The EJ Leadership Cohort is all about looking into the power structures that shape our relationships to the environment around us—including capitalism, gender/male supremacy, and white supremacy/anti-Blackness. Youth reflect on how they see these power structures operating here in Rhode Island and in their own lives.

The cohort provides an opportunity for youth to learn about environmental justice directly from community members who are on the front lines of local EJ movements. Activists from the Racial & Environmental Justice Committee co-facilitate the workshop series, teaching youth about the environmental issues we face here in Rhode Island.

Youth then practice interpreting what they learn through poetry, under the mentorship of local poet Justice Ameer. Together, they practice public speaking, stage presence, and artistic expression.

Finally, the cohort culminates with a joyful celebration and community gathering, where the youth perform their poetry in front of friends and family, sharing what environmental justice means to them.