The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) offers Youth Inclusion Initiative to support building a diverse and inclusive green workforce.
Donor Name: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)
State: New Jersey
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/20/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Youth Inclusion Initiative provides opportunities for underrepresented and underserved youth, aged 16-20 with a desire to learn about the protection and conservation of New Jersey’s air, land, and water. YII focuses on communities that have limited access to open space and natural lands, furthering DEP’s intentional approach to diversity and inclusion efforts. DEP is also offering the YII to advance key elements of the Council on the Green Economy’s Green Jobs for a Sustainable Future report. The YII provides a partnership opportunity for Community Host Organizations (CHO) to recruit, supervise, and provide youth with professional development services and a stipend while the DEP exposes youth to hands on interactive activities and indoor introduction to various careers (which can include PowerPoint presentation and speakers) activities which aim to provide guidance for environmental career pathways. While the youth will be learning during the program, this is not a summer camp but, a stipend job opportunity for the youth to participate in. Additionally, the DEP partners with private, public, and nonprofit entities that volunteer their time to the youth to provide additional points of exposure. By offering this program with all the partners, the DEP seeks to develop technical skills and awareness for careers in environmental protection, conservation, and sustainability for youth across the state.
Funding Information
DEP’s maximum grant award per CHO is $100,000 (including $5,000 for Community Based Project). DEP will select a maximum of 10 CHOs for this year. While the primary goal of this program is to engage and educate youth in overburdened communities, DEP must also be good stewards of State funding.
Eligibility Criteria
Organizations best suited for the grant opportunity include, local environmental groups, colleges and universities, neighborhood and community advocacy groups, and church and social organizations. It is required the Community Host Organization(CHO) location and Youth Participation outreach areas target one of New Jersey’s overburdened communities that meets at least two of the three overburdened community criteria: 1) percentage low income, 2) minority and 3) limited English proficiency. In addition, the location must be an Urban Aid Municipality.
For more information, visit NJDEP.
