What Goes Around Comes Around

When teens strive for green karma, Do Something’s Melanie Stevenson makes it all happen.

(dosomething.org)

Melanie Stevenson peers her brown peepers around the doorframe of her modest corner office, keeping an eye on what is affectionately referred to as the “bull pen” – a noisy open space of slick granite carpeting, jumbled desks, and frantic interns. Sporting a neatly coiffed, coffee-colored ‘do and a constant smile, she pivots her petite frame towards a sizable, nondescript map hanging on the wall behind her. To spice it up, she has painstakingly stuck to it thirty metallic stars in patriotic colors.  Each star represents the hometown of a member of Do Something’s Youth Advisory Board, a motley crew of student activists Stevenson refers to as her right hand.

Pairing tan tweed pants with a fitted black v-neck and some chunky, ebony jewels, Stevenson, 24, has mastered youthful style. It is fitting then that she, as the Community Outreach Associate for Do Something, a New York-based, national youth activist organization, helps to provide resources for teens with big dreams. Though the organization offers an education in activism for any youngster with a wide-eyed vision, Stevenson’s focus is on those who think green.

Most recently, she headed the group’s second annual “Increase Your Green” competition, a partnership with National Grid that challenged middle school and high school students nationwide to construct a game plan to “greenify” their school. Eight winners were awarded grants ranging from $500 to $1500. Last year, 15 schools completed the challenge. This year, 400 schools applied and 45 were given the green light to single-handedly create sustainable schools, tripling the success rate. In addition, the number of environmental clubs registered with Do Something has nearly doubled in the last year.

Teen greening has gone global. In addition to Do Something, teens have joined a host of green initiatives, such as girl-power group Teens Turning Green, community-based Planet Green Schools, the global initiative Youth Venture, and the Energy Action Coalition, which has teamed up with Climate Challenge to educate teens on the effects of global warming. In a recent, national campaign for energy efficiency, Power Shift, a collection of 50 environmental clubs belonging to the Coalition, was active on 300 campuses with nearly 300,000 young participants. Still, these teens are hungry for more.

This overwhelming increase in eco interest among young adults signals a new generation of treehuggers. Gone are the poster children of Birkenstocks, Rastafarian locks, and an appreciation for all things psychedelic. These modern day hippies exchange face time for Facebook and gossip for Gossip Girl. Their version of Woodstock is a Jonas Brothers concert. Many do not have their licenses—many have yet to be kissed. Still, Stevenson says that particularly in the wake of the new administration, Generation Y (or is it now O?) has assembled itself an affable army of environuts in search of an alternative to an inconvenient truth. But they need a touch of guidance, and the dollars to get it done. Enter Melanie Stevenson.

5 Questions With Do Something’s Queen of Green

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.