Organic Connects
Organic Connects
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MISSION

MISSION

MISSION

To address barriers of engaging urban communities with nature, promote healthy environments by increasing social awareness, and prepare the future green leaders of the world for the environmental workforce.

VISION

MISSION

MISSION

Through community partnerships and hands-on experiences, stakeholders of urban neighborhoods acquire the skills to self-sustain green communities and youth become well-qualified college applicants and internship candidates who address the inequities of environmental organizations and networks. 

Our Resiliency Commitment

Organic Connects incorporates Community Resiliency into every aspect of the work that we do. We shape our programs and practices by fostering a supportive culture of community engagement from ranging perspectives that reflect the global population we serve both internally and externally.


We strive to achieve Environmental Resiliency by reinforcing the importance of healthy communities, access to resources and nature, and by reframing the narrative that has contributed to the challenges of our current social climate. The voices of all communities are deeply valued and have always and will continue to inform how we achieve the goals of this organization. 

Letter from the Executive Director

Welcome to Organic Connects!

My name is Whitnye Long Jones. I am  the Founder and Executive Director of Organic Connects, Inc. and I...love...nature! Many of us are well aware that there are a number of effective youth environmental programs that currently exist and some that could be improved upon. Nonetheless, we must ask ourselves, is environmentalism a trend that will soon dissipate when the next major movement comes along? If this is the case, what happens to those youth that find solace and direction from a life-changing outdoor experience whether it be recreational, educational, or service-related? Who will help them to continue down the road to exploring and finding their passion in the environmental field once they graduate from high school? 


Well, this is exactly what Organic Connects aims to do. Having worked with over 500 youth in the last four years, we've noticed something that happens to our children 95% of the time regardless of race, age, gender, or socioeconomic background. They, too (along with myself), have an instinctual affinity for connecting to nature! 


Nature is medicinal. Nature allows us to be ourselves. Nature reminds us that we are a small part of a larger ecosystem, although we have a great impact on how nature interacts with us. This is where accountability and respect come in. But how can we or our youth understand this symbiotic relationship without the proper channels for exposure and opportunity?


Organic Connects is filling this niche. 


By providing avenues that lead to countless areas of expertise within the environmental and outdoor field, a young person in high school, college, or in the "field" will identify ways to simultaneously earn a living and fulfill their passion. Whether a student wants to study accounting, outdoor recreation, law, marketing, marine biology, government relations, environmental engineering, hospitality, architecture, or park maintenance... the possibilities are endless!


Please join us on this journey as we continue to expose our youth to these resources while they learn to heal from societal constructs, become community REIGN Makers, and take the lead as the future green leaders of the world. We look forward to working with you and connecting our youth to nature and positively productive futures.

  

See you outside!


Whitnye Long Jones

Founder & Executive Director

Board of Directors

Joseph King

Cleveland Metroparks Youth Outdoors, Cleveland, OH

 2024 - 2025 

Zaija Pelligree

The Cleveland Foundation, Environmental Initiatives, Cleveland, OH

 2023 - 2024 

Colby Sattler

Forest City Ecological Services, LLC, 

Bay Village, OH

2024 - 2025

Our Growing and Amazing Team!

Doc T

Plant Engineer

Malikah Adu-Niasse

Agriculture Youth Manager

Sister B

Horticulture Coordinator

Jefferson Jones

Operations Director

Advisory Committee

Malikah Adu-Niasse

Camp Journey, Cleveland, OH

Mera Cardenas

Canalway Partners, Cleveland, OH

Jakob Hamlescher

Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District, Cleveland, OH

Max Herzog

Cleveland Water Alliance, Cleveland, OH

Nicole Jackson

N Her Nature, Columbus, OH

Caroline Kelemen

Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District, Cleveland, OH

Scott Kraynak

Park Ranger, Muskingum County, OH

Cathi Lehn, Ph.D.

Environmental Consultant, Cleveland, OH

Robert Rice

Committee of 500 Years of Dignity and Resistance, Cleveland, OH

Megan Shaeffer, Ph.D. 

Summit Metro Parks, Akron, OH

Chad Stephens 

Sierra Club Ohio Chapter, Columbus, OH

Chrissy Stonebraker-Martinez 

InterReligious Task Force on Central America, Cleveland, OH

           Copyright4© 2017-2024 Organic Connects, Inc. All Rights Reserved.           

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