Mentorship Series: Environmental Justice

The Opportunities for All Thursday Mentorship Series brought together upwards of 400 youth to learn about Environmental Justice at Golden Gate Park’s County Fair Building. The Environmental Justice field centers around ensuring that everyone has the same protection from environmental and health hazards and has an equal say in community decisions surrounding the environment.

Officials from the Department of Public Health spoke about their experiences in the Environmental Justice field and introduced students to a paid research internship program called SHARP focused on recruiting members of underrepresented communities. DPH, with other City departments, regulates hazardous waste in the environment, water, and air quality, among other environment-related areas. City departments, including DPH, account for at least 1,400 of 3,400 total OFA internship placements. 

Youth also had the opportunity to access open space in search of various San Francisco landmarks, such as the AIDS Memorial Grove, Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, Shakespeare Garden and California Academy of Sciences. They were also able to visit the De Young museum free of charge where they got the chance to learn about the museum’s current exhibits.

Students created watercolor paintings of their visions of their neighborhoods in comparison to Golden Gate Park. Drawing and watercolor painting became a favorite of the day as many students had not previously had the opportunity to participate in similar activities.

You can find information about future OFA Thursday Mentorship Series events at the link below.