Outdoor Leadership Academy
Concrete Safaris' Outdoor Leadership Academy is a 6-25-week internship program for 14-24-year-olds who work or complete experiential education in one of three cohorts -- gardening, outdoor play, and health promotion. The goals are to expose youth to environmental health employment opportunities, develop their leadership skills, and involve them in leading local children in healthy activities.
Named “the world’s best summer job” by The New York Times’ Sunday Metropolitan section.
OLA -SYEP
Summer
Instructions:
- 14-15-year-olds, select Concrete Safaris Inc. as your Provider
- 16-24-year-olds, select El Barrio’s Operation Fightback as your Provider
Over two-hundred fifty 14-24-year-olds per summer from 2019 - 2021 will learn how to lead thousands of East Harlem residents in Gardening, Outdoor Play, and Health Promotion activities through a Community-Based Summer Youth Employment grant from the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development for Concrete Safaris’ Outdoor Leadership Academy.
Youth will be selected through the citywide SYEP lottery, and will be placed at Mad Fun Farm (Washington Houses), Jefferson Gardens (Jefferson Houses), on East Harlem streets for JungleGym and other community events, and around the neighborhood for health promotion campaigns as they participate in service-learning and experiential education through civic engagement.
Youth will be referred for health and lifestyle services, and develop soft and hard professional skills and financial and environmental health literacy. They will visit companies to practice interviewing, improve their resumes, and learn about the world of work. There will be an active family engagement component, too.
Applications will be open on March 2, 2020. Make sure to choose Concrete Safaris Inc. as your Provider in the drop-down menu.
OLA
School Year
16-24-year-olds will learn how to lead thousands of East Harlem children in Gardening, Outdoor Play, and Health Promotion activities through our after school program and school day field trips from local schools. Youth will be recruited through local organizations, schools, friends, and flyers, and will be placed based on their availability and our programming hours.
Youth will be referred for health and lifestyle services, and develop soft and hard professional skills and financial and environmental health literacy. They will visit companies to practice interviewing, improve their resumes, and learn about the world of work.
Selection Process
Undergraduate & Graduate Level Internships
Youth Development
Assist or lead groups of children or youth in outdoor workshops and events related to your educational background and goals.
Evaluation
Apply theories of community engagement in practice by engaging children, youth, families, and neighbors in active living. Or, collect and analyze program data and create reports.
Development & Communications
Learn how to raise funds, including grant writing and campaign development and implementation. Assist with the design and content of online and digital marketing tools.
Our Impact
0+
OLA Interns per year
0
Internship Hours
For 14-15-Year-Olds in OLA-SYEP
In Stipends or Wages Earned Per Year
By 14-24-Yr Olds (Supplementing household incomes)
0
children and families outdoors and active per year in events led by OLA Interns
100% of interns said that they took away one or more valuable job skills sought by employers
87.5% of interns said they used or improved on at least 2 job skills (professionalism/ work ethic, and communication) sought after by employers in the professional realm.
100% of interns felt valued throughout their internship and felt as if they played an important role.
93.75% of interns felt like they observed or were a part of a full range of operations and learning opportunities.
87.5% of interns said that this internship enhanced their self- understanding and professional development in important ways.
100% of interns said that they took away one or more valuable job skills sought by employers
87.5% of interns said they used or improved on at least 2 job skills (professionalism/ work ethic, and communication)sought after by employers in the professional realm.