Building Sustainability Leadership

The YouthEnvironment Leadership Program (YELP) was a pilot project supporting immigrant and refugee youth as they developed leadership skills and promoted practices fostering environmental sustainability and inclusion in their new community. The objective of this participatory action research project was to engage immigrant and refugee youth with the intention to support their leadership skill development, empower youth to navigate challenges through promoting environmental awareness, secure social support and mentoring, and provide key community connections. YELP enrolled twenty-eight youth from Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Pacific Islands, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Latinx community currently living in East Portland, Oregon. Using a Train-the-Trainer model, six youth became leaders and facilitated training for twenty-three additional youth participants. Youth leaders co-designed training materials in collaboration with the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) team. The year-long cohort-based program helped youth understand the concepts of environmental sustainability and conservation, and develop leadership and communication skills. YELP’s effectiveness was evaluated through pre and post surveys and analysis of transcripts of two dialogue sessions. We learned that youth understood the inter-dependency between society and the environment, and their roles and responsibilities in fostering a sustainable future. Youth were confident that they could apply skills acquired through the training in everyday life. This study demonstrates that inclusive youth-centered pedagogy tailored for immigrant and refugee youth can aid their success in sustainability leadership in their communities and beyond.