Lents Youth Initiative engages up to 40 teens every year. Through the program, teens receive 45+ hours of leadership training, environmental justice training, and career development through the Youth Empowerment Series in the spring.
In the summer, up to 30 interns are hired to lead projects and collectively contribute thousands of hours to projects that benefit the neighborhood. Past participants have completed internships at Zenger Farms, Friends of Trees, Portland State University Learning Gardens Lab, Portland Parks & Recreation, Leach Botanical Garden, Johnson Creek Watershed Council, Forth Mobility, Lents Farmer’s Market, Green Lents, and ROSE Community Development.