Act Local - New England
Check out the following local organizations in Massachusetts, Maine and Connecticut - and get involved!
Massachusetts
- Bikes Not Bombs: Learn to fix or ride a bike!
- B.L.S. Youth CAN: Join the local youth climate movement!
- Boston Youth Environmental Network (BYEN): find paid and unpaid environmental opportunities!
- Greenpeace: Join the Greenpeace Volunteer Team!
- Gulf of Maine Institute (GOMI): Get involved in scientific inquiry and civic engagement!
- Heet: Learn hands on about energy efficiency!
- Mass Audubon: Volunteer at a sanctuary or intern!
- Marion Institute Seed to Table Program: Start a garden at your school!
- Students for a Just and Stable (SJFS): Be mentored by a college student!
Maine
- Lots to Gardens: Learn how to grow food in your neighborhood!
- Maine Energy Education Program (MEEP): Start a group at your school!
- MidCoast Green Collaborative: Get expert support for your school project!
Connecticut
- Keep Connecticut Cool Challenge: Join the CT climate challenge!
Massachusetts
Bikes Not Bombs
Bikes Not Bombs provides community-based education and assists development projects with recycled bicycles, and related technologies as concrete alternatives to the militarism, over-consumption & inequality that breed war and environmental destruction.
What YOU Can Do: Riding a bike? Fixing a bike? We got you covered! For high school and middle school aged students, we have programs ranging from a girl's only program to a co-ed program where you can earn your own bike, to a program where you learn how to become a real bike shop mechanics or sales employee. Applications are on our website. Here are the two programs:
Fall Earn-A-Bike (Co-Ed): September 14, 2009 – October 15, 2009
Fall Girls In Action (Girls only): October 26, 2009 – December 17, 2009
Applications available upon request.
Contact:
Elijah Evans, Youth Programs Coordinator
617.522.0222 x 101
BLS Youth CAN (Boston Latin School Youth Climate Action Network)
BLS Youth Climate Action Network raises awareness and promotes action in Massachusetts schools and communities about global warming.
What YOU Can Do: Attend the annual Youth CAN summit at MIT in the spring and other exciting events. Check the website for details.
Contact:
Cate Arnold, Youth C.A.N. Advisor, History Dept. Boston Latin School
617.688.2262
Boston Youth Environmental Network (BYEN)
The Boston Youth Environmental Network (BYEN) is a group of public and private sector organizations and professionals in the environmental education, park stewardship, youth development and job training fields that aim to increase green youth employment and environmental education opportunities
What YOU Can Do: Connect to paid and unpaid environmental opportunities offered by BYEN's member organizations. BYEN offers monthly networking dinner for youth, a Youth Jobs Fair during school winter break, and a Summer Youth Gathering.
Contact:
Helen Christou, hchristou@envirotnetwork.org
617-345-5322 ext. 110
Gulf of Maine Institute (GOMI)
Gulf of Maine Institute (GOMI)'s mission is to touch, move and inspire young people, in partnership with adults, to lead in stewardship of the Gulf of Maine and its watershed.
What YOU Can Do:
Join a GOMI team near you or start one in your community. GOMI participants learn environmental science through fieldworks on real issues, team building and civic engagement and become aware, active and contributing citizen stewards.
Contact:
John P. Terry, Executive Director
phone: 207.929.8485 land, 978.973.7372 cell
Greenpeace, New England
For decades, Greenpeace has stood up to the world's worst polluters, no matter how powerful. Now, we're calling on you to stand up too and help us rescue the climate. Make a difference with Greenpeace in Boston.
What YOU Can Do: Join our volunteer team and get involved! Go to www.greenpeace.org/volunteer and click on the Boston link on the map.
Contact:
David Pomerantz
Greenpeace Field Organizer, New England
914.584.9054
Mass Audubon
508.636.2437
Marion Institute Seed to Table Program
The Marion Institute is a non-profit that acts as an incubator for a diverse array of programs and projects that delve into the root cause of an issue and seeks to create deep and positive change.The Seed to Table program is part of the Marion Institute's Sustainable Education Initiative that is working in collaboration with six schools in the New Bedford region, adding two new schools per year.
What You Can Do
To start a garden at your school (in Southeastern MA or RI) and start growing your own food, or to volunteer at a garden this summer contact Zoe.
Contact
Zoe Hansen-DiBello
Sustainable Education and Youth Coordinator
Students for a Just and Stable Future, SJSF
Students for a Just and Stable Future is a group of students and other concerned citizens working to mobilize our campuses, communities and state to raise climate change to the top of the political agenda.
What YOU Can Do: SJSF helps connect high school and college climate action groups for greater collaboration and mentorship. If you are member or advisor of a student group and want to work together with college students and groups in MA, email Heather Bulis to get rockin'.
Contacts:
Heather Bulis, High School Coordinator
Craig S. Altemose, Co-Coordinator
Katie MacDonald, Co-Coordinator
Heet:
Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) organizes free weatherization parties to teach volunteers hands-on what works in energy efficiency.
What You Can Do: Anybody 14 years and older can come to our events (with a parent's permission). Sign up on HEETma.com. Do something practical to fight climate change today while you help someone lower their energy bills and learn how to weatherize a building. Afterward we eat pizza and listen to a live band.
Contact: Home Energy Efficiency Team
Maine
Lots to Gardens
Lots to Gardens,of the St. Mary's Nutrition Center is a youth and community driven organization that uses sustainable urban agriculture to create access to fresh food, and to nurture healthy youth and a healthy community. We teach people how to grow their own food, provide affordable access to fresh food, and involve youth as leaders.
What YOU Can Do: Come volunteer once or help with a longer project. Bring your friends or your club too! You can also apply to be a summer Youth Gardener.
Contact:
Ari Rosenberg,
ariel.rosenberg@gmail.com
207.513.3844
Maine Energy Education Program (MEEP)
Maine Energy Education Program (MEEP) The Maine Energy Education Program (MEEP) offers experiential energy education programs for Maine students and teachers. These programs, which are mostly free, help participants to understand the balance between the economic, environmental and social impacts of energy choices affecting our society.
What YOU can do:Start an environmental team at your school! Maine student groups interested in conserving energy at school can contact MEEP to learn how to do a School Energy Efficiency Investigation (EEI). A Home EEI is also available.
Contact:
Beth Otto
17 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0017
207-287-6096
MidCoast Green Collaborative
MidCoast Green Collaborative is a group of citizens from the Damariscotta area who have joined together to promote a viable "green" program of socially responsible economic growth in Midcoast Maine. All our programs are educational in nature--such as doing tutorials for schools about conducting energy audits, helping build greenhouses, and teaching homeowners how to weatherize a home.
What YOU can do:
Got a Climate Action Club at your school? Need support with a project? Want to connect with local experts and resources? Contact the MidCoast Green Collaborative to get local support, or take part in energy and climate related workshops, events and trainings!
Also check out the upcoming Midcoast Sustainable Living Expo on April 16 and 17 in Damariscotta. Student groups can reserve a table for free!
Contact: Paul Kando,
(207) 563 5487
Connecticut
Keep Connecticut Cool Challenge
Keep Connecticut Cool Challenge, sponsored by The Institute for Sustainable Energy, is a competition in which students learn about the science of climate change, and then create real local solutions to this global problem. The challenge is open to all Connecticut middle and high school students in grades 5-12.
What YOU can do: Students can participate through their schools, including home schools or through after school programs, community centers, or other youth organizations. Learn more on the website.
Contact:
Laurel Kohl
860.465.0256
KOHLL@easternct.edu
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