On August 9th Headlands Institute's Teen Environmental Action Mentorship (TEAM) will kick off its thirteenth year with a weeklong training for fourteen new interns and two returning interns from Marin and San Francisco.
TEAM is a year-round internship and leadership program for Bay Area high school youth designed to help participants discover their inner strength as leaders, their ability to influence others, and the importance of diversity, community and hands-on learning. Last year, TEAM shifted from a volunteer program to a paid internship with greater responsibilities for the TEAM interns.
TEAM’s goal is to introduce a diverse group of high school students to careers in education and the environment. TEAM alumni David Lara, who is now a sophomore at the University of Dallas, says “TEAM really sparked an interest in the environment for me. This summer I’m doing an internship at SF Environment working on some wind power projects. TEAM started me on an environmental career. I’m putting my passion for business and the environment together using the tools TEAM taught me.”
This summer’s training will prepare interns for their work during the school year, leading interactive activities for elementary school students participating in Headlands Institute’s field science program. The interns will lead "Eco-Athletics" activities, interactive games with an ecological spin, at the close of the academic day. In the spring, interns also visit elementary schools in their home communities to lead environmental lessons.
The training focuses on building teaching and leadership skills and helping interns connect with the natural and cultural history of the Marin Headlands. Headlands Institute’s staff will lead sessions including education philosophy, group management, and public speaking. The week also includes a camping trip in Muir Woods.
During the year, TEAM interns are mentored by Headlands Institute’s professional field science educators. The interns have a chance to observe their mentor in the field, are evaluated by educators, and work with their mentors to create environmental education lesson plans which the interns then take into classrooms in their home community.
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