Youth Engagement
Opportunities for Solano High School Youth
Sustainable Solano has grown our youth engagement across our various programs, including new Fellowships and internship opportunities for Solano high school students. This page outlines the upcoming opportunities and training sessions.
High school students must participate in one of the certification sessions offered in-person or online before starting a Sustainable Solano internship. These engaging certification sessions explore environmental challenges at a global, community and individual level, bringing the discussion to bear on youth leadership and engagement around environmental justice. Certification sessions are free to attend and open to any Solano high school student, and are listed on the right side of the page. Students can attend a certification session even if they are not ready to apply for an internship.
After participating in an internship, students are invited to join the Youth Leadership Council to connect with other students and continue shaping outreach within their communities.
Students interested in internships should fill out this application form.
Questions? Contact Allison Nagel at allison@sustainablesolano.org
Scroll down or use the links below to learn more about each internship opportunity.
Community Resilience
Urban Ag & Gardens
- None open at this time
Youth Cooking/Local Food
- None open at this time
Community Resilience
Youth Air Protectors
Location: Rio Vista
Commitment: September-December 2024
Stipend: $200/4 weeks ($800 total)
Application deadline: Aug. 26, but applications are accepted on a rolling basis
Want clean breathable air in Rio Vista? Want to make a difference in your community? Become a Youth Air Protector! Sustainable Solano is seeking 5-10 high school aged interns to work with us from September-December 2024. Interns will learn about air quality challenges in Rio Vista and become community leaders and change-makers within their neighborhoods, engaging the community around air quality and leading the creation of a community-driven air quality action plan. You must live or go to school in Rio Vista to be eligible.
Over the course of four months, interns will: Learn about air quality challenges facing Rio Vista; Help to implement a green infrastructure and walkability project; Assist with community outreach, education and events; Co-facilitate community conversations; Help to lead the creation of an Air Quality Community Action Plan; Create personal action plans for steps they can take in their own lives and share with others; Complete final projects that demonstrate potential improvements to the local environment.
Interns will be expected to attend weekly in-person meetings in Rio Vista (location TBD), as well as 2-4 weekend or evening community events per month, and must be able to transport themselves. (This program includes the certification material as part of the schedule.)
Urban Ag & Gardens
Youth Cooking/Local Food
Certification Sessions
High school students must participate in one of Sustainable Solano’s free certification sessions to participate in an internship. Certification sessions are offered in-person and online.
During certification, students will participate in Pachamama Alliance’s Awakening the Dreamer course and reflect on their vision for the world through a collage-art project, explore One Planet Living principles as a sustainability framework and approach to shaping personal action plans, and learn how to research environmental challenges within their communities.
Online internships are done in two parts. Participants must attend both sessions and there is independent work that needs to be done before each meeting.
Want to participate in a certification session but have a schedule conflict? Reach out to Allison Nagel at allison@sustainablesolano.org
Learn More
Youth Air Protectors: An Important (and Exciting) Opportunity
SuSol launched our Air Quality program in 2022 in Fairfield. The program is centered around Youth Air Protectors — high school students and young adults who learn about air quality challenges that affect Fairfield and seek ways to educate the community about those challenges and possible solutions while working on hands-on projects. Here, intern Prabhjot Kaur shares her experience.
The Beginning of Flood Resiliency in Suisun City
Over the past two years, Sustainable Solano has focused on spreading awareness of the dire need for climate resilience in Suisun City, making education regarding flooding accessible for the city’s residents. Generously funded by PG&E through the Better Together Resilient Communities, Sustainable Solano’s Resilient Neighborhoods program installed two flood-resilient gardens in Suisun, kicked off a now annual climate event in the city, led a high school internship program, taken residents on a dozen Flood Walk tours, and empowered the community to tackle flooding via the creation of a community-based action plan.
New Program in Fairfield Will Tackle Poor Air Quality
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