Eighteen Portland Public School students were able to participate in theYouth for Leaders Sustainability (YLS) Camp, held August 15 to 19, 2011, thanks to scholarships provided by Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt. The camp is organized by Portland State University’s College of Urban and Public Affairs and Oregon State University 4H Extension Service and is designed to teach middle school youth sustainability concepts through experiential learning.

We are extremely pleased to be able to support these bright, articulate kids, who we believe will be tomorrow’s leaders in sustainability,” said Mark Long, Schwabe’s managing partner. “PSU and OSU have collaborated to make this camp a great learning experience for these youth who come from very diverse backgrounds.”

The students were nominated by school staff, teachers, and adult mentors for being leaders in their communities and for their interest in the environment and in creating a better world. The theme of this year’s camp was water. Through field trips and hands-on activities, campers explored local and regional watersheds, met industry leaders in sustainability, and learned about innovative solutions to water challenges. These activities included:
• field trips to Mt. Tabor and Bull Run reservoirs, both sources of Portland’s drinking water;
• a field trip to the Portland Farmer’s Market;
• kayaking on the Tualatin River;
• a service learning project clearing invasive species from riparian areas; and
• a trip to the Oregon coast where our city water ends up.

The week-long camp culminated in a closing ceremony at which students presented their Action Plans for Sustainability. The objective of all of the plans was to create actionable steps toward a more sustainable world at their schools, homes and/or in their communities.

Schwabe has been a sponsor of the camp since its inception in 2009, co-underwriting the cost of the camp for all of the students. The law firm’s involvement in the camp is led by Janna Davydova and Greg Fullem, both members of the firm’s Climate Change practice group.