My name is Lanique Dawson, I’m a third-year student and I’m on my second co-op as an educator at the Paraclete Center and environmental policy intern at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay in Boston this Fall quarter. I chose to front-load my academics in order to broaden my foundation as a member of both nonprofits. With a major in environmental science, education and environmental policy are two professional paths I aspire to pursue.
Paraclete Center
At the Paraclete center, their mission is, “… an out-of-school educational enrichment program, offering Boston students in the 4th through 8th grade the academic support, homework and tutoring assistance, enrichment classes, and education-based field trips … ” (1)
Within the Paraclete Center my title is an
Today we made micro-environments and demonstrated how ice caps melt (thanks climate change)educator with a focus on environmental science, which is demonstrated in my environmental science enrichment course. Interactive, hands-on lessons and activities are incorporated into my enrichment class. Over the course of the quarter, I have dived into lessons surrounding environmental challenges such as diversity of habitat structure, the acceleration of climate change, and the tragedies of deforestation. Every class has been unique in
educator with a focus on environmental science, which is demonstrated in my environmental science enrichment course. Interactive, hands-on lessons and activities are incorporated into my class. Over the course of the quarter, I have dived into lessons surrounding environmental challenges such as diversity of habitat structure, the acceleration of climate change, and the tragedies of deforestation. Every class has been unique in
Here is a micro-environment created by a student at The Paraclete
teaching style, ranging from visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic, so that every student may be included. For instance, students mimicked vegetative solar tracking videos as they “danced as Sunflowers.” Other classes were more visual, as students constructed their own micro-environments, blue ice cubes (Ice caps) were melted over the “200 year period” where heat escalated the fastest in human history (climate change).
As a member of the community in South Boston, Paraclete looks to engage their students “to improve academic performance, [and] increase academic engagement and motivation…” (1) Paraclete executes their mission successfully within the community with the assistance of enrichment courses ranging from life skills and ethics to environmental awareness and stewardship preparation. Their community engagement is demonstrated with the growth of students as young adults as generations enter and leaves Paraclete.
Save the Harbor / Save the Bay
Here is another perspective of STH/STB team collaborating on a community playground
At the Save the Harbor/Save the Bay (STH/STB) their mission is, “ to restore and protect Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, and the marine environment and share them with the public for all to enjoy.” (2) My title at STH/STB is an environmental policy intern. As an environmental policy intern, every day is a new experience due to the potential participation of groundbreaking projects that benefits the organization and those who they help. My long-term project is the revision of the Environmental Education Curriculum crafted by the members at STH/STB. I chose this project due to my role as an educator, with the goal in mind to become exposed to new ways of teaching as well as to provide insight of being an educator to the curriculum, in response. Overall, projects varied from administrative assignments to community engagement. For instance, the STH/STB staff collaborated with KaBOOM and jetBlue on the creation of a playground, within a day, that would benefit community members at South Boston Curley Community Center.
Here at Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay, we collaborated on a community playground
(1)“Educational Enrichment for Youth.” Paraclete, www.paraclete.org/.
(2)Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay . “ About Me .” Save the Harbor, Save the Harbor Save the Bay , www.savetheharbor.org/about/.
