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