Since its inception in 2018, Youth for the Environment and People (YEP!) has provided students with an opportunity to share ideas, learn about climate change solutions, engage in local stewardship projects, and work with their peers.
Together, they choose, plan, and create a group action project. This fall, we had nine students in the Skagit County cohort, the biggest yet, and thirteen Whatcom County students, all showing up week after week for two and a half months. Each meeting I left feeling inspired by the students’ dedication to fostering a supportive space for one another, and their eagerness to complete a project that the community could learn and benefit from.
Every YEP! Cohort has a central focus, this fall’s being Regenerative Food Systems. Through field days, guest speakers, individual research, and hands-on activities, we narrowed in on specific aspects like local labor rights legislation, regenerative agricultural practices, and building a strong local food system through community driven input. Students learned they can support their local food system by buying locally grown produce, supporting small farm community shared agriculture (CSA)s, and writing to their representatives to advocate for legislation that protects laborers and farmworkers.
On a sunny and warm day in early October, both cohorts met at Viva Farms in Burlington to learn about what the nonprofit does to support farmers in Skagit and King counties. We helped harvest squash and jalapenos, heard about a farmer’s role in food systems, and even got to take home some pumpkins. While driving back north, one student reflected, “It was really interesting looking at the business side of food systems, the topic of food sovereignty and accessibility was really cool to learn about, and seeing an example of a sustainable farm in person was very cool.”
Both cohorts took a second field trip to City Sprouts, an urban farm tucked away in the Birchwood neighborhood. Sam Schmidt, a WWU student, and her colleague Stella, led an activity defining terms like food sovereignty, and explaining how indigenous knowledge is used to grow produce. Rhys Thorvald Hansen of Whatcom Food Network led us in an activity that helped students realize how many steps are involved in getting food onto our plate. Makenna Fowler at Aquaponics mystified us with explaining the wonderfully regenerative practice of aquaponics.
“My favorite thing about YEP! were the people that came in and spoke, they all seemed very passionate about what they do and I love how intricate jobs can get in an environmental field!”
Liz Darrow and her participatory team from Community to Community (C2C) taught us about the HEAL act, and the students wrote their senators advocating support for the act. The letters prompted a response from Representative Ramel: “Thanks so much for sending me messages in support of the HEAL act! It’s always great to have young voices helping us think through the priorities, after all, you have to live with the consequences of the decisions we make.”
After learning from so many local community members about different ways to spark action within the food system, students began to dream up their own project. As they began the planning phase, SNAP benefits were cut nationwide, affecting nearly 15 percent of Whatcom County residents. The YEP! students wanted to support those in need of food assistance. After sharing their strengths, skills, and passions, the Whatcom students created three videos spotlighting a community free fridge, or “freedge,” and a community call to action to help keep this resource stocked with fresh food. The Skagit students decided to create a video, but focus on interviewing local farmers.
Throughout YEP!’s ten week duration, every student had the opportunity to lead. Each individual stepped up to direct the day’s objective, facilitate the meeting, and keep their cohort members on track. One student shared, “Something I learned about myself during YEP! is that I can be a successful leader, and spearhead parts of a project.” A huge part of YEP! is not only teaching students about climate action, but helping them develop skills to implement in their day to day life. It was a delight to see what the students accomplished this cohort. Check out their action projects below!Skagit project:
YEP! Skagit Project
Students from YEP!’s Skagit cohort were particularly interested in the people who impact and are impacted by the food system in Skagit and Whatcom counties. Wanting to focus on food deserts, farm workers, or local distribution, they decided that by interviewing local farmers, they could share important perspectives on all of these topics. The group interviewed farmers from both urban (City Sprouts Farm) and rural (Long Hearing Farm) settings to learn about how they interact with our community and manage the unique challenges they face in Northwest Washington.
YEP! Whatcom Project
After learning about different ways that folks in our community grow and share food, from community supported agriculture (CSA) programs to fish-powered aquaponics, the cohort of Whatcom students decided to spotlight a little-known community free fridge, or “freedge.” The students worked together to create three videos, two shorts and one longer film (above), that focus on defining what food systems are, and how community members can donate to, or use, the freedges in Whatcom County.