New Haven, CT – Yesterday afternoon, in a celebration of progress and possibility, 7 Connecticut high schoolers graduated as Environmental Health Ambassadors, joining their 6 New York counterparts whose graduation ceremony was on June 9th.
“This bi-state cohort of Environmental Health Ambassadors have built the skills, experience, and dedication to drive positive change in their neighborhoods,” said Alex Rodriguez, program specialist and lead instructor of Save the Sound’s Environmental Health Ambassador program. “Thanks to their hard work, these young advocates are becoming leading voices in the fight for a healthier Long Island Sound region.
Behind the Program: Empowering Future Leaders
The Environmental Health Ambassador program, run by Save the Sound with partners Khalipha and Common Ground High School, brings together dedicated teenagers and equips them with the tools and experience to become advocates for their communities. At the beginning of April, 13 high schoolers across Connecticut and New York embarked on an 8-week journey to build skills in community organizing and environmental stewardship for their neighborhoods. Over the course of the program, ambassadors learned about topics that include
d human rights, the U.S. Constitution, and the history of environmental health, and discovered how to advocate for change through civic participation. The program also included hands-on green environmental education opportunities in the Mamaroneck and New Haven areas.
“These young people are the leaders our community and country need — they’re passionate, insightful, capable, hard-working. All of us at Common Ground are so grateful to Save the Sound, and the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund, for creating this opportunity for our students to build the systems understanding and practical skills they need to be effective environmental health advocates. Alex and his colleagues are such great role models for our Common Ground students as they build their capacity and commitment as environmental problem-solvers,” said Joel Tolman, Director of Community Engagement & Impact, Common Ground High School, Urban Farm & Environmental Education Center.
“I’m glad to have participated in the Environmental Health Ambassadors Program because I wanted to gain civic knowledge and familiarity with green infrastructure,” said Wolfgang Stansel, a CT-based Environmental Health Ambassador graduate and Common Ground High School student. “In this program, my peers and I learned about environmental issues impacting communities today such as industrial pollution and lack of access to healthy foods. We learned we can navigate local and state governmental systems to speak up for programs that ensure access to environmental jobs so that we can live dignified lives. Environmental health to me means utilizing tools provided to humanity by the natural environment effectively and peacefully instead of harmfully.”
“One of the most meaningful parts of the Environmental Health Ambassador program was learning how local policy can be used to hold polluters accountable and support communities most impacted by environmental harms,” said Sana Salimi, a CT-based Environmental Health Ambassador graduate and Common Ground High School student. “One of our exercises involved developing a bill that would require oil storage companies in New Haven to contribute funding back to the City and its residents helped me better understand how policy can address and improve quality of life for residents struggling with health and economic issues. I also practiced writing and delivering verbal testimony amongst my peers and I think that gave me valuable experience that I will use to advocate for safe and healthy communities.”
In carrying out our NY-based EH Ambassador program, we partnered with Ruby Olisemeka, founder & director of Khalipha, a collaborative platform for environmental, educational, and social innovation, based in Mount Vernon, NY. The organization is deeply involved in community-based green initiatives, collaborating with the City of Mount Vernon and local groups like the Hutchinson River Restoration Project on environmental stewardship and youth education.
“Collaborating on the Environmental Health Ambassador Program was a truly inspiring experience. The program reflects many of the values that guide Khalipha’s work: place-based learning, community stewardship, and helping young people see themselves as active participants in shaping the future of their communities. Alex Rodriguez and the Save the Sound team created a thoughtful and engaging model that made environmental advocacy tangible, local, and deeply personal for students while giving them tools they can apply in their own communities. I would love to see this model replicated throughout the region,” said Ruby Olisemeka, Founder & Executive Director, Khalipha.
“This program has helped build my civic awareness and community advocacy skills. I want to use this knowledge to protect our coasts and the overall ecology within my community through environmental education and stewardship of lands such as the Otter Creek Preserve,” said Zella Mitra, a NY-based Environmental Health Ambassador graduate and Mamaroneck High School student.
“The Save the Sound EH Ambassador Program meant so much to me as it deepened my understanding and my interest on how interconnected politics and the environment is. Through our in person and virtual activities, we discussed complex questions about local issues or even national issues such as diverse towns being exploited as major companies are releasing their toxic waste there. I loved working with my peers to understand human rights and the role state and local and governmental play in protecting our ecology. We pushed each other to think critically and deeper. I highly recommend this program to any high schooler!” said Hadley Hall, a NY-based Environmental Health Ambassador graduate and Mamaroneck High School student.
