What is the Green Team?
The Green Team is a teen employment and leadership program. Green Team Members get paid to work on a team, grow food for our community, work for environmental justice, and learn how to be leaders in their community. The Green Team helps work towards Groundwork Somerville’s mission of a cleaner, greener, healthier, and more equitable city.
We typically have a Green Team for the summer between school years, but in 2024, we plan to extend our options during more of the school year. See below for more!
What do we do?
Green Team focuses on:
- Urban Agriculture: Learn to grow food at our urban farm and school gardens. We will be planting, weeding, harvesting, selling produce and more.
- Environmental Justice: Contribute to community-driven projects that increase resilience and health in low-income communities of color in Somerville; for example: Help restore and maintain green spaces, like the Mystic River waterfront, so that all community members can access outdoor recreation.
- Civic Engagement: Practice public speaking, facilitation, and leadership skills. Host community events, support food access initiatives, and learn about advocating for racial, economic, and other forms of social justice.
- Biking: Learn how to safely ride a bike and travel around Somerville by bike with the Green Team. Be ready to get dirty, sweaty, and in shape!
NEW! Green Team: Biking Division
In collaboration with Somerville Bike Kitchen, Somernova, and the Somerville Education Foundation, Groundwork Somerville is starting a new subset of the Green Team- the Biking Division! Over the 2023-2024 school year, five high school students will be paid to learn all about bike repair and safety, fix and earn their very own bikes, and fix other bikes to give back to community members. Apply by October 22!
On the horizon…. Winter Green Team!
Be on the lookout for the Winter Green Team! Over the winter, the Green Team will support Groundwork Somerville’s various projects, including surveying Somerville residents, hosting community meetings for our Climate Safe Neighborhoods Initiative, and preparing our garden and farm beds for spring planting. Additionally, each Green Team Member will spearhead their own research or advocacy project focused on climate and environmental justice in Somerville. Applications will be posted in November!
Contact Kenzie Ballard, our Youth Program Manager, for more information or with any questions:
