Springtime for Earth Team usually means community outreach. Interns host educational events, such as lunch rallies, on their high school campuses to encourage their peers to reduce waste. Interns also step into their communities to encourage local citizens to make a positive impact on the planet and their local watershed. This Spring, however, Covid-19 is changing the way Earth Team interns educate their communities.
Both Arroyo and Skyline high school Earth Teams participated in SEI’s Earth Day Campaign Contest throughout April. Both teams competed with each other and many other schools throughout California to earn the highest number of pledges. These pledges were made by any individual and focused on improving water, energy, waste or transportation habits. Both Arroyo and Skyline Earth Teams focused on reducing waste.
While Covid-19 is restricting our interns from practicing their direct communication with the public, social distancing measures are providing interns with the opportunity to learn a new skill: social media campaigning. Teams of interns from both Arroyo and Skyline Earth Teams learned how to successfully run waste reduction campaigns on Earth Team’s Instagram and Facebook. This campaign also taught interns how to act professionally online, a skill that will only become more important as they progress down their career paths.
Beyond creating infographics and photo collages, interns designed their campaigns to make the largest impact possible. Skyline interns shared several petitions that encourage corporations to reduce their waste. Arroyo interns shared a survey before and after their campaign to measure how waste education changed because of their efforts.
Interns decided every aspect of their campaigns, showcasing the knowledge gained throughout their internships. Watch the videos below to listen to some of their brainstorming sessions: