Mercer Times

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette recently visited The College of New Jersey to engage with students involved in the department's Youth Inclusion Initiative. This program offers young adults from urban areas across the state the opportunity to work in TCNJ's Campus Garden, receive educational training from the DEP, and collaborate with TCNJ’s Bonner scholars.

"We are extremely thankful to have the support of TCNJ and to engage with its Bonner scholars who, for the second year, have volunteered their time to teach about community gardening, sustainability, and serve as enthusiastic mentors to DEP’s Youth Inclusion Initiative participants," LaTourette stated. "With the help of our partners, we are committed to building a more inclusive and diverse green workforce and empowering young people, especially those from overburdened communities, to be the change agents we need for a more equitable and sustainable future."

Initiated in 2021 under the New Jersey State Park Service’s workforce development program, the Youth Inclusion Initiative equips participants with technical skills relevant for careers in environmental protection within New Jersey.

Rayjohn Felicia from TCNJ’s Center for Engaged Learning commented on the impact of this initiative: "The students from the Youth Inclusion Initiative learn the power of volunteering and gain valuable skills that they can take back to their neighborhoods and use to create their own community gardens. This partnership also allows them to see that college is more than sitting in a classroom, and what opportunities may be there for them should they choose to go to college."

Cameryn Edwards’26, a finance major at TCNJ working as a Bonner scholar with these students, shared insights into their learning experiences: "These students are learning a lot, not just about planting and weeding and water but about the importance of sustainability. We teach them about composting and the importance of healthy and organic produce. If you grow it yourself, you know it’s healthy."

Constructed by Bonner scholars in 2010 and relocated in 2013 on campus grounds' south end, TCNJ's Campus Garden serves both as an educational space for urban youth involvement and provides food for Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.