Media Contact:
Amanda Gillooly
GASP Communications Manager
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GASP Pittsburgh Seeking Applicants for ‘Fresh Voices for Clean Air’ Youth Education Initiative
The unique learning opportunity is open to Allegheny County high school students
PITTSBURGH - The Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) is seeking Allegheny County students in grades 9-12 to join our new cohort of Fresh Voices for Clean Air - a program that’s focus this year will be creating an oral history project based on people’s real-life experiences with air quality.
Participants in the program will learn all about local environmental issues while developing skills related to interviewing, editing, story-telling, media, research, and more.
Here’s how Fresh Voices for Clean Air works: Throughout the 2024-25 school year, the group will gather twice a month via a mix of in-person and virtual meetings.
The group will participate in discussions with each other and guest speakers, both to learn more about air quality and to build skills that will help participants become more effective environmental advocates.
“Our focus this year will be developing and implementing a cross-generational oral history project exploring real-life experiences of air quality in Allegheny County,” GASP Education and Program Manager Laura Kuster explained. “This year’s cohort will receive training and design the project for the first part of the year and will then begin conducting outreach and interviewing people in the latter half.”
She said the cohort will decide the direction of the project based on the group's interests and skill-building goals. For example, the group may want to edit the interviews into a podcast, video project, zine, exhibit or other format to share with the public. The project will be a group effort, with the support of GASP staff and partners.
Bonus: Students who actively participate throughout the program (October 2024 - June 2025) will be eligible for a $100 award at the program's end.
Interested or know someone who might be? We invite you to apply today. The application deadline is Sept. 23.
The Fresh Voices for Clean Air initiative was made possible by funding through the Grable Foundation.
The Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), a non-profit founded in 1969, works to improve air quality in southwestern Pennsylvania in order to safeguard human, environmental, and economic health. GASP is a diligent watchdog, educator, litigator and policymaker on a variety of air quality issues impacting our region.
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