Gateway National Recreation Area (GATE) and the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy (JBRPC) will plan and implement a new phenological monitoring program, Seasonal Change: Monitoring the NYC Environment for Climate Change. The goal of the proposed program is to activate and empower local youth as stewards and 21st century problem solvers. Through implementation of the Greening STEM model, students will participate in citizen science and engage with resource management issues. Though GATE is one of the most visited parks in the country, access to the park is inequitable across socio-economic and racial lines. The proposed program will allow GATE and JBRPC to build on existing efforts to close this gap by bringing underserved students from three CCLC sites into the park and empowering them to engage with the park as a living laboratory. By investigating the impacts of phenological change with park staff, carrying out several in-park investigations, collaboratively analyzing data, and constructing possible solutions, students will practice several critical STEM skills. Their contributions will leave a lasting impact on the park by collecting and analyzing critical data that can help inform future management decisions. GATE and JBRPC will continue partnerships with three 21stCCLC sites and serve a range of grade levels, including fourth and fifth graders at PS 38, Middle School students and high school students at Brooklyn Collegiate. PS 38 is a CCLC-funded community school, serving majority BIPOC and Hispanic students. Brooklyn Collegiate Preparatory High School serves majority BIPOC students, and close to 90% of the students are economically disadvantaged. VISTA will work closely with the education supervisory park ranger at GATE, the education team at JBRPC, and 21stCCLC partners to research, develop and implement program plans that align with Next Generation Science Standards, Greening STEM principles, and relevant resource concerns significant to GATE.