I remember the first time an adult planted doubt in me. It was in fifth grade when I had been told by multiple people I wouldn’t be smart enough to get into college or pass high school. It made me feel horrible about myself.
And for a while I believed it, until my freshman year of high school.
I think adults tell children they can't do something because they're too inexperienced or just maybe too young. But enough doubt can prevent a child from exploring more around them.
However, if you manage to give hope towards the younger generation then they'll end up surprising you with what they could possibly come up with or accomplish.
For me, The Berkshire Climate Career Lab created by Ethos Pathways gave me and a group of kids hope that we could change our community.
It does not matter that we are still in high school and young. The hope that it gave me started on the first day, when each of the mentors explained the program and how we’d be contributing.
The Berkshire Climate Career Lab is a two-year paid fellowship that helps high school students from environmentally burdened neighborhoods across Northern Berkshire County.
We will focus on understanding climate issues and solutions in our local community. The mentors explained how this is the first time they are doing the program and it was important for us as the first cohort to help design it for future students.
All of this gave me more of a sense of purpose in my life instead of feeling guilty because I couldn’t help or do anything because I am too young.
We started the program with Summer Foundations week where we met climate leaders from our community who were honest about just being regular people. They were all honest about how they all cared and were passionate about creating change but they were also genuine about where they started.
At the beginning, questions or statements of self-doubt were normal. Saying things like “How can I possibly change this” or "I'm not smart enough to do this” later transformed through simple curiosity and asking: “let’s see what the problem is first.”
I related to this. I identified with the first statements of self-doubt before The Climate Career Lab.
The community leaders I met made me realize that there is a chance for me in this world even if I'm young. One of the days of the program, we met these amazing people who demonstrated that a clear understanding of underlying problems allows you to create better and effective solutions. The way these leaders spoke was amazing because I could feel how much they loved doing what they do in the world and for our community.
Judy Grinnell is one of those leaders. Judy is the founder of the Hoosic River Revival and spoke to us about how when she started the project years ago, she was not a river expert. She simply wanted North Adams to have a better quality of life compared to the wealthier towns in the area and she thought public access to a nice river could be a solution.
Judy made me understand that a project can take a long time and that you’ll need the patience for it. She opened my eyes about fixing the Hoosic River, she had this amazing dedication to it that everyone could feel. Judy made me realize if you really want to make a change then you should do it no matter how old or how young you are.
The Climate Career Lab is helping students like me understand the history of environmental justice and how problems even began so that we can have a clearer idea of how to create good solutions. It also teaches us how to form our own ideas and connect with the community, schools, friends, and our ecosystems.
By giving us different types of possibilities through introducing us to multigenerational leaders, we are seeing different types of possibilities that can be created throughout our lives and we are becoming empowered to turn those possibilities into opportunities for action.
The Climate Career Lab is helping me remove the doubt I had for myself. I used to hesitate and ask myself, “Who am I to change this?”
There was a lack of ideas or lack of confidence throughout those years before going into this program. Which is part of the reason why I decided to join. For me it gave a sense of hope that one day I could make a change in my community. Also future wise, it gives me hope I could actually make a living for myself for a job that is meaningful instead of just doing a job that I wouldn't like or be interested in.
In all, Ethos Pathways is giving me a sense of hope I will be able to do something with my life.
The summer foundations week made us all want to learn about our community and the environment around us more. Our curiosity turned into confidence and its inspiring possibilities for action. We first learned about environmental justice and climate justice, then we met real people in the community that were working on solutions to these issues.
We also got to see many in action like when we visited Jeffrey Manley and Anne Queally at the Greylock Elementary School construction site where they showed us the geothermal systems that were being put in.
Before that, I had zero clue what geothermal was or even what it did. All I knew is that when I used to attend Greylock Elementary School years ago it was so cold we would wear our winter coats on inside.
In the program, we learned about geothermal in the classroom then we actually got to see it installed at the construction site. For me most importantly it showed our younger generation how understand the problems within their own community, to want to help make that change for the future generations even though they might not see themselves in it. It’s also a way to see themselves help create what's next.
I don't need adults to hand me a perfect future. I need adults who are willing to stand beside me, listen to my ideas, and help me create the change I want to see in my future. I’m asking them to believe in me, stand by my side, and help me make the changes I know are possible.
Milan Kastner attends McCann Technical School and is a resident of North Adams. She is interested in social justice, bettering the legal system, and community engagement.
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