Causes: Education, Educational Services

Mission: To empower youth to achieve lifelong success.

Results: Solar Youth has worked with over 2,500 youth since our founding in 2000.

Target demographics: Our target audience is youth who reside in New Haven’s low income communities. These youth are faced with incredible challenges such as poverty, crime and violence in their communities, and are in great need of positive supports and opportunities to succeed.

Direct beneficiaries per year: 450

Geographic areas served: New Haven

Programs: Citycology - children ages 4 to 8 are taught by teenagers trained and hired as environmental educators - most of whom grew up as solar youth stewards themselves. After-school and all-day in the summer, youth learn concepts such as the water cycle, perform their first community service action projects (c-sap) and public education projects. In fiscal year 2016-17,53 youth were served.

steward teams: 9 to 13 year olds build on what they learned and accomplished in citycology. Steward team members learn more complex environmental issues and concepts, participate in their first camping trips and tackle a more sophisticated 9-step community service action project. As youth get older, they are given leadership roles in steward teams, helping the adult and teen staff lead games, and guide fellow participants through the c-sap process. In fiscal year 2016-17,124 youth were served.

green jobs youth development: once in high school, youth can apply to become paid interns. Youth can serve as green jobs apprentices and learn concrete skills associated with carrying out community improvement projects that they design. They also build skills for general employability, critical problem-solving, communication and working in groups. In fiscal year 2016-17,29 youth were served.