vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA 832-F-93-001
April 1993
Office Of Water (WH-547)
Youth AndThe
Environment Training
And Employment Program
TAe environment is a growth industry —
providing widespread career opportunities
for a trained workforce.
Printed on Recycled Paper
d the Environment
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To'Careers in
Environmental Protection
s^j&-^ ~
Tor a small assemblage of high school kids from cities and toivwsjajcross
the United States, this ride on spaceship earth will never be qutiefhe
same. The flush of the toilet has taken on a new and complex significance.
Drinking water, garbage, heat and electricity are ~=-:
no longer simply facts of life. These young peo-
ple know, probably better than most people do,
that the environment belongs to everybody and
that everybody has a stake in its future. They
also know that environmental protection, con-
servation, and preservation will require not
only an enlightened public, but a workforce
that is trained to carry out the vast numbers
of pivotal tasks necessary to balance soci-
ety's needs with a healthy environment.
Finally, they know what thousands of other
high school age people need to know—that
there are challenging and worthwhile career
opportunities in environmental protection.
We're talking about high school kids who have par-
ticipated in EPA's "Youth and the Environment" pro-
gram (Y&E)—a program that began in the summer of
1990 to introduce economically disadvantaged urban
and rural youth to career opportunities in the environ-
mental field by combining summer employment with
academic training and hands-on experience. In an
effort to expose students to the many and varied envi-
ronmental career possibilities, the program provides a
blueprint for establishing youth awareness and training
in such fields as water supply, wastewater treatment,
recycling, energy, marine environments, hazardous
waste, and natural resources protection.
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"The Youth and
;; the Environment
program gives our
teenagers an
• opportunity to
i /earn by doing
while contributing
1 to environmental
protection^!
Michael B. Cook
' Director, US. EPA
I Office of Wastewater
I;, : Enforcement and
l"
"'!""
i
"Compliance"
f "This is not just a '
j job...it's a place I
! where you can *
I learn as a person
""am/ know how to ;
| take care of things I
f and treat this ]
• world better."
«:;;;;; :.. :,;;,;, • ••, ,• ';
tshawn Allen, Wyandotte
|||tgh School, Kansas City _j
1 1
l .
Because Y&E was conceived to help
meet workforce needs in the wastewater
pollution control and water supply
fields, many work sites are located at
wastewater and water supply facilities.
But when it comes to work sites, envi-
ronmental professions offer unlimited
possibilities. In fact, considerable flexi-
bility is built into the program so that it
can be structured to meet any and all
environmental training needs of partic-
ipating communities.
Programs established at city zoos in
Boston, Massachusetts; Providence,
Rhode Island; and Los Angeles,
California bring inner city teens into exotic envi-
ronments where they get to know many of the animals not only
by feeding and caring for them, but by helping to create
exhibits that reflect the ecological habitats of the animals.
In Arizona, the State Environmental Technology Training
Center, the Indian Public Health Service, and the Intertribal
Council work cooperatively to provide water and wastewater
training to Native American students with the hope that some
will answer the call for much needed trained and experienced
personnel at Native American facilities.
Kids in the Pacific Northern Mariana Islands work in
various sections of the Division of Environmental Quality
while another group works at the Commonwealth Utilities
Corporation.
As the environmental call to action peals out with height-
ened urgency, more and more trained and experienced men
and women will be needed at the frontlines of all environ-
mental disciplines. Students involved in Youth and the
Environment are given a special glimpse at some of the many
opportunities they have to play a role in improving the man-
earth story line. These students better understand the environ-
mental problems we face, the technologies that can help solve
these problems, and how their own communities are dealing
with these problems.
Because of its success so far, EPA is working to expand the
Youth and the Environment program so that many more stu-
dents are able to participate through both public and private
funding sources. For those who have already participated, the
experience has been remarkably fulfilling. All share an enthu-
siasm and a commitment to make the program continue. This
is why efforts are underway to recruit sponsors and co-spon-
sors from other government agencies, business, industry, and
community organizations who recognize the need for opening
up career possibilities to today's and tomorrow's high school
students.
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A New England Potpourri
At
ew England's Youth and the Environment program began
at the Lowell, Massachusetts Wastewater Treatment Plant in
1990. Since then, a small group of Lowell High School
students have participated each summer in that eight-week
program, earning salaries by assisting the plant operators in
day-to-day wastewater plant operations, which include rou-
tine monitoring and lab analysis, plant operations, inspec-
tions, maintenance, and safety. The students rotate through
each of these areas so that at the end of eight weeks they have
a broad understanding of how the plant handles wastewater
from collection to discharge into the nearby Merrimack Elver.
Training emphasizes math, computer, and science skills
necessary for entry into water and wastewater fields.
By summer 1992, New England Y&E programs had
expanded to Rhode Island, Maine, and Boston, Massachusetts.
In Rhode Island, inner city youth take part in a program at the
Narragansett Bay Commission Wastewater Treatment Plant,
which is modeled after the Lowell program.
The seven-week Maine program takes a slightly different
approach. Participating students are assigned to several
different community treatment plants where, working side
by side with plant personnel, they undertake a variety of job:
tasks.
!ir
r^pne of our major
jjjfrgfes as coordina-
^torsjof this program
* is to provide the
^students with an ~
'BSw-areness of job
^opportunities in
I the environmental,
^disciplines. For
%\those who demon-
*strate interest in
this field, it is
we
"?pjlow-up — that we
'promote their con-
Iftinued schooling
ifwitfi the hope that
mfhey will choose
^feKMpt.-Z ^
njthejenvironmental f
jjj... discipline as a
"career path."
L"~ KirkLaflm
-|_- NEIETC Director
if-*.
1 <-- !
I "They asked ques-
tions. They weren't
satisfied just to be
I told something.
tjViey wanted to
Know the why's
and the how's."
~ Mark Young
Lowell Wastgyvater
TreatmenLPIant
•r c
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~ "In my 23 years
with the EPA, this
has been one of the
most rewarding
\ projects I've been
Involved in....so
| far, almost 100
high school
: students have par-
ticipated in the
~ New England
program; many
have expressed
interest in environ-
mental careers, all
have been recog-
nized for a job
well done."
Charles Conway
EPA, Region 1
Y&E Coordinator
• "Working one-on- \
;: one with a mentor "
; gives eacft kid a
chance to act like
an adult—there's
-.. no peer group pres-
sure—no one to
. laugh when he or
-she asks or answers
^ a question." ;
- Jake Bair
Maryland Center for
Environmental Training
Two New England programs take place at zoos: the
Franklin Park Zoo in Boston and the Roger Williams Park Zoo
in Providence, Rhode Island. In these environments students
get involved with animal care, habitat development, conser-
vation issues, and environmental career education.
One day a week students in each program are transported
to different locations to attend either seminars or tours to learn
about various environmental issues and career opportunities,
including wastewater treatment, drinking water, solid
waste/recycling, energy production, and protecting environ-
mentally sensitive areas. This training is often reinforced with
field trips to such places as water treatment facilities, power
plants, conservation areas, recycling, and composting facilities.
Each program has a youth coordinator staff person who
manages the day to day aspects of the program and has over-
all responsibility for the students. While working at job sites
students are expected to carry out their job tasks responsibly
and professionally.
Sponsors:
U.S. EPA, Region 1
New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission/
Environmental Training Center (NEIWPCC/NEIETC)
U.S. Department of Labor Youth Summer Employment Program
Maryland Targets Disadvantaged
Rural Kids
If aryland's Y&E enrollees are recruited through the
"Maryland's Tomorrow" program, a statewide school-based
organization which identifies high school students in signifi-
cant danger of dropping out of school for economic, family, or
other reasons. The 1991 and 1992 Y&E programs took place at
water and wastewater treatment facilities located in three
rural counties in the southern part of the state.
The cornerstone of the Maryland program is its one-on-one
mentor arrangement, whereby each student is assigned to a
senior level, experienced operator or lab technician to provide
instruction and guidance during the eight-week period. The
mentor provides mature companionship, professional encour-
agement, and an example of professional behavior. The stu-
dent works with the mentor through a seven-hour work day,
wearing the same uniform and learning specific duties as well
as overall aspects of plant operations. The mentors also pro-
vide students with transportation to and from the job site.
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Every other Friday half of the students participate in
enrichment trips designed to explore environmental ques-
tions, problems, technical solutions, and to provide an inter-
lude of fun and relaxation in natural settings unknown to
most of the enrollees. Some of these natural
settings are visited because they benefit
directly from the proper management and
operation of neighboring wastewater treat-
ment plants. One of the responsibilities of
the program's project coordinator is to orga-
nize and conduct these enrichment days.
Sponsors
U.S. EPA, Region 3
Maryland Center for Environmental Training,
Charles County Community College
Job Training Network of Southern Maryland
"Maryland's Tomorrow" Program
From Water to Solid
Waste to Energy in Memphis,
Tennessee
outh and the Environment training and education holds up
a magnifying glass to simple everyday things, such as clean
drinking water, wastewater disposal, trash disposal, and elec-
tricity, to reveal that they are anything but simple. That leap
through the looking glass truly characterizes the Memphis
State University-sponsored Summer Environmental
Enrichment Project (SEEP), Solid Waste Environmental Enrich-
ment Project (SWEEP), and most recent Radon, Energy, and
Air Pollution Project (REAP). Through these programs, partici-
pating students interested in pursuing careers in science have
the opportunity to observe as well as take part in a wide range
of activities associated with and planned by Memphis Light,
Gas, and Water (MLGW), the expansive utility monopoly in
that area, and the City of Memphis Public Works Division.
During the six-week period, students engage in such
hands-on tasks as water quality testing, maintenance, survey-
ing, water production and distribution, systems control and
data acquisition, and utility services. They learn about the
importance of protecting and monitoring Memphis' ground-
water aquifer and the connection between groundwater qual-
ity and human activities. Students get involved in wastewater
treatment, including how wastewater is collected, treated, and
analyzed for various chemical compounds.
'enya (a student)
•nydparticu-
\rly excited to
~fmd shejcould
\er math
Jlls tprthe real
I In school
sjfae couldn't
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I)
"He (the student)
went the whole
nine yards. He did
the variety of jobs
that our operators
-and lab technicians
' do at the facility,
and as he com-
pleted each task he
" took pride in what
he had done."
Dick Coodnow
Falmouth, Maine
Wastewater Treatment
Facility
At the MLGW 4000-acre EARTH (Environmental Resource
and Technology) Complex students are exposed to different
means for managing solid and hazardous waste, including
experimental agriculture using composted sludge as fertilizer.
The EARTH Complex also houses a bird sanctuary; here a
local ornithologist guides the students into the world
of birds and bird habitats. Students in the REAP pro-
gramhomein on such activities as classroom and labo-
ratory chemistry, air pollution monitoring, radon
testing, energy production, and energy alternatives.
Through field trips students see the different
ways that communities handle lifestyle/environmen-
tal issues. By examining recycling strategies, visiting
local landfills, underground storage tank removal
sites, or talking with officials in the County Health
Department, students meet and interact with many
professional role models in the environmental
arena. Students visit such places as the U.S. Coast
Guard to discuss prevention and cleanup of chemi-
cal and oil spills in rivers and lakes; the Army
Corps of Engineers to study flood control and wet-
lands protection; Tennessee Valley Authority facil-
ities; and hazardous waste management facilities.
Sponsors:
Memphis State University
U.S. EPA, Region 4
U.S. Department of Energy
Memphis Public Works Division
Memphis Light, Gas, and Water
Chemical Waste Management, Inc.
Memphis Private Industry Council
Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association
Tennessee Valley Authority
N.v
Kansas City's Project Choice
foufhandthe Environment in the Kansas City area is made up
of high school students who are involved in "Project Choice,"
a program supported by the Ewing Kauffman Foundation to
encourage inner city youths to finish high school and continue
their education through college and vocational training pro-
grams. To be considered for the program the students must
submit a resume, an application which includes an essay on
why they wish to participate, and be interviewed by city per-
sonnel. Students who are selected spend a week in training to
learn about wastewater treatment and environmental career
opportunities.
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Participating students are given four different job assign-
ments during the eight-week program. They spend two weeks
on each job, learning about wastewater operations, sewer
maintenance, and laboratory analysis. The Kansas City Youth
and the Environment organizers hope to expand their pro-
gram to many other communities in the Kansas City, Kansas
and Missouri area.
Sponsors:
U.S. EPA, Region 7
Kauffman Foundation, Project Choice
City of Kansas City, Kansas
Environmental Resource Center, Crowder College
Full-time Work Experience for
Denver Young Adults
f outh and the Environment is a flexi-
ble program that bends to suit the
needs of program sponsors. Because
the Denver Youth Employment
Service in Colorado is geared to
young adults who are not in high
school and who have no full-time
employment experience/the
Denver Y&E program is directed
toward this group.
Because these young adults are somewhat
older than high school age youth, they are expected to assume
more responsibility and to engage in activities that may present
a greater degree of risk. Thus, before beginning work each par-
ticipant receives required OSHA health and safety training.
Each young adult selected for the program works with one pro-
fessional as a full-fledged assistant with real world responsibili-
ties. In 1991, for example, participating young adults were
assigned jobs as assistant utility workers at the Denver
Wastewater Treatment Plant—work that involved the danger-
ous business of entering sewers to check for leaks and backups.
As a result of this work experience and time spent one-on-
one with wastewater professionals, most of the alumni went
on to full-time permanent employment.
Sponsors:
U.S. EPA, Region 8
Metro Wastewater Reclamation District
Denver Wastewater Management
Denver Youth Employment Service
F/je students have
fjhscoxered that the
•^environmental
4*4 field is full of
J" people who are
-feeT , ,.-* , '
J^_yery dedicated
» and professional."
$f Lorene Lindsay
^Environmental Resource
Center, Crowder College
^^Sw
/The program Is
•VijJS i£fs>-5sw¥3S *•
^invaluable, that's
fall there is to it. It
* Jff 'fT'%* •» * &
both teaches them
holds them (
ZjaecblifiabTe. It's
Wine real life work
£ite^ 4
^experience they've
weeded so much."
,~- — -
ifcj, Penver Youth
Jtfjjnpioyment Service
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I :>..'•
Turning Kids Around in Los Angeles
Following the civil disturbances that swept Los Angeles in the
spring of 1992, the City of Los Angeles Environmental Affairs
Department and EPA joined together to address the need for
jobs for city youth while promoting environmental awareness.
In this initial Y&E program youth were placed at the Los
Angeles Zoo and the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Michael Fritzen, Program Coordinator at the zoo notes, "I
never understood how important this type of hand-on educa-
tion was until I had this experience. The kids became so aware
of what was around them. From their interest, they started
telling their friends who also wanted to be a part of
it. For example, one girl who was a drop out, kicked
drugs and went back to school; one student went to
San Diego State and is majoring in Environmental
Sciences; and one girl is now working at the zoo."
Next summer the City sponsors plan to expand the
program to include more students at more facilities.
The goal is to go for a year-round program that pre-
pares junior high school kids to enter the Y&E program
by pairing them up with high school mentors.
Report from the Los Angeles Zoo
Michael Fritzen, Program Coordinator
August 7 "We went back out to Whittier Narrows
for a second look at a freshwater marsh. Now that the
students have had a chance to get a feel for the marsh
exhibit, they went back out into the field to expand
their ideas on the renovation project. We talked about
how we can create the same environment at the zoo
as the one we were standing in."
August 10-13 "The students started the actual
landscaping and development of the marsh. They
planted cattails and water iris in buckets to be put
into the marsh pool. They collected duckweed and
floating water hyacinth from the zoo ponds to add
to the water. Native grasses were planted in the
soil to provide nesting material and hiding places
for the birds. By Thursday we were finished the
project and the students were proud of their
accomplishment. They knew they had created this exhibit and
the pride shined in their faces."
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Report from Hyperion Wastewater
Treatment Plant
John Woehrle, Program Coordinator
August 3 "All the interns reported to new
assignments. The weekly rotation is exposing
the students to four different stations in this
facility. Already they have job preferences in
the waste treatment field."
August 10 "Lofreisha and Keiser learned
more about data processing. Analilia worked
in Air Quality. Dante and Vida worked
together in Design. Eric was rotated to the Process
Control Lab. Montina spent her week in the Biology Lab.
Dennis rotated to the Micro Lab. Donyell spent the week in
the Chemistry Lab separating influent water and solid sam-
ples. Terrance worked with experiments dealing with poly-
mers in the ERD Lab."
August 13 "The day was spent gathering fish and water
samples from Santa Monica Bay. The fish were netted during
a 10-minute trawl, pulled aboard, and sepa-
rated by group classification, counted, mea-
sured, and weighed. The water samples; were
to be tested later in the lab for bacteria levels."
Sponsors:
City of Los Angeles Environmental Affairs Department
U.S. EPA, Region 1
New England Interstate Environmental Training Center
.p. a*
Sis
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Reaping the Benefits
&
^ l^Sramenl^^Y&E
f-sliis
S/dLeBlanc/Salsoma/or
£flvironni£*nf A«/~ /
, "'lent helped me earn
how ' could use chemistry „ a
career Whan 11, , , y
th~ '• "'neard about all
the Environment
10
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You Can Help Make A Difference
Would your agency or organization like to help extend the
opportunities of the Youth and the Environment program to
more students in your area? Participation in the program can
be done in a variety of ways. No two programs are ever alike.
"I love the enthusiasm of participating
students. Most cities will find the development
of a Youth and the Environment program a
rewarding experience."
Mary S. Settle, Program Director
Youth and the Environment
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cities Opening Doors to Careers
in the Environment
From four cities in 1990, Youth and the Environment has
grown—but not enough. Many more kids in many more
places can benefit from this kind of opportunity...given the
chance. As of 1992, the following cities have participated in
the program:
Atlanta, Georgia
Boston, Massachusetts
Denver, Colorado
Falmouth, Maine
Hillsboro, Oregon
Juneau, Alaska
Kansas City, Kansas
Lafayette, Louisiana
LaPlata, Maryland
Los Angeles, California
Las Graces, New Mexico
Lowell, Massachusetts
Memphis, Tennessee
Midwest City, Oklahoma
Portland, Maine
Providence, Rhode Island
Richmond, Virginia
Saipan, Mariana Islands
Scarborough, Maine
South Portland, Maine
Tucson, Arizona
Washington, D.C.
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Getting Started
I f you are interested in sponsoring or co-sponsoring a "Youth
and the Environment" program in your area, or if you want to
know more about the program, contact:
Mary S. Settle
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401M Street, S.W. (WH-547)
Washington, D.C. 20460
(202)-260-5810
The issue of funding must be considered. Student salaries,
the Youth Coordinator's salary, and transportation costs
make up the bulk of expenses. Student expenses must
also include both liability and health and accident insur-
ance for the protection of the student and the host work-
site. To address this important issue, the Y & E program
relies on joint ventures with established youth employ-
ment programs such as those supported by the U.S.
Department of Labor. Other items provided include: uni-
forms for the students and safety equipment. Both public
and private funding sources should be considered.
The local wastewater treatment facility or facilities in your
area are ideal training bases provided they are willing to
get involved. The work assignments should be designed
to provide meaningful employment and exposure to work
in the water and wastewater fields. Participants should
receive a "hands-on" education and experience. Contact
your State Environmental Training Center or other quali-
fied entities to establish options for the academic compo-
nent of the program.
npproach secondary schools in your area to select appro-
priate participants. Student selection is important.
et an early start on designing your program. Gathering
the necessary funding, students and treatment plant par-
ticipation can be time consuming. Solid preparation will
assure the success of your program.
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