Collateral Repair Project and AllPeopleBeHappy invite teenagers to become environmental stewards

Collateral Repair Project (CRP) partners with refugees and Jordanians in building dynamic and cohesive communities through programming that nurtures deep connections, offers learning opportunities, and supports people to be resilient in the face of systemic challenges.

AllPeopleBeHappy is thrilled to approve their “Inspire Green” project to educate and empower 30 teenagers in Amman to become advocates for environmental stewardship and sustainable living. Through hands-on activities and education, the project aims to foster a sense of responsibility towards the environment and promote eco-friendly practices within local communities. CRP is investing in these young future leaders, building their confidence, awareness and involvement in their community; teaching them about initiatives to support their communities and fostering social entrepreneurial projects.

The project operates in East Amman, Jordan, a region home to underprivileged Jordanians and refugees from diverse backgrounds, including Iraqi, Syrian, Sudanese, Somali, and Yemeni families. While environmental awareness and sustainability are becoming increasingly important, these communities face significant challenges, including poor waste management and limited access to environmental education, particularly among youth.

For many families, poverty and daily survival take priority, leaving little room to focus on sustainability. Schools in these areas are often overcrowded and operate on a two-shift system, restricting students’ opportunities to develop entrepreneurial skills or engage in hands-on learning about environmental protection. Additionally, many refugee youth have experienced displacement and trauma, having fled from regions devastated by war and environmental degradation. As they work to rebuild their lives, they must also adapt to new communities and heal from past hardships. By introducing practical environmental education and upcycling initiatives, this project aims to empower young people with knowledge, skills, and confidence, enabling them to become agents of change in their communities while fostering sustainability and resilience.

Stay tuned for more updates on this project! If you’d like to get involved, you can donate here.

Update: July 28th, 2025

Since launching Inspire Green: Leadership in Action Teen Edition in June, we’ve made exciting progress in empowering 30 youth (15 girls and 15 boys), aged 14–18, from refugee and under-resourced communities in East Amman. The six-week summer program has offered participants a hands-on, immersive experience in upcycling, environmental sustainability, and urban agriculture, encouraging them to explore eco-friendly living through practical learning and leadership development.

The group has taken part in several inspiring field visits. At Faisal Nursery, they explored advanced agricultural methods such as hydroponic farming, aquaculture systems, and greenhouse structures—experiencing firsthand how technology can support sustainable food production. At Roots Farm, they connected with more traditional farming practices and learned about the social and environmental impact of agricultural choices. A visit to CRP’s own Livelihoods and Recycling Department provided insights into wood, fabric, and plastic recycling processes and how waste can be transformed into functional items, such as furniture and home goods.

Complementing these visits, the teens engaged in a variety of hands-on workshops, including seedling transplantation and cheese-making, where they also learned how to prepare healthy snacks from their products. We also hosted guest speakers who shared powerful lessons on local environmental solutions: a soap maker who recycles used oil into soap (and guided the youth in making their own bars), an urban rooftop farming expert who spoke about household-level sustainability, and an eco-friendly restaurant owner who shared tips for healthy, conscious dining.

One of the key highlights so far has been seeing the youth translate these experiences into action. They’ve formed four small teams, each working on designing their own eco-friendly project. They’re now developing sustainability and implementation plans, applying the project planning and entrepreneurship skills introduced during the program.

You can catch a glimpse of the program in action via this Instagram post, and the photos attached

 

Final Update:

The Inspire Green project empowered 30 youth from Jordanian, Syrian, and Egyptian refugee backgrounds, as well as those from underprivileged communities, to become environmental leaders and changemakers. Through hands-on workshops, mentorship, and field visits, participants explored hydroponics, recycling, sustainability, and green entrepreneurship, culminating in four creative mini-projects that showcased their leadership and commitment to a greener future.

These youth-led projects brought lasting value to their community. Hikayat Shatla (“The Story of a Seedling”) introduced an interactive environmental exhibition with QR-coded plants that share care information and eco-messages. Mai Green demonstrated sustainable hydroponic farming for small urban spaces, promoting food security and self-sufficiency. Green Breath transformed recycled materials into a functional seating area and learning space at CRP’s community center, while Stories for Change combined art, storytelling, and accessibility through multilingual, sign language-inclusive children’s stories about environmental action. Together, these initiatives reached beyond the classroom, engaging families, peers, and community members in environmental awareness and creativity.

The most enduring outcomes of Inspire Green lie in the transformation of its participants—their newfound confidence, creativity, and commitment to sustainability. The mini-projects continue to live on through functional installations and educational tools, while many students have expressed interest in expanding their ideas into community initiatives. Volunteers and local experts played a vital role in this success, providing training in areas such as rooftop gardening, soap-making, and eco-friendly entrepreneurship.

Perhaps the most inspiring story comes from the Hikayat Shatla team, whose members are now exploring ways to scale their QR-coded seedling concept into a larger community project. This spirit of innovation captures the true essence of Inspire Green: empowering young people to turn environmental learning into leadership, creativity, and lasting social impact.