Optimalisasi Literasi Sastra Hijau sebagai Strategi Pemberdayaan Pemuda untuk Penguatan Kesadaran Lingkungan Berkelanjutan

Abstract

Environmental degradation and recurring flooding in Tanjung Gusta Village, Sunggal District, Medan, highlight the urgent need for community-based environmental education that promotes sustainable behavioral change. This community service program introduced Green Literature as an innovative educational approach to strengthen ecological awareness among youth by integrating literary literacy with environmental conservation activities. The program targeted members of the Al-Muttaqin Mosque Youth Association in Dusun III, involving approximately 50 participants. The implementation employed a participatory empowerment approach consisting of five stages: socialization, training, technology application, mentoring and evaluation, and sustainability planning. Training activities focused on developing environmentally themed literary works, including poetry, short stories, slogans, and local oral expressions, while practical sessions emphasized waste segregation, composting, tree planting, and environmental campaigns. Program effectiveness was evaluated through participant involvement, observation of behavioral changes, and the successful implementation of community environmental actions. The findings indicate that participants demonstrated increased environmental knowledge, stronger ecological responsibility, and greater engagement in collective environmental initiatives. Youth participants also emerged as local environmental ambassadors who actively promoted sustainable practices within their communities. The integration of literary expression with hands-on environmental action proved effective in enhancing environmental communication and encouraging long-term community participation. Furthermore, the program generated tangible outputs, including educational campaign materials, environmental literary products, community action documentation, scientific publication, learning modules, intellectual property registration, and digital dissemination through online media. These findings suggest that Green Literature offers an effective interdisciplinary model for environmental education by combining cultural literacy, creative expression, and community empowerment. The model has strong potential for replication in other flood-prone communities seeking sustainable approaches to environmental awareness and youth engagement.