For more than 30 years, the Greenwich Youth Conservation Project – coordinated through the Greenwich Department of Social Services and funded through private donations – has provided 14 and 15 year olds with a chance to participate in a two-week supervised, outdoor work experience with an educational component and added-value all around.
For those offered a slot – there is an interview process, a mandatory family orientation, and, sadly, a wait list totaling more than 100 teens for this summer alone – any downside to working in the heat and humidity is outweighed by the camaraderie, socialization and significant improvements to the numerous town-owned green spaces.
Christina Nappi is the Greenwich’s Social Services Youth Service Coordinator, who is back for her fifth summer supervising the project.
The projects volunteer advisory board that includes Mary Hull, Frank Smurlo and Barbara Bollman spearheads fundraising efforts.
For most participants, the project is their first paid work experience, with a paycheck totaling $225 for two weeks of weeding, pruning, painting, clearing brush and planting trees.
Recently the teens worked on projects at Byram Shore.
The also worked at the Pinetum, Tod’s Point, Grass Island and Bruce Park, to name a few.
Friendship is a major benefit of the program.
Often times the teens take pride in their work, by bring their families back and they see some of the plantings they have done.
The kids learn about the program from a variety of sources. Some have older siblings who did the project in the past.
Sometimes they find out about the program from the Student Employment Services at GHS.
On a typical day the kids will work from 8-11:30, break for lunch and then have a guest speaker on a relatable teen topic such as cyber-bullying.
The educational component comes via speakers such as adolescent psychologist, Dr. Barbara Greenberg from Silver Hill Hospital, whose presentation, ‘Talking to Your Parents,’ was popular with the teens.
They also had speakers from Stamford’s Center for Sexual Assault, Greenwich Family Youth Options talking about alcohol and drug awareness, and a Stamford probation officer who gave an overview of the juvenile justice system.
Anyone who would like to make a donation to the project may write a check to the “Greenwich Youth Conservation Project” and mail it to the Greenwich Dept. of Social Services, Town Hall, 101 Field Point Rd., Greenwich, CT 06830.
Anyone with questions about the project may call Christina Nappi, LCSW, Youth Services Coordinator on (203) 622-7792.
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