Applications for the 2025-2026 school year are currently open from December 2nd, 2025 through January 13, 2026. To apply, click this link or visit https://forms.office.com/g/nt0546mivr.
What is the Youth Sustainability Leadership program?
The Youth Sustainability Leadership (YSL) Program is a high school internship designed to build environmental and social justice leadership among Baltimore City youth. Interns gain hands-on experience working on sustainability challenges while learning about key topics such as climate change, environmental justice, food systems, and urban resilience. Through projects, field trips, workshops, and other activities, interns develop professional skills like public speaking, writing, and project management while creating real solutions to benefit their communities. The program empowers youth to become leaders in shaping a more sustainable and equitable future for Baltimore.
How many interns can be a part of the YSL program?
During the 2024-2025 school year, the internship cohort was reduced from five (5) to two (2) members after three (3) graduated from high school and moved on to study at their respective colleges. While the program began with only three (3) interns in 2015, we were excited to expand the program to employ ten (10) interns and one (1) fellow through our partnership with YouthWorks during Summer 2025. By expanding the number of participants in the program, the office is increasing its focus on building climate leadership skills in Baltimore youth. With this goal in mind, the Office of Sustainability is looking to hire no more than five (5) interns for Spring 2026.
What past projects have the YSL interns worked on?
In the past, YSL interns were pivotal in advocating for removing Polystyrene from our schools, streets, and streams. 
In addition, the interns advocated for a plastic bag ban, which was successfully passed at the city level. In the image on the right, our 2018-2019 interns are celebrating Maryland’s Polystyrene food-container ban with other Baltimore City School students, City Councilmembers John Bullock and Zeke Cohen, Delegate Brooke Lierman, the Office of Sustainability, the Sustainability Commission, Baltimore Community Foundation, Trash Free Maryland, Waterfront Partnership, and Blue Water Baltimore.
Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, the interns participated in presentations about environmental legislation, food sustainability, and environmental justice. Additionally, the interns engaged in service-learning activities by removing weeds from the raised garden beds at Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm, writing blog posts to raise awareness about Filbert Street Garden, and creating graphics to educate the public about environmental justice topics. Lastly, the interns also interviewed two (2) Green Healthy Smart Challenge award winners and wrote articles about their respective projects to showcase their work and publish the articles on the Office of Sustainability website. To view the graphics curated or read the articles written by the interns during the 2024-2025 school year, click below.
Figure 1. The infographic, created by Marquise Culp and Mikayla Makel, defines what urban agriculture is, describes Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm as a local Baltimore example urban agriculture, details how urban agriculture benefits food security and the environment.
Micro-Greens 
Figure 2. The slides, created by Marquise Culp and Mikayla Makel, defines what microgreens are and shows the growth process.
How can I stay up to date on the work that the YSL interns are doing?
Follow the interns on Instagram at @bmorebeyondplastic and follow the Office of Sustainability on Instagram @sustainbmore to learn when applications open for Spring 2026.
How can I get into contact with the YSL interns?
To connect with the YSL interns, please email bmorebeyondplastic@gmail.com.
I have more questions about the program. Who do I contact?
Please email any questions to Ebone Smith, Community and Youth Engagement Coordinator, (ebone.smith@baltimorecity.gov) and CC Jada Gross, Youth and Sustainability Leadership Fellow, (jada.gross@baltimorecity.gov).
How do I get involved?
Applications for the summer Youthworks program have closed but subscribe to our newsletter to hear when applications will reopen for Spring 2026 enrollment.
Further Reading and Watching
WBAL, 4/19/18: Baltimore foam container ban signed into law
The Baltimore Sun, 2/6/18: Pushed by students, Baltimore council considers ban on foam food containers
Fox 45 News, 1/10/18: Baltimore public schools to use compostable lunch trays instead of styrofoam