[ Music ]
Dave Chin: The Youth & Environment Program was
created in 1990 by two EPA employees, Charlie Conway
of EPA Region 1 and Mary Settle of EPA headquarters.
It was established to provide inner-city,
disadvantaged, high school students with opportunities,
summer jobs, in the environmental field
to explore potential careers to help protect
the environment and protect water quality.
[ Laughter ] Leader: That's good!
Heather Donavon: We placed four people this summer
at the wastewater treatment plant to participate
in a specific program in which they learn about
environmental positions, job readiness skills,
and on-the-job training.
Lab Tech: And then you turn this on
the magnetic plate will stir it.
Samson Chea: Well, I just learned some new things over the summer.
Just learning about the environment,
and people that protect the environment
and experiencing some new things.
Hongheng Keo: So far I like working in the lab.
It's nice in there and you get to do a couple of tests here and there
and you get to look through a microscope and see living things.
Justin Pimpare: The program has been very successful
and we know this because students have stayed in
the environmental field.
This is extremely important because many operators
in the wastewater program are now retiring
and the wastewater field is an area where there is a growing need
for individuals to become more involved in order
to fill the gap left by retiring operators.
Ray Sok: I was about 14 or 15 years old
when I started with the youth EPA program.
I heard about the summer youth program I believe back in ’92
and a bunch of my friends saying, hey let’s go get a summer job.
So I met this person named Charlie Conway
and I asked him what kind of job is this?
Oh, mainly, it’s all environmental,
you can be in the lab… Okay, cool, I'll take it! [ Laugher ]
So they sent me to a lab for a week, taught me a lot of chemistry stuff.
I said, oh wow, this is awesome,
this is learning! Wastewater, huh?
It amazed me how water coming in is all dirty
and then you treat it and it’s really clean and you send it to the river.
So I was here with the program for four summers.
Tom Groves: We were able to expose them to potential careers,
learn about wastewater treatment.
So they potentially could go on to other environmental careers
or, at worse case, would go on to be more aware citizens.
Ray Sok: After I graduated high school I kind of went to accounting.
They paid me good money, ahh, this is not my field.
So I went back to the wastewater field, doing chemistry lab.
And I said, Oh, wow this is cool! I love this job!
So it’s not about the money I make
it’s about what I love about the job.
Tom Groves: We also take them on field trips to teach them
about other aspects of the environment.
Our partners at EPA have been great.
They've been very resourceful in coming up
with different types of opportunities.
This past few years we were able to utilize some wetlands
funding in order to continue the program.
Jaqueline LeClair: So, in the natural environment
wetlands serve to clean water and that’s what
you guys are doing in the totes back at the plant.
Participant: Try this one.
Hongheng Keo: We had the wetlands project.
We gathered plants from the wetlands and raised them in totes
and twice a week we would take a half a bucket of the water
in the totes and we would empty it and
we would refill it with half a bucket from the primary clarifiers.
And it basically helps to show nature’s way
of filtrating the wastewater.
Ray Sok: During the time I was here for four summers
what I enjoyed the most is the friendship.
All the guys that work here they taught me a lot.
They taught me teamwork.
[ Laugher and clapping ]
Ray Sok: I feel like I achieved my dream.
I work in a beautiful company, in an awesome company,
that pays well. Kids out there they should look into it.
Justin Pimpare: This past summer was the 25th year
that EPA has partnered with the
New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission
and the City of Lowell Wastewater Treatment Facility,
as well as the City of Lowell.
The Youth & Environment program has done an excellent job
at mentoring these students into real world life experiences
and with continued funding I hope that this program
can continue to grow so that students can learn more
about the environment and the wastewater program.
EPA would like to thank
the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission
and the City of Lowell Wastewater Treatment Plant
as well as the city of Lowell Career Center
for their unwavering support and commitment
to devote a significant amount of time and effort
in order to support this valuable program.
[Music]