The Outdoor Leader program at the Urban Ecology Center allows youth to get outside, learn about green careers, make friends, and get paid! It is our goal to provide high school students the resources and guidance to make connections within themselves, their communities, and nature. Outdoor Leaders are a part of our Green Career Pathway program, which engages people of all ages, backgrounds, and interests in studies of ecology, volunteerism, environmental justice, and much more.

Your support helps the Urban Ecology Center’s Green Career Pipeline program develop urban leaders with the commitment and the capability to move our community towards a more sustainable future.

Our Green Career Pipeline program starts with school field trips and our Young Scientist Club after-school program, then leads to our High School Outdoor Leader program, which provides two years of job training and paid positions throughout the UEC. Afterwards, students can continue along the path with our paid summer intern programs.

This pathway prepares young people for future employment at organizations with an environmental focus, or even here at the UEC!

Malachi Crenshaw, a 10th grader at Rufus King High School, finished teaching his first solo Water Safety Course when I met him at the Washington Park branch. I asked him if he had been nervous about being the only instructor and he said “I was more curious. I’m pretty comfortable with public speaking and I know the content, so I mostly was interested to see how those would come together.” This is exactly the kind of experience we hope to provide to our High School Outdoor Leaders – hands-on work.

The High School Outdoor Leader program is one step in our “green career pipeline.”