One Question for our Eco Practicum NYC 2015 ParticipantsAfter many months of planning, coordinating, and curriculum building, last week we ran our second ever Eco Practicum in New York City. And what a practicum it was! Our participants were unbelievably open, enthusiastic, and energetic; and our experts were generous and inspiring. So, what did our participants learn? Here are some answers from our newest alumni:
"The practical experience I had taught me more in a week than in a semester in college. Everything I learned was very valuable – water treatment, urban farming, green roofs, the list goes on and on." "Thank you so so much for everything: for the fun, the reflection, the critical thinking, the conversations, and the inspiration."
right back atcha' 5 Questions for Camryn HellwarthCamryn Hellwarth participated in Eco Practicum Catskills last summer. She is currently a student at Sarah Lawrence College where she studies Environmental Science, Food Studies, and Journalism. Her interest in health and food justice led her to become involved with Teens for Food Justice, where she is the Program and Outreach Intern. In addition to teaching ballet at her local dance studio and coaching Learn to Skate classes, Camryn is active in philanthropic work, and volunteers with organizations such as Midnight Run, which delivers food to the homeless, and Dorot, a program where volunteers visit homebound elderly citizens of the Jewish community. What work do you do and what lessons from Eco Practicum do you apply at your job?
I am the Program and Outreach Intern at Teens for Food Justice, a nonprofit that has organized teens to build hydroponic farming systems in a Bed-Stuy elementary school, where volunteers work to educate communities about sustainable, and healthy eating, while provide families with fresh produce from the farm. The experiential learning I was a part of at the Eco Practicum Catskills program taught me the importance of hands-on experience, and how to apply such work in an academic setting, which is what I strive to do through the activities and programs I help to develop at Teens for Food Justice. What are the most fulfilling and most challenging parts of what you do? By far, the most fulfilling parts of my work come during the Service Days that we host every month. These events bring the community into our hydroponic farm, where they can take home fresh produce, engage in active and educational games, and learn how to be food justice advocates in their own neighborhood. One of the most rewarding experiences was to work with elementary school kids, and teach them how to use Michael Pollan’s Food Rules to play a game of Good Fridge, Bad Fridge, in which they had to decide which foods were healthy, and which should be thrown out of the fridge. The hours leading up to these events are often the most challenging, because this is when we must materialize all of the activities we have created, and get all of our food and games ready for the families who come visit our farm. Describe a moment or situation that helped you realize your passion? The moments that have made me most aware of what I am passionate about are numerous, diverse, and still occurring. However, I often credit my first spark of interest in food studies to the elementary school lunch table. It is here that I was intrigued by the diversity of food products and the interactions that took place around the aggressive trading and bargaining of goldfish, Kool-Aid, and cheese sticks. More recently, my work with Teens for Food Justice has allowed me to engage with food insecure youth. One example involved a build-your-own-smoothie station, where I was able to blend up fruit smoothies with kale, fresh berries, and flax seeds for kids and their families. The satisfaction I get from bringing kale smoothies to Bed-Stuy families lets me know that my work is taking me in a positive and passionate direction. What advice do you have for people looking for meaningful volunteer opportunities? Get involved in experiences that take you out of your comfort zone, and work with organizations that will support you in these challenging spaces. It is through this process that you will learn the most about yourself and how you can best serve the communities around you to bring about greater change. What’s one thing you think everyone should know how to do? We should all know how to decipher between what waste goes into the garbage and what waste goes into the compost. By becoming aware of how much of our garbage is actually food waste, we can begin to realize how important it is to return this waste to the soil. 5 Questions for Alex WilliamsAlex Williams is an entrepreneur, environmentalist, and tireless advocate for composting. He grew up near Hartford, CT and attended Fordham University in the Bronx where he majored in Environmental Studies with a minor in Economics and Urban Studies. Shortly Alex is passionate about a whole variety of issues, ranging from gardening and composting to fracking and wildlife preservation. Recently, Alex put some of his interests into practice when he took he came home to Connecticut and got involved with Blue Earth Compost. Going from volunteering to owning the company in under a year, Alex hopes that Blue Earth Compost will have a significant impact on the way that people in Connecticut deal with food waste. When he’s not working, you can find Alex watching sports, playing drums, and home brewing. What work do you do and what lessons from Eco Practicum do you apply at your job?
I am the Owner & Director of Operations of Blue Earth Compost, Inc. – a residential and commercial food scrap collection and composting service in the Hartford, CT area. At Blue Earth Compost, we provide an efficient and sustainable way for individuals and businesses to divert their food scraps from the waste stream. I manage many different aspects of the company to make sure all of our operations are running smoothly. Eco Practicum taught me how to better communicate and collaborate with all sorts of people. Being raised in the public school system, I never experienced the inclusive dynamic of Eco Practicum in any educational environment. At Blue Earth, I interact with a multitude of different people, from customers to volunteers, on a daily basis and I have been able to use the lessons from Eco Practicum to effectively deal with and collaborate with this wide range of individuals. What are the most fulfilling and most challenging parts of what you do? The most fulfilling aspect of my work with Blue Earth Compost is the tangible impact my company has on the community. This may sound odd to some but, every week, when I dump hundreds of pounds of food scraps at a compost facility and not at an incinerator, I feel a true sense of accomplishment and joy. As a young environmental professional, one of my most important goals was to make a measureable impact on the community I lived and worked in, and I have been able to accomplish this through my business. On the flip side, the most challenging aspect of my work is the proper coordination of all the different pieces that make Blue Earth Compost go. I do not have a background or training in running a small business. As a result, I’ve had to learn most of these aspects on the fly and I continue to learn new ones on an ever increasing basis. Describe a moment or situation that helped you realize your passion? This moment occurred at Eco Practicum. Prior to Eco Practicum, I was interested in sustainable urban development. After the program, I knew that I was going to do something that related to the land. It is hard to describe and, most likely, everybody has a different reaction but I personally felt a strong and immediate connection with the Catskills landscape. As I moved on, I felt this same connection to other places where I worked including a small urban lot in the Bronx where I managed a community garden; the New York Botanical Garden where I interned for a summer; and a concrete parking lot underneath the Queensboro Bridge where I composted food scraps with Build It Green!Compost. After returning to Connecticut, this connection, once again, began to materialize and it helps me to complete my work every day. Without Eco Practicum, I don’t know if I would’ve ever realized this connection, so it will always hold a special place for me. What advice do you have for people looking for meaningful work? STICK WITH IT! I graduated from Fordham University in May of 2013 and I did not begin working full-time for Blue Earth Compost until April of 2014. Although I got discouraged along the way, I never completely gave up and through this perseverance, I was able to find the job that I do today. The advice I have for job seekers is the same advice I received during this time: don’t be afraid to reach out to people in your desired profession and ask them how you can follow in their footsteps. This kind of meeting is less nerve-racking than an interview and provided me with valuable information on how to break into the environmental field. For example, I met and volunteered with Blue Earth’s previous owner for three months before moving up and purchasing the company. Don’t get overly discouraged, keep plugging away and try to make as many connections as possible and something good will come. What’s one thing you think everyone should know how to do? Everyone should know how to take criticism and use it to their benefit. As part of my work at Blue Earth Compost, I manage all customer service and relations. In doing so, I deal with any issues and complaints from my customers. If I was not able to properly deal with these situations, I can confidently say that Blue Earth would be nowhere near where it is today. These situations have made me a better owner and have made my company stronger and more efficient. Know how to take and utilize criticism and you’ll be a step ahead of the pack. |
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