Three Chicago Land Environmental Justice Organizations Youth Should Join
There are so many amazing organizations that are allowing our youth to be in leadership positions which provides them invaluable work experience and knowledge on critical issues affecting our society. There isn't any excuses based on age, to become environmental activists in Chicago, IL.
1. Sunrise Movement Chicago FellowShip Program
This is a Sunrise hub based in Chicago. They aim to build an army of young people to stop climate change and of the creation of good jobs in the process.
The following is Sunrise’s Theory of Change:
People Power: This is the base of public support that is built by talking to people and by escalated moral protest.
Political Power: This is a mass of supportive public officials that are voted in to stand in solidarity to stop climate change. Corrupt officials are voted out.
The People’s Alignment: This is movement and groups united with a shared vision of a government that fights for justice and dignity for everyone.
They recently posted on their social media platforms the opportunity to join their fellowship program.
The duties listed on the fellowship application are as follows:
1. Organize the Unorganized: Build a mass movement of people ready to participate in mass non-cooperation. Reaching 3.5% of Chicago’s population through presentations, tabling, canvassing, and support emerging high school and college hubs.
2. Build a Hub as Diverse as Our City: Build a more diverse hub, one more representative of the demographics of the City, which includes supporting the launch of South Side hub and investing in the leadership capacity of POC organizers.
3.Train and Level-Up Leadership: Train thousands of people so we have the kind of distributed leadership needed by November 2020 to take bold action at a whole new scale.
4. Elect Green New Deal Champions (ELECTORAL FELLOWS): Build a robust base of volunteers to help candidates we truly believe in win. Turnout thousands of young people to vote and elect a congress that will fight for a Green New Deal.
5. Build Local Power: Build and grow Chicago’s People’s Alignment and our partnerships with racial justice, labor, and environmental justice organizations. Support efforts to legislate Green New Deal Style policy on the city and state level. Unite social, economic, racial, and more groups to fight for a just and equitable future
The first round of applications ended December 27th, but applications continue to remain open. They are still looking for at least two fellows for electoral work with the intention of beginning February 3rd.
Here is the link to apply:
2. Faith in Place
This is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers people of all faiths in Illinois to be leaders in caring for the earth. This is done by providing resources to connect, educate and advocate for healthier communities. Their vision is that diverse people of all faiths share a commitment to care for the earth.
Faith in Place offers a Eco--Ambassador Youth Program. This provides youth with an experiential learning program that allows them to connect with nature during the summer. The aim is to develop awareness, appreciation and knowledge of the natural world.
The following were details for Chicago’s 2019 Summer Program as noted on their website:
6-week summer program for youth from July 2 to August 9, 2019
Space for 9-12 students
Work Week: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (or Saturday), 10:00 am - 3:00 pm approximately 15-20 hours per week
One day per week involves a field trip
$125 weekly stipend paid bi-weekly by check
Additional bi-weekly stipend of $20 to help cover some transportation costs
Based at McCormick Theological Seminary in Hyde Park (5460 S University Ave, Chicago, IL 60615)
Ages 14–18 (first year college students are welcome)
Opportunity for 3 returning students to take leadership roles as Earth Allies
Travel to Champaign/Urbana to visit a farm and tour and stay overnight at the University of Illinois campus
Two-night camping trip to Camp Sullivan in Oak Forest, IL for Teen Exploration Day
Most lunches will be provided
This may change for the upcoming 2020 Eco-Ambassador Youth Program. Use this as a guide and reference for this upcoming summer.
Check out this link to stay up to date with this program: https://www.faithinplace.org/youth
3. Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO)
This is a grassroots community organization that is also known as La Organización de Justicia Ambiental de La Villita, based in Little Village, Chicago. They strive for a clean and just environment and seek to empower their local and global communities through environmental organizing and youth programming. The mission of LVEJO is community organizing to fight for environmental justice and achieve the self determination of low-income, immigrant and working-class families.
LVEJO’s theory of social change is focused around low income and people of color understanding the root causes of their oppression and how they can become an agent of change.
The three guiding principles that grounds their grassroots organizing model is as follows:
1) intergenerational leadership that sustains community self-determination
2) it assumes that those directly affected have the solutions to solve their own problems; and
3) it builds upon the existing assets and resources of the community for social change.
They offer a Youth Leadership program, where youth have often focused a lot of the class projects on environmental justice issues that directly impact them. In addition, they offer internships rooted in the Jemez Principles of Democratic Organizing to help advance eco justice.
To learn more about youth opportunities check out their website: http://www.lvejo.org/student-internships/