News of environmental damage continues to make headlines nationwide, but a small group of local students are spending their summer trying to make a positive impact, both now and for years to come.

ExxonMobil has teamed up with the Greenpoint YMCA and New York University in an effort to give 10 Brooklyn high school students an exclusive opportunity as a part of the newly formed “Green Team.”

The Green Team is an eight-week long internship focused on educating participants in the field of science and giving them a hands on learning experience.

“We are excited for the beginning of a partnership with a world class university, the YMCA, and a major corporation in Exxon Mobil,” YMCA coordinator Julia Macallister said.

Led by NYU professors, students spend two days a week in the classroom, learning about the newest green technology and ways to incorporate it in their work.

The rest of the week is spent in Brooklyn’s Lentol Garden, where they will put their lessons into practice, transforming and beautifying the space. For some, the program is a chance to explore a potential career in environmental engineering.

“This is a new experience for me and a chance to back up what we have learned in the classroom,” Brooklyn Tech junior Valerie Bacusoy said. “It’s a blown-out, hands-on experience and it’s great.”

For others, it’s simply a way to help get more involved in the community.

“I was really concerned with what was happening in the community,” Lucy Hovanisyan, a junior a Brooklyn Tech, said. “People aren’t taking action and I figured this was a way for me to do that.”

Jacquliene Pilati, a NYU graduate student, is leading the group along with two science professors from the university. For them, this is an opportunity to engage with the community in a more hands on way.

“It’s been great to work with these kids and I am looking forward to the rest of the summer together,” Pilati said. “Hopefully this park will look dramatically different come August.”

The program will culminate with the students creating a video showcase of their work on the park and presenting it to community officials.