This document summarizes research on the Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Youth Tree Team (YTT) program, which provides green jobs and enrichment activities to youth. Surveys of YTT participants from 2014-2016 found some increases in civic engagement and pro-environmental behaviors. Changes could not be directly attributed to YTT due to study limitations. Researchers plan to improve surveys, conduct alumni surveys, and expand the research to better understand YTT's impacts and inform similar programs. The goal is to assess how green job programs influence youth development.

1. Youth and Green Jobs:
Addressing the Potential for
Urban Forestry
Sarah Mincey, PhD & Mikaela Schmitt-Harsh, PhD (James Madison
University)
Additional collaborators:
Bloomington Urban Forestry Research Group members:
Jess Vogt, PhD and Shannon Watkins, PhD
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful YTT Coordinators:
Molly Wilson and Ned Brockmeyer
INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON
SCHOOL OF PUBLIC & ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

2. Background
• Green jobs contribute to enhancing environmental quality (Falxa-Raymond et al 2013).
• May provide benefits to workers beyond that of employment (Falxa-Raymond et al 2013).
• Limited studies on youth.
• Gains in cooperation and conflict resolution skills, self-esteem; positive
environmental behavior from outdoor environmental education (AIR, 2005)
• Gains in individual development as well as positive environmental and social change in
communities from environmental action (Schusler et al., 2009 and Schusler and
Krasny, 2010)

3. Background
• Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) Youth Tree
Team (YTT) = Youth in Green Jobs
• Not only trained and work in urban forestry, but
involved in on-the-job enrichment activities to:
• Connect youth to nature
• Connect youth with green collar professionals
• Connect youth to colleges and universities
• Impart life skills and specific job skills
• Enrichment activities include camping, financial
skills training, college visits, etc.
Image credit: JM Vogt

4. Background
• KIB’s assessment of YTT came to attention
of IU researchers
• Researchers suggested pre- and post-
employment survey of YTT instead of only
post which has issue of biased responses
• Helped to develop new instrument
interested in detecting changes in civic
engagement, health, efficacy, pro-
environmental /sustainable behavior
Image credit: JM VogtImage credit: JM Vogt

5. Research question & objectives for today
• What changes do we observe in youth involved in a summer of YTT
employment?
• Consider best practices in such assessments
• Consider opportunities for future, expanded research

6. INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON
Methods
1. Anonymous questionnaire completed by YTT during first week of
employment and last week of employment for three summers (‘14, ’15, ‘16)
2. Asked indirect questions that could be repeated pre and post-YTT
3. Ran paired sample t-tests for questions of interests; determined significant
change (p < 0.05) in average response
4. Collected lists of enrichment activities/year and interviewed KIB YTT staff
to qualitatively understand summer experiences

7. INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON
Results
 Enrichment activities didn’t vary greatly between summers
– Always included camping, rafting, college tour. In ‘14 and ‘16 there
were personal finance activities
– Differences: ‘14 – bike repair, ‘15 urban farming, ‘16 landfill trip
 Difference in YTT leadership

8. INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON
Results
How much influence do you think
someone like you can you have over
the following?
2014
(n=62)
2015
(n=54)
2016
(n=37)
Mean
Change
Sig (2-
tailed)
Mean
Change
Sig (2-
tailed)
Mean
Change
Sig (2-
tailed)
National government +0.089 0.241 -0.019 0.855 +0.136 0.419
Local government +0.306 0.006 +0.203 0.020 -0.135 0.281
Global environment +0.016 0.883 -0.093 0.301 -0.270 0.067
Environment in your city +0.161 0.067 -0.056 0.569 -0.082 0.413
Environment in your neighborhood -0.016 0.821 -0.055 0.606 +0.000 1.000

9. INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON
Results
For each of the following activities,
please indicate if you make a real
effort to do it on a regular basis, from
time to time when convenient, or you
don’t really do the behavior.
2014
(n=62)
2015
(n=54)
2016
(n=37)
Mean
change
Sig (2-
tailed)
Mean
change
Sig (2-
tailed)
Mean
change
Sig (2-
tailed)
Separate garbage from recyclables +0.307 0.001 +0.037 0.719 +0.162 0.110
Use public transport, carpool, walk,
bike to cut down on driving
+0.274 0.004 +.074 0.470 -0.054 0.624
Buy durable things +0.080 0.279 -0.111 0.261 -0.054 0.600
Unplug appliances while not used +0.064 0.521 +0.056 0.635 -0.081 0.520
Use trails, parks, open spaces 0.000 1.000 -0.093 0.255 -0.217 0.030
Exercise +0.032 0.687 0.000 1.000 -0.136 0.201

10. INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON
Discussion: What explains these changes?
1. Can’t attribute change directly to YTT. Need more sophisticated survey—
a control group or direct questions in post-summer survey to triangulate
data (e.g. “How did your experience in YTT impact you?”)
2. It’s a bigger issue for certain questions – changes in physical health are
likely over a summer despite YTT. But change in environmental behavior
or civic efficacy piques interest in effect of YTT.

11. Discussion: Theorizing
potential impact of YTT
• KIB’s contract to manage Indianapolis’ trees
demonstrates civic efficacy = positive change
in impact on “local government” and
“environment in your city”
• 2016 landfill visit & negative perception of
effect on global environment
• 2014 bike repair & positive transportation
change
Image credit: JM Vogt

12. INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON
Future research & opportunities
1. Researchers working with KIB to edit current YTT surveys to include
indirect and direct questions.
2. Expanding to second survey instrument that will survey YTT alumni
3. New research team has formed at IU; submitted proposal to NSF to assess
sustainability literacy of current IU students in IES programs. Future plans
are to include YTT (to understand HS students) and to track over time to
careers.
4. Looking for other YTT-like programs for future research coordination.

13. INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON
Future research & opportunities
1. Researchers working with KIB to edit current YTT surveys to include
indirect and direct questions.
2. Expanding to second survey instrument that will survey YTT alumni.
3. New research team has formed at IU; submitted proposal to NSF to assess
sustainability literacy of current IU students in IES programs. Future plans
are to include YTT (to understand HS students) and to track over time to
careers.
4. Looking for other YTT-like programs for future research coordination.

14. INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON
References
1. Falxa-Raymond, N., E. Svendson, and L.K. Campbell. 2013. From job training to green jobs: A case
study of a young adult employment program centered on environmental restoration in New York City,
USA. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 12(3): 287-295.
2. American Institutes for Research (AIR). 2005. Effect of outdoor education programs for children in
California. The California Department of Education, Sacramento, CA.
3. Schusler, T.M., M.E. Krasney, S.J. Peters, and D.J. Decker. 2009 Developing citizens and
communities through youth environmental action. Environmental Education Research 15: 111-127.
4. Schusler, T.M. and S.J. Krasney. 2010. Environmental action as context for youth development. The
Journal of Environmental Education 41: 208-223.