Supporters
With 65 years of experience in the conservation and climate justice fields, the Student Conservation Association (SCA) is a strategic partner that brings creativity and innovation to every partnership. The SCA creates the next generation of conservation leaders through building equitable access to nature, providing green job opportunities to youth and young adults, and teaching citizens how they can be environmental stewards. We can help tailor employee engagement, community outreach, and cause marketing campaigns to create mutually beneficial programs.
For more information on how to partner with the SCA, please contact Kelly Runzel, Sr. Director, Institutional Giving at [email protected].
Success Stories
Environmental Health Equity in Houston and Atlanta
Due to decades of systematic marginalization and environmental injustice, low-income and minority communities can find themselves exposed to pollution, limited transportation, and in heat islands. The SCA invests in these communities to mitigate health impacts of climate change and create safe places. With Comic Relief’s support, SCA will facilitate Urban Treehouse (ages 4-18) in Houston and Atlanta, where leaders will engage students in environmental education, and an All-Black Women’s Affinity Crew (ages 18-25) in Atlanta, where members will complete projects to support community health. This 2023 program will support marginalized youth and communities most impacted to build resilience and address social and physical health.
Expanding Green Job Opportunities in New Cities
In 2021, SCA expanded to its 10th major city, Atlanta, hosting Community Crews with support from The UPS Foundation and L.L. Bean. The crew consisted of 10 youth, who were recruited locally from Atlanta school districts. This crew served in multiple parks including Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. National Historic Park (NHP), Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, and Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. The purpose of the crew was to provide space for a group of African American, high school students to more deeply connect with the community they live in.
The implementation of community affinity crews is one of the ways SCA seeks to address environmental degradation and injustice. By supporting the voices of local community members and engaging youth in hands on service to the land, SCA can establish a pathway to job-readiness and future careers for the next generation of thought leaders.