New Pioneers celebrates a new partnership this Spring by building connections with teens through the Nelson County Public Library. In conjunction with library staff, New Pioneers led a “teen night takeover” on Thursday, April 11 - aimed at building connections and fostering conversations about sustainability with this energetic and exciting crowd.

During the program, New Pioneers’ Executive Director, Julia, led teens in an introductory activity to “guess the animal” and classify different animals as “wild” or “domesticated”. After this icebreaker, learners were challenged to consider their own thoughts and opinions on a series of environmental issues. After considering their own viewpoints independently, they engaged in an activity to discuss their viewpoints with someone holding a viewpoint that may be different from theirs. This was a powerful exercise in encouraging healthy dialogue and learning how to listen to different perspectives. The learners did great! Finally, the biggest program of the evening involved teens “teaming up” to address a fictional scenario about conflicting land-use and environmental issues. There were a host of creative solutions to address the proposed environmental issues, and teens even presented their solutions to an elected “City Council” of peers, who selected a winner. There were many laughs, some memories, and much learning enjoyed by all - including the New Pioneers team!

Many thanks to the Nelson County Public Library for partnering on such an exciting program, and to the youth who attended and reminded us that humor, sarcasm, and a little wit can always lighten the mood when discussing tough topics!

To view more photos from this event, click on any of the photos above.