The EcoLogik Institute Makes a Splash at the EELN Conference!
Written by: Apprentice Lucinda A.
In September 2024, apprentice Claire W. and I got the opportunity and privilege to speak to the Environmental Educator Leaders Network (EELN) about the EcoLogik Institute. In this blog, I’m going to share my experience and what the EELN network is. While I taught the EELN network all about Ecologik, I also learned quite a bit about what a strong speech looks like.
Introduction
As the Ecologik Institute continues expanding, we are always looking for new partners and people we can collaborate with. Science is a community effort after all! It is our goal to co-share knowledge with these partners to the mutual benefit of our various education programs. We can learn so much from each other. . A few weeks ago, Claire and I had the opportunity to go and speak to a new possible partner, the EELN, to help spread our community and goals. While there, I learned about this organization and got the opportunity to improve my public speaking, honing in on those crucial science communication skills.
The Environmental Educator Leaders NetworK
Who they are
The EELN is a newly formed network that looks for ways to get youth quality education in nature. Formed in 2023, the group is comprised of environmental educators, representing different programs and organizations, that work together to find ways to improve environmental education across San Diego. They have access to a wide variety of resources and connections across the county. They mainly use their combined insight from their various programs to determine what the best course of action would be to improve education. For their fall in-person reunion, they invited a few Ecologik apprentices to speak, and Claire and I volunteered.
Lucinda A. teaching the campers during our Summer 2024 camp session.
Why We Were There
It is clear that the EELN is a powerful network and organization. In forming a partnership with this program, we could build connections to many educational programs around San Diego. In addition, they have insightful knowledge about youth education.
During the meeting I attended, I was able to talk to so many different people and they each shared such valuable insight into what they teach and what they have learned. I learned about how we can incorporate environmental education into school days. I also learned about the benefits of outdoor learning in an informal educational environment. But, most importantly, I was able to internalize how science is a collaborative effort, and it shows through all of these representatives that collaborate to expand education across the county. I am hoping to apply all that I learned at this meeting to the EcoLogik Institute and the apprenticeship program.
Our amazing project manager Brooke W with apprentices Della R and Ale _ at a STEAM fair
The Main Event
The main goal of my speech was to convey how important Ecologik is to me, and what I have learned from this program. One of the main ideas of my speech was the community that Ecologik provides. Something that is so unique about this program is the support system and connection that is unlike any other program I have been a part of, and that was something I focused on for the majority of my speech. I wanted to convey the importance of this community to my audience so that they could see the success of the program in terms of connecting and inspiring youth.
I also discussed connections between youth when talking about a few of the special events that I have been a part of (STEAM fairs, workshops, etc.) and what I learned from them. The point of this was to highlight the curriculum that Ecologik has as well as the outreach programs we do, and what we could offer the EELN if we were to partner with them.
Another important focus of my speech were the pathways and career tracks that Ecologik offered. I am an example of this pathway as a camper, an apprentice, an instructor, and now a paid-intern –and I told the EELN network about this! I also spoke to the EELN about the opportunities that Ecologik offers to its participants, and how these opportunities could impact them later in life.
The last focus of my speech was on the confidence that this program gives its young participants and how they are now more encouraged to pursue STEAM careers. I used the same example that we use in camp and told the audience what I thought a scientist looked like. I did this at the beginning of my speech, to show how unexposed to different types of scientists I was before Ecologik, and at the end of my speech, to show how my confidence had grown throughout the program.
What I Learned
I’ll never forget giving this speech because it was the moment when I truly solidified my speech strategy. I tend to have trouble memorizing speeches and, once I do, I hyperfocus on making sure I do not miss any points. This then leads me to not be as present when delivering speeches, and I stumble much more. So, for this speech, I decided to try a new strategy. Weeks before I was to present this speech, I wrote down my main speaking points. I asked myself, what do I want my audience to learn? I then asked myself, how will I get them to learn that? In doing this, I was able to know exactly what it was that I was going to talk about, but I did not have to focus on being sure I memorized every little detail. Once I had my main points, I thought of a great personal anecdote to start my speech, in this case the story of how I first got connected with Ecologik. The final step in preparing my speech was to figure out a strong finish, as that is what the audience will remember most, and I came up with a resounding statement about what I now know a scientist is. Once I had my beginning, end, and my speaking points, it was time to practice! I went about practicing my speech, focusing on my speaking points, and making it flow. And then, on the day of the speech, I delivered it calmly, smoothly, and from the heart. I highly recommend this strategy of writing and delivering a speech because it makes it sound genuine and conversational!
The EELN presentation was an amazing opportunity for Claire and I to practice our public speaking skills and learn about this incredible education network. We were able to advocate for Ecologik and the opportunities it provides to youth. I truly hope that this partnership can further expand because I loved meeting all of the amazing memebers of the EELN network.
About the author: Lucinda A. is currently the Design and Innovation Intern here at the Ecologik Institute. She has been involved with the program since she was 12 –about 4 and a half years ago! She was a camper in 2020 (virtually) and then again in 2021. Since then she has been a CESAP apprentice, a camp instructor, and now an intern. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in microbiology, studying either genetics or viruses in a lab. She is also interested in pursuing a career in the math field. When she’s not planning the next amazing workshop with intern Mayumi L., she enjoys reading, swimming, spending time with family and friends, and advocating for more inclusivity in the STEAM field.
