This September we bid farewell to our 12 Youth Environmental Academy (YEA) summer scholars as summertime comes to a close. In turn, we welcome YEA interns Mar and Lucia to the roles of program assistants for the next 9 months.
Over a 6-week period, our 12 summer scholars completed a curriculum that increased their knowledge and experience in thinking critically about environmental justice issues. They also completed training and certification in the 18 Reasons Cooking Matters Series and connected with over 500 community members through their healthy equity education outreach.
Our goal was to provide new environmental justice-focused opportunities to youth who may not otherwise receive this on-the-job training, education, and engagement. These youth will take the skills they learned this summer into their bright futures, supporting them in whatever they decide to do. We will miss our scholars greatly and deeply appreciate their contributions!
Mar and Lucia, Ecology Center program assistants
As we move into September, there’s so much excitement at the organization to welcome Mar and Lucia into program assistant roles. Mar and Lucia started with the Ecology Center as YEA scholars and accepted youth intern positions shortly after their YEA session ended.
In their roles as interns, they gained experience in farmers’ market operations and social media marketing, as well as merchandise handling and customer service skills at the Eco-Store. They continued their health advocacy work by supporting our For Thirst, Water First community engagement efforts along with our Stop Food Waste Cooking Demos. To round out these experiences, they attended multiple conferences and summits to connect with other climate justice-oriented youth in the Bay Area.
In their program assistant roles, Mar and Lucia will learn new skills while working at the Berkeley Farmers’ Markets, such as Market Match distribution and systems, as well as becoming more involved in vendor relations. Building on their prior social media work for the markets, Mar and Lucia will conduct exciting new vendor interviews. While they hone their communications skills and build industry knowledge, they will bring meaningful recognition to the farmers and farms that make up the Berkeley Farmers’ Markets.
In the Eco-Store, our new program assistants will hone in on their customer service and cash handling skills behind the register while continuing to build their knowledge on sustainable household products. We’re very excited to see Mar and Lucia learn and grow as they expand their skills and knowledge by taking on more in-depth responsibilities.
Stop by the Berkeley Farmers’ Market to grab some delicious fruits and veggies, and visit the Eco-Store to fill up on sustainable household products—and while you’re there, say hello to our youth staff!
