Carina Ruiz
Student Conservation Association
Chicago,
IL
USA
Biographical Sketch: Carina Ruiz, a Chicago native, has 14 years of Youth Development experience in the field before becoming the Student Conservation Association's (SCA) Chicago Community Program Manager. She collaborates with high school youth and young adults to complete various ecological service projects that will expose and engage the participants with the field of Conservation. The program implements a curriculum that builds their knowledge of environmental literacy, green job readiness training, and leadership building. Carina has led multiple projects with a focus on diversity and inclusion. She was a Project Leader for the first two years of the National Park Service Academy held in partnership with SCA which engages diverse youth across the country with a valuable educational and work experience in the National Parks . She has also been awarded the "Urban Communities in Conservation Award" by the US Department of Agriculture for her work using cultural symbols to introduce monarch conservation through nature-based activities in Chicago. A former Early Childhood Educator and Chicago High School teacher, Carina also worked as a Program Coordinator for the Chicago Academy of Sciences, in conjunction with the United States Forest Service International Programming before joining SCA’s team.
Papers:
029
Training a Diverse Next Generation of Conservation Professionals