Eighteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

The Youth Environment 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. Since youth faced complex challenges of living in new social, economic, and environmental situations, the objective of this participatory action research project was to engage immigrant and refugee youth, support their leadership skill development, and provide key community connections. Using social science principles, YELP training focused on empowering youth to navigate challenges through promoting environmental awareness, securing social support and mentoring, and building leadership skills. YELP enrolled 28 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 22 additional youth participants. Youth leaders co-designed training materials in collaboration with City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services 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 they could apply skills acquired through the training in everyday life. This study demonstrates that youth-centered learning pedagogy tailored for immigrant and refugee youth can aid them to be included in sustainability leadership in their communities and beyond.

Presenters

Lisha Shrestha
Student, Doctoral Student with MA, Portland State University, Oregon, United States

Eileen Muench Brennan
Research Professor , School of Social Work , Portland State University, Oregon, United States

Jana L. Meinhold
Associate Professor, , Child, Youth, & Family Studies in the School of Social Work, Child, Youth, and Family Studies, Portland State University, Oregon, United States