Friends of the Parks

Earth Team Environmental Education Program

In conjunction with After School Matters Science 37 initiative, Friends of the Parks hires teen apprentices to participate in the Earth Team Program.

As Earth Team participants, teens learn and participate in a hands-on environmental science, stewardship and conservation program at their community park, forest preserve or high school. The teens work alongside scientific professionals and learn marketable skills for future careers. Teens in the program are motivated to become leaders in the community. Teen apprentices help to build a safe community through community outreach in environmental education and participation in the parks and preserves.

The Earth Team Program aims to empower teens through environmental education and action in their community. The program brings apprenticeship opportunities to teens that lack local environmental programming and involvement in their parks, preserves and high schools. The Earth Team is an innovative science program designed to serve teens with varying levels of scientific skills and environmental experiences.  Teens worked on a variety of environmental science projects, ranging from water-quality and ethology surveys to community-parks promotion and environmentally-themed theater projects.

The program runs for 10 weeks in both fall and spring semesters. Over 150 teen apprentices are enrolled with FOTP’s Earth Teams in each season’s program.  Current Earth Team sites include: Calumet Park, Ramirez High School, Kelvyn Park, Roosevelt High School, and Norwood Park.

This vital partnership with After School Matters helps prepare teens for the future as environmentally conscious stewards of their communities.