The article below was submitted by Alyssa Jilek, AmeriCorps Promise Fellow at Northfield High School. Many thanks to Northfield’s outstanding Promise Fellows — Alyssa Jilek, Jason Hallen, and Kevin Krein — for their work with these projects. The Promise Fellow positions are supported by the Minnesota Alliance With Youth.
Youth plant trees by Northfield Middle School tennis courts as part of Global Youth Service Day activities.
On Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 15 youth from the Northfield Middle School, Northfield High School, and the Northfield Union of Youth came together with the guidance of the Northfield Public Schools Buildings and Grounds staff to plant 20 trees around the Middle School tennis courts. The tree planting was the conclusion of a four month-long semester of service, made possible by grants from State Farm Insurance – Youth Serve America (YSA).
In January 2009, Northfield youth received $2,000 from State Farm YSA to implement a semester of service in recognition of Global Youth Service Day. Northfield’s theme was environmental awareness and responsibility. The semester of service ran from January-May 2009.
Projects kicked off on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, with a field trip to the Rice County Recycling Facility, followed by a Waste Reduction and Education seminar. Speakers Paul Pieper (Solid Waste Coordinator for Rice County Waste Management) and Elain Loranz and Laura Ritenour of River Bend Nature Center educated students and community members about responsible consumerism.
In the following months, students implemented service projects at various sites. The Northfield Union of Youth designed and organized a community bike program, offering community members bikes to “rent” for free. At the Northfield High School, students formed an environmental club and sponsored “Green Week,” leading activities and contests that promote environmental awareness. Northfield Middle School students came together to help restore Hauberg Woods, pulling buckthorn and learning about invasive plant species.
