Job well done
Wilmington honors UD's Narvaez for coordinating inaugural Green Jobs Program
2:43 p.m., Aug. 17, 2011--Representatives from several environmental organizations attended the headquarters of the Challenge Program on the banks of the Christina River last week to celebrate the first class of teens to complete the city of Wilmington’s summer Green Jobs Program.
Martha Corrozi Narvaez, associate policy scientist at the University of Delaware’s Water Resources Agency, a program unit of the Institute for Public Administration in the School of Public Policy and Administration, coordinated the Green Jobs Program and organized the closing celebration that honored the teenagers.
People Stories
'Resilience Engineering'
Reviresco June run
The teens worked this summer as program interns and shared what they valued most about their experience at the ceremony before receiving certificates presented by Wilmington Mayor James Baker and Collin O’Mara, secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Supporting organizations were formally recognized, and Baker personally thanked Narvaez and presented her with a special award for her efforts at the conclusion of the ceremony.
In addition to Narvaez, Baker and O’Mara, event speakers included Andrew McKnight, executive director of the Challenge Program, and Romain Alexander, director of the city of Wilmington’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
Narvaez recognized the host organizations and the city of Wilmington for their dedication to getting this program off the ground. She noted, “This program was modeled after similar programs in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and these five interns are part of a national effort to get young people out into the environment and make them aware of their natural surroundings.”
During the six-week internship, each participating organization provided the interns with hands-on work experience and environmental education that introduced them to environmental issues and careers. Green Jobs Program organizational supporters include:
- Challenge Program
- City of Wilmington, Department of Parks and Recreation
- City of Wilmington, Public Works Department
- Delaware Center for Horticulture
- Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
- Delaware Nature Society
- Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
- University of Delaware, Institute for Public Administration, Water Resources Agency
- Urban Environmental Center
Everyone associated with Green Jobs said they hoped to continue and grow the successful program next summer. The event concluded with a riverside barbeque.
Article and photo by Mark Deshon