Community Impact

Solar Youth helps lay the groundwork for our next generation of environmental stewards. We nurture this sense of environmental responsibility by teaching kids core ecological concepts and key problem solving skills, and providing opportunities for youth to act as agents of change and leaders in their communities.

In all Solar Youth programs, youth complete Community Service Action Projects (C-SAPs) and Public Education Projects (PEPs).  Solar Youth Stewards complete dozens of C-SAPs and PEPs each year, helping to contribute to a greener and civically more vibrant New Haven.

During 2010-2011, our youth: 

•  Performed 38 Community Service Action Projects (C-SAPs), including:
  •  Flower, tree and garden plantings;
  •  Clearing and building a bridge on a new trail connecting Westville Manor to West Rock Ridge State Park; and
  •  Staging a fundraiser for new trash cans and recycling bins at Lighthouse Point Park.

• Performed 28 Public Education Projects (PEPs) in order to raise awareness about environmental issues, including:
  •  Designing posters to educate the public about the dangers of water pollution and what they can do to help;
  •  Creating an anti-littering video; and
  •  Teaching international Yale students and community volunteers about tree-planting (see here for more info).

• Organized 4 Public Education Forums, one following each season, during which family and community members learned about what youth had accomplished via skits, songs and other performances.