Grounding Waters is a hands-on, nature-based mentorship program for Black and BIPOC youth (grades 6–12) that connects environmental stewardship, culture, and community through outdoor, project-based learning. Through multigenerational mentoring, civic engagement, and real-world environmental restoration work, youth explore sustainability, green building, and STEM pathways while building leadership and confidence. This year-round program strengthens connection to land and identity while exposing participants to green careers that urgently need greater representation and access. Grounding Waters empowers young people to see themselves as environmental leaders and future professionals in the green sector.

Sowing Seeds is a high school-based career-readiness mentorship program for Black-identifying youth. Led by Black industry professionals, sessions create consistent, small-group spaces for identity exploration, career exposure, and preparation for life after high school. Through meaningful dialogue, skill-building activities, and real-world insight, students explore college, trades, entrepreneurship, and green sector pathways without being pushed toward a single track. Rooted in representation and relationship, Sowing Seeds builds confidence, clarity, and access as students navigate their next chapter.

A flagship program of the World Salmon Council (WSC), Salmon Watch has provided quality environmental education and outdoor opportunities to more than 80,000 youth throughout Oregon and beyond over the past 30 years, prioritizing schools and students that have historically been underserved. Recognizing the heightened impact and significance of having near-peer, culturally relevant mentors engaging students, WSC has for the past several years partnered with The Blueprint Foundation to train its participants as Student Educators to lead Salmon Watch field trip stations. These experiences not only provide active, hands-on education, but also enable students to explore their natural heritage, develop leadership skills, and build a sense of resource stewardship through learning and teaching about salmon ecosystems. Salmon Watch’s science-based stations teach students about salmon biology, macroinvertebrate identification, water quality testing, and riparian ecosystems.

The Leach Back 5 Project, led by a collaborative effort including Johnson Creek Watershed Council, Wisdom of the Elders, The Blueprint Foundation, David Douglas High School, Lent K-8 School, African Youth Community Organization-AYCO, and Connecting Canopies, alongside expertise from Portland Parks and Recreation, and dedicated volunteers, embarked on a multi-year endeavor to restore the eastern 5 acres of Leach Botanical Gardens. Restoration encompasses removing non-native species, planting natives, creating walkable trails, and ongoing maintenance, while prioritizing educational and community science opportunities, especially for underserved demographics, aligning with Leach Garden’s mission and values. Additionally, the project involves ongoing assessment and analysis, with nearly 3,000 person-hours invested in documenting vegetation, surveying wildlife, constructing a vernal pond, and implementing restoration practices without herbicides, aiming to extend efforts to adjacent acres until the entire site is revitalized and monitored.

Learn more about the Back 5 Project and Leach Botanical Gardens at their website.