Pathways in Green Infrastructure

Career Pathways

Completing the Blue Thumb Sustainable Landcare Academy is just the first step of your journey in Green Infrastructure.  Green jobs are growing across the country, and they present an opportunity to obtain high-paying jobs that can beautify your community and protect the environment. The knowledge and experience you have just gained can be used to either jumpstart your career in the green sector, or as an introduction to environmental educational opportunities.  Browse the career and academic pathways listed below to take your next step in your green journey!

Blue Thumb Job Board

The Blue Thumb Partnership is a public/private partnership that seeks to bring together like-minded entities that aim to protect our water, pollinators, and our environment.  The Blue Thumb Job Board seeks to pair Blue Thumb partners with highly skilled workforce members.  Browse the job listings here to continue your green journey!

Mississippi River Green Team

The Mississippi River Green Team is a two-year employment and conservation program for Minneapolis youth between the ages of 14 and 16. The MWMO and the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board created the Green Team as an opportunity for youth to have a mentored job experience, learn about environmental careers and acquire new skills. The Green Team is a special environmental unit of the MPRB’s Teen Teamworks program.

Helping Hand Companies

Helping Hand Companies is a local business in North Minneapolis that works with youth and young adults to gain workforce experience, with a specific emphasis on green careers.  Helping Hand is committed to promoting an ethic that embodies the responsible planning and management of the natural world and the impact of human activity on its condition.

Spark-Y

Spark-Y serves its mission of youth empowerment through three branches: hands-on learning, urban agriculture lab, and youth pathways. These initiatives work together systemically, creating multiple touch points for youth engagement. Spark-Y empowers over 2,500 Twin Cities youth annually. You can browse opportunities with Spark-Y here.

Emerge

EMERGE is a workforce and community development nonprofit with three social enterprise businesses. We support thousands of people in building careers and engaging with our community along pathways to brighter futures.

Environmental Stewardship Institute - Friends of the Mississippi River

The Environmental Stewardship Institute (ESI) fosters a diverse next generation of environmental leaders through an immersive program of local river issues and professional development that supports an interdisciplinary exploration of the environmental field. You can read about the application process here.

Tree Trust

The Tree Trust’s mission is to transform lives and landscapes by engaging people to build skills for meaningful careers, inspiring people to plant trees, and making our community a greener, healthier place to live.

Tree Trust offers a number of career pathway programs.  You can check them out on this webpage.

Minnesota GreenCorps

The Minnesota GreenCorps program, coordinated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, aims to preserve and protect Minnesota’s environment while training a new generation of environmental professionals.

Right Track

Right Track brings together the City of Saint Paul, the Saint Paul Public Schools, local businesses, and community-based organizations to provide employment opportunities and professional skills training for youth. Together we are building a skilled and diverse workforce for the future.

Step Up

Step Up brings together Minneapolis young people (ages 14-21) with Twin Cities employers through internships and training that build careers and lead to a diverse, skilled and equitable workforce. Since 2003, Step Up has created over 29,000 high-quality internship opportunities.

Each year, Step Up trains and places hundreds of Minneapolis high school youth in paid internships with over 200 top Twin Cities employers. Learn about opportunities here!

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities has partnered with Metro Blooms to provide five thousand dollars ($5000 USD) in scholarships for youth in the Metro Blooms network over the course of 2021-2022. The funds can be used at Green Roofs for Healthy Cities’ Living Architecture Academy, our online training platform, or through free registration at upcoming virtual symposia.  If you are interested in receiving a scholarship through this partnership, please contact laura@metroblooms.org.

 

Academic Pathways

If you are interested in pursuing additional educational opportunities in the green/environmental sector, consider exploring the opportunities listed below.

Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation/North Star Stem Alliance

The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) is an initiative funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF grant #1712619) which is intended to double the number of African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Alaska Native and Pacific Islander students receiving baccalaureate degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in a five-year period. If you’re interested in becoming a scholar through this program, check out the following link.

 

University of Minnesota Community Outreach, Retention and Engagement (C.O.R.E) Program

The C.O.R.E program is a community-based initiative committed to empowering students, families, and communities with the knowledge to reach their educational goals. We are determined to place YOU at the center of our focus and are prepared to work with you to bring about lasting impact. You can view programs offered through C.O.R.E here.

Urban Scholars

Urban Scholars is a program is for college and graduate students who want to work in the public sector. This program is offered through the City of Minneapolis.