YELL! is a program for young people who are interested in social justice and protecting the environment. It is a program to empower youth of color to make a difference in their own communities through learning and hands on community projects.
YELL! has five paid fellowship opportunities for people between the ages of 18 and 25 years old. You will get to participate in workshops led by local and national leaders in environmental justice and social activism. You will get to learn about the history of how communities of color have been affected by pollution and toxics, and what they have done about it. You will hear about exciting work happening all around the country (and the world) from environmental justice leaders in Indigenous communities, and communities of color.
Fellows will meet twice a month from August 2015-April 2016 and work on projects in their communities through this time. Find more details and applications below. Applications are due July 15, fellows will be notified late July. Contact yell@ceed.org or Sarah at 612-227-5265 for more information.
Program description and application: Download (doc) (pdf)
- Care about their community
- Want to learn how to protect the environment
- Want to help change the world for the better
What is expected of me? You will be required to commit to a minimum of 20 hours a month:
- Two 4 hour workshops a month (8 hours)
- Monthly work on your community project (12 hours)
- Indigenous environmental rights: Any environmental issue affecting Indigenous or tribal people and land.
- Food justice: Any topic that focuses on how we can support and grow healthy and affordable food for our communities.
- Energy justice: Any topic that looks at how we use to power and heat and how we can make sure that energy does not negatively impact Mother Earth.
- Climate justice: A project that looks at what are good solutions to climate change?
- Healthy neighborhoods: A project that looks at what the pollution is in your neighborhood and how you can help to reduce its negative impact.
The program runs 9 months (August 2015 – April 2016). You will meet twice a month and we will have a community celebration at the end. Each Fellow will receive a Certificate for completing the program.
Is there a Stipend? YES! Each Fellow will receive a stipend of $500 each month.
What will I learn? You will learn about how pollution affects your community and what you can do about it, and about the many ways that you can work toward a healthy environment and for justice. You will also get to develop skills like how to talk with your legislators and participate in sessions about how laws are made. You will get a chance to meet with lawmakers and other leaders about laws and policies that are affecting the environmental and social justice issues and communities you care about.
How should I apply? Fill out the Application Form (download links at the top of this section, contact CEED for printed copies or further assistance). Applications are due on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 and should be mailed or emailed. Indigenous and young adults of color are strongly encouraged to apply. A short 20-minute interview will be set up for finalists. CEED YELL! Fellows will be selected by July 30th. For questions, call or email Sarah Goodspeed at 612-227-5265 or at sgoodspeed@ceed.org. How many Fellows will be chosen? Five Fellows will be chosen in 2015-2016. Where will the Fellowship workshops be held? The fellowship workshops will be held in Minneapolis and St. Paul. You will work on your project wherever it is most appropriate.
Can I Learn and Participate if I’m not chosen as a YELL! Fellow? Because we believe there will be much interest in the Workshops from community members, if you are not selected as a Fellow or would just like to learn about a topic, the workshops will be open to all community members for free. Registration will be required and more information about registration will be sent close to the workshop dates.