YII Experience

The Youth Inclusion Initiative dedicates specific days each week for youth to work on their community projects, gain exposure to DEP program areas, and undergo professional development. In addition, individual days are dedicated for orientation, visits with partnering agencies, career events, and the final day ceremony. Highlights from YII can be found below.

Orientation Day

YII kicks off with Orientation Day at a DEP location where the youth from all Community Host Organizations get together for their first day. The day consists of youth hearing from DEP leadership, human resources team members, and participating in hands on career demonstrations with Emergency Management staff. This day provides an overview of what the youth should expect from this six-week program and their roles and responsibilities throughout this program.

Community Project Days

Each Community Host Organization selects an environment-oriented project intended to make a positive and tangible change to the youth’s community. The CHOs develop a project plan and order all the supplies for the project prior to the start of YII. CHOs provide a safety overview to the youth and discuss specific project logistics with the youth. Over the six weeks, one day of the week is dedicated to working on this project which is completed before the end of YII.

DEP Days

DEP days are the primary focus of YII. Three days a week are dedicated for youth to attend DEP led experiences throughout New Jersey. Youth are transported by their CHO to field sites where they gain exposure to a wide variety of environmental careers. DEP program areas curate these days to incorporate presentations from environmental professionals and hands-on activities. The youth and CHOs are required to arrive on time, engage with the presenters, and learn from a full day’s worth of activities.

Professional Development Days

One day per week is dedicated as a Professional Development Day, where youth receive training in professional skills, resume writing, and cover letter writing from Community Host Organizations. On this day, the youth also reflect on what they learned from DEP Days that week by taking an online survey. Youth have the opportunity to hear from guest speakers provided through DEP’s partnership with the New Jersey Department of Labor (NJDOL) Office of Apprenticeship who introduce youth to additional pathways for entering environmental career field.

Final Day

YII concludes with a full day celebration of the youth, their work, and all DEP staff who were involved in making YII successful. The day begins with a career fair attended by colleges and universities, DEP partnering organizations, and DEP staff. These attendees set up tables and displays and spend the morning hours interacting with youth. In the afternoon, the youth participate in a commencement ceremony which includes showcasing their public speaking while presenting their final projects.

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  • If you are interested in the Youth Inclusion Initiative and would like to learn more, please Contact Us.
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