The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works is committed to protecting our communities, the environment, and providing a higher quality of life for the citizens of Los Angeles County. In 1997, as part of an outreach program to address environmental issues, Public Works partnered with TreePeople - an environmental volunteer organization, to develop and implement an environmental education program primarily aimed at teens.

Subsequently, through this outreach program Generation Earth was created for Los Angeles County's middle and high school students. It provides training and support to secondary school teachers and students to educate them on how to reduce the amount of waste from going into landfills for disposal and pollutants from entering into our waterways. The County's approach through this program is to encourage and assist those who want to make a difference in their local environment through campus and community eco-projects.

The program achieves its goal of environmental education by assisting teachers, schools, and communities in implementing campus and community projects that produce positive measurable impacts for our environment.

Teens are powerful agents of change in their families and among their friends. Generation Earth believes that the rewarding experience of taking action for positive change will inspire teens to take responsibility for their lives and, in turn, their communities. To achieve this goal, the Generation Earth program offers many facets of education and support to students and educators alike, including:

• Professional development workshops on environmental service learning
• Year-round teacher support for environmental projects
• Free bus program for field trips related to projects
• Waste reduction and recycling workshops
• Stormwater pollution prevention workshops
• Teen leadership program
• Battle of the Schools waste reduction competition
• Year round technical support

For more information about Generation Earth, please contact Mr. Steve Howe at 310-402-7400.