Summer 2025 was full of energy as we worked with 6 amazing interns through our Sprout Up program! Their knowledge as current Sprout Up instructors and leaders at their University chapters has been invaluable. We’re so grateful for their efforts to support in-person projects and events at the EV EcoCenter, update curriculum, improve chapter resources, and plan for our Sprout Up Leadership Retreat. Each of them also shared a day in their life through takeovers on Sprout Up’s Instagram!
Anna
Chapter: UC San Diego / Anna’s spotlight
As an Environmental Volunteers Intern, I had the opportunity to work in person at the EcoCenter several days a week, assisting with inventory projects, community open hours, and collaborative programs with local students. Participating in the Vamos Afuera community program was one of the highlights of my summer at the EcoCenter, as I worked alongside EV volunteers and instructors from the Karat School Project to help local youth engage with and learn about their environment. Touring the Baylands and hearing about the local flora and fauna helped me understand the unique ecosystems of the San Francisco Bay Area, and allowed me to deepen my own passion for environmental education while assisting with activities and events for the campers.
From organizing individual lesson plans and EV kits in the Ecocenter, to hearing from longtime volunteers about their history in environmental education, this internship taught me a lot about my own passions and goals in life. Any daily tasks and responsibilities at the EcoCenter, however small they sometimes might have appeared, felt significant because I knew they fueled the important work of Environmental Volunteers. This summer, I greatly expanded my knowledge of Sprout Up and Environmental Volunteers as a whole, and the vital impact that every volunteer has on preserving the past and improving our future. Any contribution to a cause as necessary as EV is worthwhile, and I hope to continue making positive impacts on my local and global communities throughout my career.
Leah
Chapter: UC Santa Cruz / Leah’s spotlight
During the course of my internship with Sprout Up, I have learned so many skills when it comes to working with a team for a common goal, curriculum and lesson planning, and operational logistics to create an organized, thoughtful future for Sprout Up. It was a pleasure to work alongside the other interns to collaborate on curriculum editing and dial in our minds to how we can better the lessons for both the students and the instructors. A highlight of my work this summer was seeing the Kindergarten lessons come to life when fleshed out in the Sprout Up format and script, and I am beyond excited for our chapters to get to experience the wonder of working with Kinders.
Connecting with the Sprout Up community and local Environmental Volunteers at the annual Sprout Up Leadership Retreat was nothing short of incredible. Meeting passionate environmental stewards of all ages deepened my dream of pursuing a career in teaching. Whether that be in an elementary level classroom, mentoring college age students, or curriculum work, my path became clearer this summer because of this experience. I was able to create memories that I will carry with me throughout this journey, and I feel so lucky to feel like I will always be able to come back to those in this corner of my life!
Lilly
Chapter: New York University / Lilly’s spotlight
During my internship with Sprout Up, I worked on curriculum development and social media!! The curriculum projects I worked on were revising the New York City lessons and developing supplementary teaching resources for volunteers. I developed one-page lesson aids that instructors can use in classrooms, that highlight the most important vocabulary terms, the general instructions for activities and a summarized instructor background. These aids are to be used in a pinch when instructors do not have the full lesson with them in a classroom. My projects in social media consisted of scheduling and putting out our intern spotlight posts and takeovers on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. I helped organize which days interns would be featured on, and posted the finalized post I received from the other social media interns. I also did my own spotlight post and story takeover on Instagram which was quite fun! I got to show Sprout Up followers what I do in a day in my life.
This internship has affected my knowledge of Environmental Volunteers and Sprout Up greatly, and I now have a better understanding of them. Before starting my internship, I did not know much about Environmental Volunteers, other than that it is our parent organization. Now I have since learned the history of the organization and of the Sprout Up program, and I am so proud to be involved! During the Sprout Up retreat, we met with the EV board and got to discuss the relationship between Sprout Up and EV further, which granted me a chance to share my perspective as a Sprout Up intern and volunteer to the board and other EV volunteers. This has made me feel more confident in strengthening the relationship between Environmental Volunteers and Sprout Up going forward!
amanda
Chapter: UC San Diego / Amanda’s spotlight
As a Sprout Up intern this summer, the experience was rewarding to say the least. I worked on social media and curriculum development projects, while also having the amazing opportunity to volunteer in-person at the Environmental Volunteers EcoCenter in Palo Alto. During one of my volunteer days, I ran water-themed activities and welcomed visitors of all ages. Seeing their curiosity and wonder about the Baylands, reminded me how important environmental education is across every generation.
I was able to exercise my creativity in helping write the lessons and leverage my enthusiasm in creating fun, engaging activities for kids. One of my favorite projects was developing the ‘Garden Gallery Walk’, a new activity for a Sprout Up first-grade lesson where students design their dream gardens and “pollinate” each other’s gardens with pollinator stickers.
Some of my greatest highlights were taking the scenic train ride to the Baylands and getting the privilege to meet other passionate, inspiring volunteers and professionals at the annual Sprout Up and EV gathering. Coming out of this internship, I have renewed confidence and hope knowing that meaningful, impactful work is happening every day through environmental education, and I’m grateful to have been part of it.
Maia
Chapter: New York University / Maia’s spotlight
I worked on curriculum editing for NY 1st grade as well as designing the intern spotlight posts. My favorite memory was working closely with the other interns throughout the internship and learning about the differences between chapters during the annual retreat.
I have learned how to use Canva, Monday.com, and Slack as well as flexibility between many facets of creating an engaging lesson experience. Balancing teacher feedback, other intern input, as well as my own mission of making the lessons more relevant for NYC students continues to be the most central element of my learning throughout this experience. I have also gained valuable insight into the inner workings of a nonprofit organization whether that be funding, volunteer management, or operations. Being around other individuals with a vibrant passion for spreading the Sprout Up mission of accessibility, promoting sustainability, and building community have shown me how fulfilling pursuing a career in this field can be. This internship has given me the confidence to grow as an instructor through my work within the curriculum and understand the strength of the Sprout Up community and the support we have for each other.