This summer, Baltimore is celebrating the 50th anniversary of YouthWorks! YouthWorks is a summer jobs program within the Youth Services Division of the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Employment Development. Each year, YouthWorks connects thousands of Baltimore youth, ages 14 to 21, to a variety of employers across the city. This summer, employers include the Orioles, Baltimore Gas and Electric, and various sustainability-oriented groups, including the National Aquarium, Green Street Academy, and Strength to Love II urban farm. One employer, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works, has established several "Eco-Ambassador" positions to encourage high school youth to address environmental concerns within their local communities by implementing projects, organizing cleanups, and educating community members. Through these positions, YouthWorkers are building job skills and employment connections, as well as key experience in career fields of interest to them. Over the last 10 years, YouthWorks has offered over 80,000 summer jobs to Baltimore youth. This fall, YouthWorks will be expanding with a pilot program to offer extended internships for high school juniors and seniors. To learn more about the YouthWorks program, please visit their website.

We are immensely grateful for the many years of service that Miriam Avins has provided while serving on the City's Commission on Sustainability for the past 11 years. Miriam is stepping down from her role as Co-Chair this month. In this role, she has always advocated for improving equity, transparency, and accountability by identifying ways the city can better serve and support residents and organizations in their efforts to make Baltimore neighborhoods greener and more sustainable. The Office of Sustainability and Commission on Sustainability recognized Miriam for her service at the July 19th Commission on Sustainability meeting.

Miriam's sustainability work in Baltimore spans decades. As a co-founder of Baltimore Greenspace in 2004, Miriam has led the conservation of Baltimore's forest patches through community-managed open space practices. In 2010 she was awarded the Aileen Hughes Award for Leadership in Land Conservation. She has also spearheaded efforts to provide municipal water access for community farms and gardens across the city. Thank you Miriam for all of your work to make Baltimore a more sustainable and equitable city!

Six Environmental Orgs Working to Make Baltimore Cleaner and Greener -- Baltimore Magazine

Office of Sustainability Director Ava Richardson shares information on Baltimore's sustainability efforts in this article featuring the work of organizations making Baltimore more sustainable, including Baltimore Greenspace, Plantation Park Heights, Baltimore Tree Trust, and the Baltimore Compost Collective.

Meet the Middle School Girls Who Will Bus Fresh Produce to Baltimore Food Deserts --The Baltimore Banner

Three New Song Academy students are planning to launch Bmore Fresh, a project they conceived to renovate and stock a bus with fresh produce to increase healthy retail options in healthy food priority areas.

During the summer, air conditioning provides a much-needed respite from the Maryland heat and humidity, but it is estimated that air conditioning accounts for around 6% of worldwide energy consumption. Luckily, there are a few steps residents can take to help reduce energy use during the hot summer months. Properly installing and maintaining your AC unit can help it run more efficiently. Simply replacing and cleaning your filter can improve energy consumption by up to 15%! Turning your system off or on higher temps when you're not home can help lower costs and save energy. Turning off your AC for around 8 hours a day could lead to up to 11% energy savings a year. Lastly, closing blinds and shades during the hottest part of the day can also help significantly.

An extremely helpful resource is BGE's Quick Home Energy Check-up! This is an amazing, FREE program where you can sign up for an appointment with an energy professional who will do a one-hour walk-through of your home and install various upgrades immediately (for free!). You can also replace your thermostat with a smart, programmable one that allows you to schedule cooling around when you're home. Rebates and low prices on these thermostats can be found through BGE Marketplace, with some priced as low as $15.