Members of Carmel Green Teen shown promoting their organization last summer at Westfield's Farmer's Market. From left to right: Lauren Gibson, Kristen Palamara, Nicki Hutchins, Emily Roberts. Photo courtesy of Irene Gibson.
So often, big ideas are born from small places, and sometimes a fresh set of minds can create new ideas to old dilemmas. Such is the case of Carmel Green Teen, an organization dedicated to “Making Carmel greener, one youth project at a time.”
When Lauren Gibson was in the fifth grade, she wrote a report on polar bears and how climate changes were affecting these animals. The report awakened Lauren’s consciousness of environmental issues, and two years ago she attended a presentation at Purdue University given by famed anthropologist Jane Goodall. During her presentation, Goodall encouraged the kids in the audience to help her save the planet by joining her Roots & Shoots youth program to help people, animals, and the environment.
The recipients of the first mini-grants from Carmel Green Teen are photographed with Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard at the awards ceremony last fall. Photo courtesy of Irene Gibson.
“She said that the youth were the hope and future of the world, and if we wanted to make a difference we needed to start working now. She identified climate change as the big problem for my generation, and told us it was our job now to help the environment, “ says Gibson, now a freshman at Carmel High School. Gibson took Goodall’s words to heart, and when she returned home she gathered a few of her friends and organized Carmel Area Roots & Shoots program. This group completed many small projects, including removing trash from Cool Creek and collecting food for local food pantries.
In 2008, Lauren and her mother were shopping in a local March grocery store when they saw a flyer for the Clorox Green Works $10,000 Green Heroes grant contest. After deciding to enter the contest, Gibson’s Roots & Shoots group spent time brainstorming different ideas for projects worthy of the $10,000 prize for a youth-driven green project. Gibson says, “Some of our ideas were great, but they were too small for a $10,000 budget.” Other suggestions, such as buying recycling bins for Carmel parks, had potential, but the group lacked the authority to install such a project and no means to maintain the bins. Then the group struck gold with the idea of creating a mini-foundation that would break the money into small grants that would be awarded to local youth led green initiatives.
The group submitted their idea for the Carmel Green Teen Micro-Grant Program to the Clorox contest and then waited. After receiving word that they had been chosen among the entries as a top-ten finalist, the group had to rally support from the community to vote online, and on Earth Day 2009, the group was informed that they had been chosen one of five national winners.
“We were so excited about winning and having the money available to fund projects in the community, but it was a learning experience to figure out how to award grant money.” comments Gibson, “ We were so lucky to have the help of the United Way.” By utilizing the grant process and forms established by the United Way, the group began taking applications for their first round of micro-grants in the fall of 2009. Five worthy projects were selected from the submissions, and the winning groups received their grants during an awards ceremony on November 12, 2009 held in Carmel Civic Square. Gibson has a tough time identifying a favorite project, “All of the groups were great, “ she says, “but the Cub Scouts were all so excited about their grant money and so passionate about the projects they had planned, it was fun to see.”
Lauren Gibson, founding member of Carmel Green Teen, sits in front of the first completed project funded by the group's micro-grant foundation.
The first project from the fall grants has been completed. Planting beds for an organic community garden were built December 5, 2009 at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Carmel and will be ready for spring 2010 planting. Fueled by the enthusiasm of the fall grant recipients, Carmel Green Teen is currently reviewing applications for spring projects. When asked what the group looks for when considering grant applicants, Gibson replied, “The most important element is that the ideas are youth-driven. We want to see that the group is passionate about the project they are proposing, and that they have the ability to follow through and complete the plan.” The deadline for spring applications is February 28, 2010.
After awarding the next round of grants, Gibson and her group hope to continue the process until the Green Works prize money is exhausted. The group has no current plans to attempt any additional fundraising as previous efforts have been less successful in raising significant funds, but Gibson states that the group is always open to donations from interested parties. In a few short years, Gibson will be graduating from Carmel High School and moving on to pursue her goal of becoming a polar bear field scientist, and her hope is that the Green Teen group lives on after she is gone. “Hopefully someone will take leadership and continue what we’re doing. We would be more than happy to share what we have learned about the grant process with anyone interested in continuing the Carmel Roots & Shoots or Green Teen.” Beyond continuing the programs, Gibson feels confident about the lasting impact of Carmel Green Teen. As she wrote in an application for youth environment award the group plans to apply for, “Through this program we have the opportunity to help other kids have the power to make a difference. This will have a lasting effect on the environment, students, and our entire community.”
When accepting a $650 micro-grant award on behalf of his Cub Scout Pack, Sam Whittman was quoted as saying, “A small change made by small people can make a big difference.” By proving funds and encouraging their youth peers, the Carmel Green Teen organization is certainly making a big difference in their world.
Applications for the next round of micro-grants from Carmel Green Teen are due February 28, 2010. To find more information or contact Green Teen please go to www.CarmelGreenTeen.org.
