Hanley Sustainability Institute
Engaging youth in environmental efforts can be challenging
By Rose Olsen
As an environmental biology student working for the Hanley Sustainability Institute (HSI) at the University of Dayton, I am deeply passionate about the environment and how I can protect and enjoy it as much as possible.
Since I was 8, I have had the opportunity to attend a YMCA summer camp up in a small town in the Rocky Mountains. As I have grew up, I learned the mountains, specifically in this small town at this random summer camp, is my favorite place on earth. Although I haven’t seen much of the world, I can confidently say this is the place that makes me feel most at home. One key reason is the people I am surrounded by. Not only have I met my best friends there, but I have been able to find people who share similar interests and values. Being in such a beautiful place with so many opportunities to explore the outdoors has taught me how to enjoy nature, respectfully and safely.
The past two summers I have been a counselor on staff at this summer camp. I have gotten the opportunity to lead and mentor hundreds of kids each summer, while also learning about myself and my own environmental practices. As a counselor, one of the things I am passionate about is educating the youth on positive environmental practices, as well as setting a good example on how to enjoy the outdoors in a sustainable way. Although this summer camp isn’t specifically focused on sustainability and environmental education, it incorporates a sense of love and consideration for the environment into typical summer camp activities with sustainability in mind.
As I worked with 13-15 year olds this past summer, I learned about the joys and the hardships of trying to get teens to care about something, especially something so significant as human impact on the environment.
When it came to taking care of the earth and doing outdoor activities sustainably, I found it was much more difficult to get them to care about environmental issues and get involved. As I used to work with 7- and 8-year olds, I found many fun and interactive ways to help them be curious and excited to keep such a beautiful place clean. With the older kids, it's completely different. Many of them questioned the importance of these practices, which initially surprised me. This experience made me realize I could use my mentorship and personality to help them understand their positive and negative impact.
Each week, with a new group of 20 girls and 20 boys, I purposefully started to incorporate expectations of how we take care of the environment. This allowed them to ask questions and become curious about how they impact the environment. Specifically, at the beginning of the week, my co-counselor Anna and I emphasized the teaching and learning of The seven Leave No Trace Principles. These are widely known principles, but for many of these teens, they are new to the outdoor world and have never even heard of the principles. We started by introducing them at the beginning of the week, but the key part was to continue to emphasize them in regular activities the teens can do at home and in the forest on hikes, and the many outdoor activities we enjoyed.
By the end of the summer, I realized a few important things. First, I need to practice what I preach. I realized quickly I became a role model for these kids, and I can use that to my advantage. If I am practicing sustainable efforts and emphasizing their importance, I can help them practice enjoying the outdoors responsibly, too. It’s easier said than done, but pushing myself to better my own efforts while also helping others improve theirs can foster a community willing to make a change. Second, I now understand how important it is to surround myself with people who share the same values. Anna and many of my other friends were a great support system throughout the summer. Being surrounded by others who had similar interests and passions for sustainability and the outdoors fostered hope. Seeing others put effort into sustainable practices and the pursuit of knowledge and teaching created a comfortable space for anyone to be able to understand how we can enjoy the outdoors sustainably.