SJC’s Youth Eco Ambassador Program

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

— Jane Goodall

What is SJC’s Youth Eco Ambassador Program?

The Youth Eco Ambassador Program (YEAP) is an initiative designed to empower young individuals in Jersey City to become environmental leaders in their community.

The program aims to inspire youth to take action on pressing environmental issues and to cultivate a sense of responsibility for the planet. Through education, hands-on projects, and mentorship, participants learn about sustainability, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.

Key Aspects of the Youth Eco Ambassador Program:

Education and Training
- The program aims to equip youth with not only theoretical knowledge, but the necessary skills and tools needed to become leaders and advocates for environmental sustainability.
- Youth Eco Ambassador Curriculum (in development): SJC YEAP has partnered with local community organizations to develop a comprehensive Youth Eco Ambassador Curriculum. The curriculum will engage students in hands-on, inquiry-base learning. Through a series of workshops, mapping activities, and field experiences, students will explore the connections between local ecology, climate, and community well-being. the program will culminate in student-led design proposals for improving their school or neighborhood environment.
  - The curriculum’s main components include:
    - Urban Ecology & Climate Change
    - Environmental Justice
    - Urban Forestry & Green Infrastructure
    - Waste Streams / Materials and Organics
    - Food Systems
    - Energy & Transportation Infrastructure
    - Policy & Green Civics
Action and Advocacy
- Eco Ambassadors tackle local and relevant issues through hands-on projects focusing on issues such air quality, food deserts, the urban heat island effect, tree canopy restoration and green infrastructure, composting, and plastic waste reduction. The program promotes active involvement in local environmental / social impact issues, encouraging participants to be advocates for positive change in their communities.
Community Leadership
- The program nurtures leadership skills and provides opportunities for participants to work on projects that directly impact their communities. Many JC Youth live in communities impacted by environmental justice issues. YEAP empowers young people to understand these issues and how they can have a direct impact in implementing sustainable solutions.
Structure
- YEAP offers both in-person (such as at local community centers, parks, and universities) and online/remote programming.
- Open to various youth age groups mapped to appropriate level workshops and projects.

How to get involved:

If you’re interested in learning more about the Youth Eco Ambassador, REGISTER for the next YEAP event - see more details below !

Feel free to each out to SJC’s Youth Eco Ambassador Program Lead, hilka.mota@sustainablejc.org for more information about how to get involved.

SJC Youth Eco Ambassador Presentation Series

Join us for this month’s SJC Youth Eco Ambassador Program Presentation, Part 1 of a 3-Part Series: Climate Policy & The Art of Doing taking place on April 17, May 15, and June 12 hosted by DCM, at the Co-Work / Jersey City Economic Development Corporation (JCEDC)!

SJC’s Youth Eco Ambassador Program is excited to partner with Climate Revolution Action Network (CRAN) and Deliverance Children’s Ministry (DCM) on a 3-Part workshop series: Climate Policy & The Art of Doing.

During these 3 workshops participants will learn how climate change policy is shaped and how young people can directly influence it. Students will engage with real examples, practice the tools of advocacy, and leave with a clear sense of how to turn ideas into action on and off campus.

We encourage students, parents, and educators to attend and learn more about how young people can become a SCJ Youth Eco Ambassador and help promote sustainability across Jersey City.

Past Presentations

Green Corridors Project for Jersey City Schools

Check out the 2025 SJC Stegman Street Green Corridors Project, in partnership with PS #15, Stegman Street Block Association, Cunningham Library, and the City of Jersey City. Click on this link to view the PDF!

SJC’s Green Corridors Program aims to transform Jersey City into a matrix of ‘connectivity corridors’ focused on tree lined streets - adding new tree inventory to existing streets and filling in where there is existing street tree inventory with gaps. The purpose is to expand the JC Tree Canopy footprints between planted streets and green spaces including community gardens and parks, especially in residential neighborhoods and in the vicinity of schools without tree cover. The program includes a focus on fostering more green infrastructure beyond supporting urban forestry efforts, and reducing debris and litter that otherwise detract from the goal of a cleaner and greener Jersey City.

These connectivity corridors of tree lined streets and trash consciousness can create a citywide momentum toward green civics, while providing a strategic approach to tree planting that can serve to reduce the urban heat island effect and flooding conditions, mitigating climate change impacts in a more targeted way, neighborhood by neighborhood.

More green infrastructure can take the form of tree plantings, green spaces including community gardens - both food growing and ornamental - and more rain gardens and bioswale installations which serve as natural habitat opportunities, e.g., pollinator gardens.

nd public schools into sustainable environments that foster greenery, food growth, and waste reduction. By introducing initiatives like community gardens and tree-planting projects, the program seeks to enhance the educational experience, promote community involvement, and contribute to local ecology.

In 2025, SJC brought the Green Corridors program to a group of 6th-8th grade students at Jersey City PS 15. Students took part in a hands-on learning space where they planted trees, created artwork for the new trees’s signage. They also learned about the importance of trees and how to care for them.

Rose Avenue Urban Farm Composting Project

In 2025, SJC held a series of Composting Workshops for youth and neighborhood stakeholders interested in learning about composting at the Rose Avenue Urban Farm, a local farm in the Greenville neighborhood of Jersey City.

The Rose Avenue Urban Farm provides a safe and different space for community members to engage in sustainable and healthy farming practices. In partnership with Deliverance Children's Ministry (DCM), SJC hosted a series of workshops for high school-aged Jersey City youth centered on composting to better their communities and food resources. Students learned the science behind composting and the construction and maintenance of the composting system.

Learning Spotlight: Skip the Stuff

New Jersey has passed the strongest Skip The Stuff Legislation (S3195/A5157) in the U.S., effective August 1, 2026, requiring restaurants to provide single-use cutlery and condiments only upon request. The law aims to reduce plastic waste and save businesses money, applying to takeout, delivery, and, uniquely, requiring reusables for in-restaurant dining.

Plastic Free July is a global movement that encourages millions to reduce, or eliminate, single-use plastic waste during July and beyond. Stay tuned for SJC’s Plastic Free July events !

Check Out SJC’s New Personal Trash Inventory (PTI) - Simple Step-by-Step Here - Take The Survey - Send Us Pics 👍

SJC’s PTI helps you learn how to lower your waste footprint so you can help alleviate environmental & economic challenges all this STUFF in our lives has created ! (detailed instructions)

SJC’s Go Green Business Campaign

The objective of this campaign is to build a robust network of local businesses interested in environmentalism while also meeting their business goals. This program aims to encourage the community to implement green initiatives such as reducing energy and streamlining waste.

Find out more here !