Last week, Keep Prince William Beautiful (KPWB) kicked off their 2017 Environmental Youth Leadership Academy at Prince William Forest National Park.
KPWB’s youth leadership training focuses on problem-solving and tean work, and helps move “the next generation toward realizing Keep Prince William Beautiful’s vision of clean, green communities being healthy, prosperous, beautiful ones,” stated a release.
Throughout the academy, high-school aged students will learn about water quality, preserving parks, litter control, and the importance of community service, as well as how to cook on a campfire, work in a team, how to do archery, and complete a service project, according to a release.
“We look forward to bringing together young leaders to engage the next generation in leading the work we must do to keep our communities clean, green, healthy, and beautiful places to live, work, and play. We appreciate community partners such as Virginia Water and Wetlands, the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia and others for helping make this Academy possible,” stated KPWB Executive Director Jason Parsons.
“I heard about this program from one of my friends who asked me to do it…this program has actually been a great learning experience. We got to hear three speakers yesterday, who talked about the Chesapeake Bay, and the watershed, and how what we do here at home impacts the rivers near us, which lead to the Potomac [River], and the Cheaspeake Bay in general, and how that has a big impact,” said Rachel Rosenquist, a Forest Park High School student participating in the program.
Check out footage of their first session:
