For five summers, Green Living Science’s Student Recycling Ambassador Program has been delighted to provide paid week-long summer cohorts for over 50 exemplary Detroit high school students. Catering to their passions for environmentalism, sustainability, and justice, this program was designed for Earth-minded youth to educate and empower themselves, while also working within the community to help make Detroit a cleaner, greener, healthier, and more collaborative city. 

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These students, representing 20+ Detroit and Hamtramck high schools, participated in and led activities where they accomplished so many amazing accolades:

• Learned how to educate, encourage, and sign up Detroit residents to recycle at home for free

• Cleaned up underserved neighborhoods' illegal dump sites 

• Beautified community learning and green spaces 

• Supported updating lessons and curriculum to be interacted with by thousands of Detroit elementary students 

• Gained valuable professional development skills from STEAM partners

• Attended on-site experiences at cultural, art, and waste reduction facilities 

• Connected students to green jobs, climate-based` college degrees, and prepared them for a future in these professional spaces

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The final year of Student Recycling Ambassadors was made possible in part by support from Kroger, MGM Resorts Foundation, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, and United Way Southeast Michigan. Because of their generosity, our educational partners, and the absolutely amazing applicants to join us as 20 remarkable Student Recycling Ambassadors, our program was able to have more eyes on it than ever before.

 

When word spread about the impact and intention of the last SRA program in the summer of 2025, it allowed us to make equally beneficial internal and external collaborations, which will expand the cohort for our high schoolers through the full summer of 2026. Thoughtfully weaving in student participation to our resident-empowering Park Champion program, Our Backyard Detroit, and additional funding from the Gilbert Family Foundation,- the five-year legacy of Student Recycling Ambassadors is evolving into Gen:G Junior Champions.