New York City Teens Advocate for Environmental Sustainability

 On Tuesday, February 21, thirty-two students, representing twelve different high schools throughout New York City, gathered at New York University. The students spanned the city geographically and expressed interests in a variety of topics from art to mathematics. But despite their diverse backgrounds and interests, they came together over one shared goal: to advocate for sustainability.

Over the past six months, I have had the honor and privilege of developing, organizing, and directing the Teen Advocates for Sustainability Corps (TASC, pronounced “task”) Summit. The TASC Summit is a three-day environmental advocacy conference for New York City high school students. The program is a joint effort of NYU Steinhardt’s Wallerstein Collaborative for Urban Environmental Education and the NYU Office of Sustainability’s Green Grants program, which offers funding to projects that advance sustainability at NYU.

By using New York City and its systems as a living classroom, the TASC Summit inspires high school students to foster a relationship with and a responsibility for the environmental well-being of New York City and its citizens.

On the first day of the program, the students were greeted at NYU and introduced to the TASC programming team, which included me, my colleagues in the Wallerstein Collaborative, and the six NYU undergraduate and graduate students who helped develop the program’s curriculum and agenda. After getting to know each other through social mixers, the students took off for site visits. While half the group went to Brooklyn to tour the Sims Municipal Recycling Plant, the other half toured NYU’s CoGeneration plant. Through these site visits, the students learned about the crucial systems that manage energy and waste in NYC, and the institutions within the city.

On the second day, the high school participants reconvened at NYU to delve further into the issues of waste and energy through workshops facilitated by NYU students. Then they participated in a City Council simulation where they assumed the roles of various stakeholders testifying at a hearing. Through the interactive activities at NYU, the TASC participants drew connections between environmental issues in New York City and corresponding policy solutions.

The end of the second day prepared the students for the final day of the program, when they had the opportunity to meet with City Council Members and their staff and present persuasive arguments on the merits of advancing sustainability through public policy in New York City. The students spoke on three distinct legislative topics: solar exploration through a street lamp pilot program, waste remediation through a plastic bags fee, and a resolution calling for environmental justice and action on the most egregious offenses to low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.

When the students returned to NYU after their meetings with City Council, they were ready and motivated for more. Some students asked why the program was only three days, while others were already brainstorming how to implement their newfound knowledge towards greening their neighborhoods and schools. A major component of the program is highlighting localized efforts so that the students get a sense of how they can control and partake in the decision-making process in their city; even when pro-environmental policy is under threat on a national scale. The TASC program is unique is that it not only offers a space for students to learn about and discuss environmental issues, but provides an opportunity for students to take action. With encouragement and equipped with tools to take the first step, the students were eager to make strides on their own.

My colleagues and I were blown away by these students and their motivation to continue working with NYU and civically engage on environmental issues. It was clear that the participants took to heart a message conveyed in the program’s opening remarks: that their ability to step up, speak up, and act up to protect the environment not only matters, but is crucial.

To learn more about the TASC program, visit: tascnyc.org

4 comments

  1. Rose Coffee says:

    It always makes me happy whenever I see young people take an interest in making our earth a cleaner and better place to live. What most people don’t realize is that even though NYC implements a recycling program, there is still much much much more stuff that goes into the landfills that should be recycled. Vice versa.

    For example, plastic grocery bags? Those can be recycled. Paper? That should be recycled too. Yet most of these end up in the trash.

    It’s nice to see young people take an active role in recycling.

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