About Us

OUR VISION

We believe that youth voice shouldn't be an add-on; it must be embedded into the formal structures of our schools and communities. Through Environmental Applied Civics, we are evolving the education system to equip a generation of young people with the skills to investigate local problems and drive informed, lasting change.

IMPACT AREAS

Teacher at the board

Education Systems

Districts are seeking student engagement, authentic learning, and civic skill development. We provide the framework to deliver these outcomes through a variety of current content areas.

Students at an event

Local Communities

As youth engage in local environmental decisions, communities benefit. In Sheridan, CO, young people’s efforts’ through Earth Force resulted in a $4 million investment in stormwater infrastructure.

Children on stage

Young People

Students learn to trace environmental problems to their root causes, balance diverse perspectives, and acquire the research and communication skills needed to work with decision-makers.

Three students posing together in front of a banner

OUR STORY

Earth Force began with young people (as most great ideas do).

In 1989, four 3rd- 5th grade girls from Freeport, Maine noticed how much styrofoam was in the trash along the shores of the Royal River.

The students collected the trash and then narrowed in on the source of styrofoam – several local restaurants’ takeaway containers. They visited each restaurant to ask them to change their type of containers. Most restaurants were responsive to making changes, but a franchise of a certain large national chain was not.

As the girls became more knowledgeable about styrofoam, the chemistry, and the environment they became more vocal about the need for banning the styrofoam – and the use of non-biodegradable material. They debated with the franchise officials in the Town Council chambers.

One result of their efforts was the passage of the Chapter 33 Styrofoam Ordinance passed by the Freeport Town Council banning the use of polystyrene foam (PSF). This student-led victory made national headlines and became the blueprint for Earth Force, founded in 1994. Proving that youth advocacy creates lifelong commitment, one of those original four girls now serves as Chair of the Earth Force Board of Directors.

OUR TEAM

With 100+ combined years spent refining how systems support young people, our team knows (and has pioneered) best practices.

  • Headshot of smiling female tutor with short blonde hair wearing a lanyard.

    Vince Meldrum

    President / CEO - (he/him/his)
    Driving core vision and innovation

    Vince is a thought leader with over 30 years of experience building partnerships between government, corporate, and nonprofit sectors. He influences national policy and philanthropic priorities, helping shape federal legislation like the Serve America Act.

  • Headshot of smiling Earth Force staff member.

    Alyssa McConkey

    Chief Program Officer - (she/her/hers)
    Aligning strategy and programming

    Alyssa steered Earth Force’s expansion from 15,000 to 150,000 youth by ensuring strong alignment of the strategic plan with programming. She oversees all program delivery and evaluation to ensure frameworks are grounded in evidence-based practices.

  • Headshot of smiling female tutor with long braids wearing a lanyard.

    Sarah Pacheco

    Chief Operating Officer - (she/her/hers)
    Operational efficiency + sustainability

    Sarah oversees HR, IT, and finances while maintaining a record of 11 consecutive clean financial audits. She manages complex multi-state budgeting and federal compliance to align fiscal reality with ambitious growth goals.

  • Headshot of smiling female tutor with long curly brown hair wearing a lanyard.

    Krysten Dorfman

    Alliance Network Strategy Lead - (she/they)
    Scaling EAC through 200+ nationwide alliances

    Krysten advises over 200 organizations on integrating Environmental Applied Civics into youth programming across North America. She leads the popular EAC Core Training program to empower educator/youth-serving organizations in facilitating effective student-led environmental engagement.

  • Headshot of smiling male tutor with short locks wearing a lanyard.

    Jennifer Hanson

    Operations Manager - (she/her/hers)
    Expert financial and operational support

    Jennifer brings nearly 20 years of experience in federal grant requirements, audits, and indirect cost negotiations. She manages all invoicing, accounts receivable, and purchasing. Jennifer provides the meticulous financial oversight and stability necessary to deliver on large-scale programmatic commitments.

  • A woman wearing a gray hat with an Earth Force logo, outdoors with green trees in the background.

    SJ

    School District Strategy Lead - (she/they)
    Infusing EAC into School Districts

    SJ leads district-level strategy at Earth Force, specializing in integrating EAC into system-wide educational policy and practice. By supporting Environmental Literacy Plans and systemic initiatives, SJ helps districts ensure environmental action is a sustainable, standard-aligned requirement for thousands of students annually.

  • A man with curly dark hair smiling outdoors with mountains and rocky terrain in the background.

    Taylor Ruffin

    Implementation Strategy Lead  - (he/him/his)
    Integrating local policy into educator delivery models

    Taylor leads the Implementation Lab, collaborating with and learning from educators in the delivery of high-integrity EAC. Simultaneously, he supports district-level partnerships, with a focus on educators’ roles and community partnerships and balancing direct teacher support with strategic collaboration.

  • A woman with curly brown hair smiling outdoors with mountains and cloudy sky in the background.

    Hayley Valley

    Content Strategy Lead - (she/her/hers)
    Cohesive and impactful communications

    Hayley directs branding and digital strategy, including the successful Environmental Applied Civics Week reaching thousands annually. She produces the "Field Chats" podcast, manages Earth Force’s social media and website, and designs and develops all communication materials.

OUR BOARD

Our Board ensures long-term sustainability and ethical leadership, fueled by a unique intergenerational commitment to our mission.

  • Headshot of smiling female tutor with short blonde hair wearing a lanyard.

    Anna Brown

    Chair, Term Ends 12/2027
    Aequita Consulting

  • Headshot of smiling Earth Force staff member.

    Tony Silva

    Vice Chair, Term Ends 12/2027
    Silva Strategic Communications, LLC

  • Headshot of smiling female tutor with long braids wearing a lanyard.

    Matt Smith

    Treasurer, Term Ends 12/2027
    Opus Financial Solutions

  • Headshot of smiling female tutor with long curly brown hair wearing a lanyard.

    Sarah Pacheco

    Secretary, ex officio, Term Ends 12/2027
    Earth Force

  • Headshot of smiling male tutor with short locks wearing a lanyard.

    Vince Meldrum

    No Term Limit
    Earth Force

  • A young woman with long wavy blonde hair wearing glasses and a black jacket, outdoors in a park with bare trees and a partly cloudy sky.

    Bridget Baron

    Term Ends 12/2027
    Youth Representative

  • Close-up of a middle-aged man with a bald head, slight stubble, and wearing a black shirt, smiling with visible teeth against a neutral background.

    Brian Brady

    Term Ends 12/2026
    Youth Engage Consulting LLC

  • A smiling man outdoors wearing a navy blue cap and white t-shirt, surrounded by green vines and foliage.

    Michael Evans

    Term Ends 12/2027
    The Vines

  • A middle-aged man with short, dark hair wearing glasses, a dark gray suit, a light blue shirt, and a blue patterned tie, smiling against a black background.

    Gabriel A. Gonzales

    Term Ends 12/2026
    Albuquerque Public Schools 

  • A woman with long brown hair is smiling, wearing a multicolored knitted headband and a white open-knit sweater, standing indoors in a warmly lit room.

    Diane Grove

    Term Ends 12/2027
    Retired Director of School Admissions

  • Professional portrait of a man with glasses, a beard, wearing a brown suit, light blue shirt, and yellow polka dot tie, against a gray background.

    Jesse Sutz

    Term Ends 12/2026
    Duane Morris

FINANCES

Earth Force follows generally accepted accounting principles in our financial record keeping and follows Financial Accounting Standards Board statements in our financial reporting, which includes tracking both cash and in-kind matching funds. Earth Force management closely monitors all expenditures to ensure compliance with the board-approved budget. We have an unblemished record of audits.

Our fiscal year is October 1 – September 30.

Additional information available upon request.  

Collaborate with us!

Partner with Earth Force to bring real world learning to the next level. We empower districts and organizations to enact deep change through dynamic and impactful learning integration.

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