Youth discussions with Pulitzer Prize winning author lead to environmental action in Aliquippa

Youth discussions with Pulitzer Prize-winning author lead to environmental action in Aliquippa

Lights, camera, action! Young people at B.F. Jones Memorial Library in Aliquippa got a chance to sit in the director’s seat and help produce a video about their recent environmental civic engagement work. The project was inspired by their talks with Eliza Griswold, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New Yorker. It was led by participants in the library’s Teen Reading Lounge program in partnership with Ya Momz House, with support from PHC and a Democracy and the Informed Citizen grant.

Through discussions and community conversations, the group determined that litter was a major problem so they teamed up with The Big Beaver Litter Gitters to help clean up their neighborhood. 

“That’s one of the key things with TRL … showing them how to use their talents to actually make a difference.”  

– Kristen Janci, Youth & Outreach Coordinator at BF Jones Memorial Library

Using what they learned about environmental journalism from Griswold, they created an inspiring video that shows the power of young people to make meaningful change through dialogue about issues important to them. 

Watch their final video below and read more about this powerful story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette