intern—he is just fantastic. He seems to be getting a great experience in the field and his talents are enormously helpful to us. Thanks for all you do to provide such high quality interns for our park.”

—Patty Wissinger, Superintendent, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

“On behalf of Grand Canyon National Park, I would like to commend GYF, Mike Fynn and his crew for the great work they have done so far on the relamping project at Grand Canyon. What a great group to work with! They are hard workers and showed a great interest in working and recreating in the national parks. We are lucky to have such a wonderful crew help us out. I’m looking forward to their return!”

—Deirdre Hanners, Environmental Protection Specialist, Grand Canyon National Park

“Angelou, I am thankful to have had you and the rest of the GYF team supporting and guiding me and my fellow GreenCorps members this year! I am grateful to have had the exposure and opportunities at GYF. I don’t think I would have found my true inner passion and purpose if it were not for the various leadership and responsibilities that you provided. It may seem as an end to our paths, but I see it as a continuing partnership and efforts in the green movement for a better tomorrow! A day does not pass by that I don’t think of you all at GYF! I miss the dynamic leadership and energy from you guys!”

—Jonathan Zamarripa, GYF Youth Conservation Corps Intern

“Mike (Fynn), it was great to have the crew here at the Flagstaff Area Monuments again! What would have taken a year for me to accomplish with my other duties, your crew was able to do in just a few short days. Please extend my appreciation to Ayinde (Summers) and the crew for a job well done! I know the parks will benefit from the work that was performed. I have already received positive feedback from staff members as to the increased light quality and output. Not to mention cost savings.”

—Paul Bullock, Maintenance Mechanic-Electrician, Flagstaff (AZ) Area Monuments

“Thank you so much for helping to provide this opportunity to our students who otherwise would not have these outdoor amazing opportunities! It means a lot to have such a great organization such as Greening Youth Foundation fighting for our kids too! I believe we will turn it around and kids will start playing outside again more and appreciating their environments—it is already tied so close to every human’s core, it is natural to return to it! I am already seeing differences in my kids and they are teaching other kids—they naturally recycle now! That’s a huge step!!”