Earth Force is the home of Environmental Action Civics.
We exist to increase youth participation in environmental decision making.
In Environmental Action Civics, students share power with adults, practice democratic decision making, and address local environmental problems using civics. And adults are right there beside them, igniting a new generation of decision makers.
Earth Force provides customizable tools and professional development to help adults create space for young people to form youth-adult partnerships, engage in environmental problem-finding, and take civic action.
History & Impact
Learn about Earth Force’s beginnings and the impact we’ve had since.
Environmental Action Civics
Environmental Action Civics is a new field. Dig into it with us.
Meet Our Team of Experts
Meet our staff and our Board of Directors.
It all started with young people (as most great ideas do).
In 1989, five 3rd and 4th grade girls from Freeport, Maine noticed the amount of styrofoam in the trash along the shores of the Royal River.
They collected the trash and then narrowed in on the source of styrofoam – several local restaurants’ takeaway containers. They visited each restaurant to ask them to change their type of containers to something more easily biodegradable. Most restaurants were responsive to making changes, but a certain large national chain was not. The franchise was required to use the products and materials determined by the corporate headquarters.
As the girls became more knowledgeable about styrofoam, the chemistry, and the environment they became more vocal about the need for banning the styrofoam – and the use of non-biodegradable material. They debated with the franchise officials in the Town Council chambers.
One result of their efforts was the passage of the Chapter 33 Styrofoam Ordinance passed by the Freeport Town Council banning the use of polystyrene foam (PSF).
The Pew Charitable Trusts took note of this incredible youth-led change and created Earth Force to give more young people the opportunity to change their community.
We continued to innovate and we officially launched Environmental Action Civics – a clear way to infuse civics into environmental learning that now reaches over 40,000 young people per year.
We’re proud of the work we do.
Our educators are rockstars, our partners are groundbreakers, and our students are changemakers. We’re creating opportunities for young people to engage in civic decision-making around the environment.
The result? More environmental citizens, stronger civic participation, and real solutions to environmental problems. But don’t take our word for it. Brandeis University’s Center for Youth & Communities has independently evaluated our work for 18 years.
- 91% of students met with school or community leaders to ask them to take action
- 84 of students show an increase in understanding of environmental issues
- 77% are more likely to contact a public official or community leader to advocate for action on an environmental issue in the future
- 81.3% of educators stated that students’ ability to plan and carry out projects aimed at changing local policies improved
- 90.6% of educators stated that Earth Force increased their students’ belief that they can make a difference in the community
- 76.6% of students plan to get involved in community projects in the future
Environmental Action Civics is an educational approach where youth work in partnership with adults to identify a local environmental issue and engage with community members to take action by advocating for systemic changes to policies or practices.
A central element of Environmental Action Civics is a commitment to prepare youth, especially those from historically marginalized communities, to engage in local environmental decision making now and in the future.
In Environmental Action Civics, young people:
Learn about the environment within the context of their own lived experiences (where they live, who they are, what they see);
Democratically select an environmental issue to study in partnership with their peers, educator, and community members;
Use credible qualitative and quantitative research methods to collect information about their issue and identify root causes.
Engage each other, their community, and local stakeholders in evidence-based discussion as a means to contextualize the information and deepen their understanding;
Develop action strategies appropriate for addressing the root cause of the problem and, with the support of adults and allies, advocate for those solutions to people in positions of power.
Through these experiences, Environmental Action Civics can help us get to broad-scale collective action on environmental issues while helping youth and adults gain formative experiences and skills.
Staff and Board
Krysten supports organizations in integrating, implementing, and training Environmental Action Civics and manages our partner organizations' facilitation of the RISE Challenge in IL and MT. They join Earth Force by way of the Great Lakes Bay Region, where they worked with educators on deepening connections to place and sustaining student inquiry. You can find her climbing and making bad music with her friends in her new home base of Richmond, VA.
Jennifer has 15 years of experience in nonprofit operations. She ensures all grant and budget requirements are met so that programs run smoothly and efficiently, having the highest possible impact.
Sarah coordinates the Caring for Our Watersheds Chesapeake Bay challenge. She also coaches and trains educators 1:1, school districts and their STEM professionals, environmental informal educators on Environmental Action Civics, in the Mid-Atlantic region. She also manages Earth Force partnerships in the region. She is passionate about re-connecting young people to nature in an equitable way and fostering stewardship of the Earth by empowering them to be environmental advocates with Earth Force. She loves to trek, kayak, snowboard, XC ski, experience new cultures and countries, and adventure with her two large pups and her partner in their new home in central PA.
Leib is an environmental educator and networker, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds to work together to make the Earth a better place. He has 5 (squared) years of experience working with nonprofits, government agencies, corporations, and foundations in the conservation field. His BA is in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and his Master's is in Environmental Education from the University of Michigan. He plays competitive volleyball both locally and around the world and is a BlueBird Monitor in Northern Virginia.
Alyssa comes to Earth Force with a background in nonprofits, program development, and education. As our Chief Program Officer, she works alongside our fantastic team of Program Managers to ensure quality program delivery, advancement of Environmental Action Civics, and strategic alignment with our mission. She is inspired by youth and adults working in partnership to take action on environmental issues. When she’s not in the virtual office, you can find her digging in soil, connecting with her community peeps, or adventuring around the globe.
Vince is a leading advocate for the incorporation of civic engagement into environmental education. Vince has a passion for youth engagement that borders on obsession and is committed to ensuring that every young person has the opportunity to engage in environmental policy making. Vince spends his time exploring the world (especially vineyards) with his wife, daughter and dog.
Sarah manages – at both a strategic and operational level – Earth Force’s key administrative functions, overseeing human resources, IT, finances, and business operations. Her role strengthens and aligns administrative and financial functions to ensure Earth Force programming is seamless.
Taylor brings a background in environmental education, natural resource management, and youth development. He is dedicated to helping others foster a connection to their community and nature. During free time, Taylor enjoys rock climbing and cooking for his family. He manages the RISE Challenge in Colorado.
Hayley joined Earth Force in 2010 and has since held too many roles to count - all drawing on her experience in communicating Earth Force's commitment to Environmental Action Civics. Her background is in Biology & Society and Bioethics, Policy, & Law. When she’s not knee-deep in Google Docs, you’ll find her chasing her two boys around.
Board of Directors
With the exception of Earth Force’s CEO, board members are independent, voting members. Please click here to view our conflict of interest policy. Three-year terms begin with the January annual meeting of the following year. Board members can commit to another term at that time.
Former IT Consulting Professional
Term Ends: 12/2024
Aequita Consulting LLC, Portland, ME
Term Ends: 12/2024
Baker Botts, San Francisco, CA
Term Ends: 12/2024
Earth Force, Denver, CO
Term Ends: 12/2024
Earth Force, Denver, CO
Term Ends: 12/2024
Natural Resource Planning Services, San Antonio, FL
Term Ends: 12/2024
Student, Alexandria, VA
Term Ends: 12/2024
Vines of Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina
Term Ends: 12/2025
Senior Java Developer, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Term Ends: 12/2024
Student, Alexandria, VA
Term Ends: 12/2025
Finances
Earth Force follows generally accepted accounting principles in our financial record keeping and follows Financial Accounting Standards Board statements in our financial reporting, which includes tracking both cash and in-kind matching funds. Earth Force management closely monitors all expenditures to ensure compliance with the board-approved budget. We have an unblemished record of audits.
Our fiscal year is October 1 – September 30.
Additional information available upon request.