Green Team Youth Corps

2022-2023 Fellowship

Building the Next Generation of Environmental Leaders

The Green Team Youth Corps is a year-round program for youth 13-18 that connects them to nature while empowering them to be advocates for themselves, their city and the environment. The Fellowship is offered during the school year and is open to youth who live, attend school, or a place of worship in our service area.

The Fellowship is an opportunity to earn community service hours while learning, serving and leading community projects. Fellows will work as a team of 10 to 11 teens to complete projects throughout the school year and participate in enrichment programming such as public speaking workshops each month.

We are excited to announce that this year’s Fellowship will include an educational stipend for successful completion. We will meet 12 times on Saturdays from October 22, 2022 to January 28, 2023 with once to twice monthly afternoon sessions based on students' schedules. There is also a mandatory info session for youth and a parent/guardian on the week of October 17. The final application deadline is Wednesday October 12th, 2022- please see the application links in this page.

Fellowship Activities

Fellowship activities projects follow the Learn, Serve, Lead model. Fellows will work with subject matter experts to learn about a topic or a new skill before putting their knowledge to action in the community.

Play

PLAY means we create a positive, supportive space with fun activities that connect us to nature and community.

Learn

LEARN activities are for Fellows to cultivate the base knowledge to support and complete a larger project that furthers the mission of Groundwork Jacksonville. Topics include leadership , personal growth, and cultural and natural history.

Icon made by Darius Dan from Flaticon.com

Serve

SERVICE activities such as cleanups are opportunities for Green Team to put the ethos of stewardship into action and earn service hours.

Work

WORK activities offer an opportunity to get paid for leading projects on behalf of Groundwork Jacksonville that build a greener, more equitable city.

Fellowship Incentives

Participating in the Green Team Fellowship will give youth the opportunity to complete their service hours for school and scholarships. Their application to the Summer Apprenticeship will receive priority status, but they are not guaranteed a spot in the summer program.

Fellows who complete all mandatory sessions receive a $308 stipend for their work on behalf of Groundwork Jacksonville. A $20 deduction will be applied to stipends for every absence and $5 for lateness.

The remaining incentives are dependent on completing at least 80% of the Fellowship:

Earn Groundwork Jax swag– swag options include Groundwork Jacksonville water bottle, T-shirt, or Hoodie
Have the opportunity to participate in an (optional) all-expenses paid spring break camping trip outside of Jacksonville
Earn Green Team certifications (including a printed certificate) such as in public speaking

Attendance includes all Learn, Serve, Work and Lead opportunities.

Introducing the 2022-2023 Fellowship Project

Outdoor Leadership

Oct 2022 - Jan 2023

See schedule

Green Team Fellows will train to become outdoor ambassadors, learning how to lead engaging activities in our city’s outdoor spaces with their peers, younger youth, and the community at large.

Fellows will learn how to communicate important issues affecting our urban environment and communities, create fun outdoor experiences, and gain confidence leading a group of people.

Fellows will be trained in skills such as public speaking, event leadership, and science communication – valuable assets in careers and life. Fellows will have the opportunity to get outside, bike the S-Line Biodiversity Corridor for varied outdoor activities from working with a herb garden to nature art. Excursions include exploring the wilderness of coastal ecosystems in the Timucuan Preserve. Fellows will explore and discuss why it is so important to connect urban communities, especially youth, with nature and outdoor activities.

You will be able to choose and design an outdoor activity you will lead such as

Trash cleanups
Biodiversity surveys
Educating people on how they can fight blight
Sharing a neighborhood’s history
Demonstrating how to use a herb garden for home cooking

Fellows who complete all mandatory sessions receive a $308 stipend for the work on behalf of Groundwork Jacksonville. A $20 deduction will be applied to stipends for every absence and $5 for lateness.

The remaining incentives are dependent on completing at least 80% of the Fellowship:

Earn Groundwork Jax swag– swag options include Groundwork Jacksonville water bottle, T-shirt, or Hoodie
Have the opportunity to participate in an (optional) all-expenses paid spring break camping trip outside of Jacksonville
Earn Green Team certifications (including a printed certificate) such as in public speaking

Attendance includes all Learn, Serve, and Lead opportunities.

Learn more and apply at the links below!

Application Links are up! Final Application deadline is Wednesday, October 12

New to Green Team

We are excited for you to join Green Team! Please apply through the link below. You will need to complete several application questions and provide 3 non-family references. Unlike the summer Apprenticeship, the Fellowship does not require an interview or transcript.

Application Link for New Green Team Members

Returning Apprentices or Fellows

If you have successfully completed the Green Team Apprenticeship or Fellowship in the past, please apply through the link below. You only need to register for the fellowship and do not need to go through a competitive application process. Completing this Fellowship qualifies you to return to next summer’s Apprenticeship and to participate in the spring break camping trip.

Application Link for Returning Green Team Members

Questions you may have...

How is this different from the summer Apprenticeship?

The Fellowship is less of a time commitment, running only once (and sometimes twice) per week. For those who have participated in or are looking to apply to the summer Apprenticeship, the Fellowship will complement the Apprenticeship by allowing an opportunity to focus on one project. This project will prepare you to take a greater leadership role in the summer Apprenticeship.

How has the fellowship changed?

For the 2022-2023 school year, Green Team Youth Corps has replaced our 9-week separate spring and fall Fellowships with a single, 12-week Fellowship. We also have installed a $308 stipend. This year’s Fellowship project includes greater leadership opportunities, so regular attendance is critical. We had a unique opportunity this year to fund stipends for the fellowship but note that this does not guarantee that future fellowships will have stipends.

How does payment of the stipend work?

Payment of the $308 stipend will be in two installments, the first on December 3, and the second on the last day of the Fellowship. Absences lead to a $20 deduction and lateness leads to a $5 deduction.

Who is eligible to apply?

To apply, you must be aged 13-18 and either live, attend a school or places of worship within zip codes 32202, 32204, 32206, 32208, 32209, and 32254. This year’s Fellowship, unlike previous years, includes this requirement because of funding stipulations for our newly installed stipends.

Where will we be meeting?

Our meeting point is the Urban Resource Center at the FSCJ Downtown campus (601 W State St, Jacksonville, FL 32202). You need to either get a ride or take a bus (students ride free with an ID and the Rosa Parks station is just nearby). We provide transportation to all activity sites from FSCJ– we typically bike to the S-Line and other activities in the neighborhood and take a van or bus to activities further away.

Do I have to have previously done a lot of outdoor activities or leadership to participate?

We are not looking for one specific set of experiences. You do need a positive attitude and a willingness to work hard and learn.

Will food be served?

Most days, we offer a simple healthy breakfast. For our extended (over four hour) days we serve lunch.

Many thanks to our generous sponsors!

For questions or comments, please contact Oscar Psychas, Youth Program Manager, at oscar@groundworkjacksonville.org