Melanie Stevenson is the Community Outreach Associate at Do Something, the NYC-based, youth activism organization. (Perhaps you’ve seen their most recent PSA, courtesy of Gossip boy Chace Crawford, promoting Teens for Jeans?) Melanie recently headed the “Increase Your Green” campaign at DS, a partnership with National Grid that challenged teens to “green” their middle schools and high schools. More than 400 schools applied and top eight winners were awarded $500 to $1500 grants for their next show and tell. Here’s what Melanie had to say about the campaign.
Q1 GreenGamine: What were some of the winning ideas behind the “Increase Your Green” grants?
A1 Melanie: One school exchanged compost with a local farmer, which he then used to harvest and provide the cafeteria with locally-grown food. Another group of students integrated a solar energy lesson plan into their Advanced Placement (AP) science courses. They’re going to build a solar panel and install it on their roof to produce solar energy for the school.
Q2 GreenGamine: What are some things about Do Something as a youth activist program that make it unique?
A2 Melanie: We never require an adult. We never require a car. And we never require money. We don’t believe in fundraising. We provide the resources. [Teens] work hard at their part-time jobs and deserve to keep their money.
We also believe that we are not training future leaders. We know teenagers have the passion, energy, and creativity to lead right now.
Q3 GreenGamine: What activist groups were you involved in as a teenager?
A3 Melanie: In high school, I was apart of the Community Service Club and Key Club. In college, I was a coach for Girls on the Run [a nonprofit that encourages self-esteem through athletics for young girls]. Today, I do disaster relief in New Orleans. I help with the rebuilding and public beautification of the city after [Hurricane] Katrina.
Q4 GreenGamine: How many teens are you reaching with Do Something?
A4 Melanie: Two years ago we reached 11.5 million teens, with 200,000 being able to act. Last year we overshot our goal of 310,000 active volunteers. Four hundred thousand kids were able to act. By 2010, we hope to reach 20 million and get 2 million kids to act.
(Editor’s Note: The amount of teenagers Do Something reaches is based on the amount of traffic they get on their website, as well as the amount of teens who are exposed to their PSAs on Channel 1 news programming. Teens that “act” are those that take it to the next level and volunteer.)
Q5 GreenGamine: What do you think makes these kids so successful?
A5 Melanie: Teenagers are more flexible. They do the most amazing things.
I agree! Check out my complete interview with Melanie, and visit DoSomething.org for a complete list of the National Grid Foundation winners and tips on how you too can green your community.
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