Eco-Digital Storyteller Mentor Reflection- Lily Walowitz

May 8, 2026

Wow, where do I even start? I can’t begin to explain the impact that the Eco-Digital Storytellers program has had on my life. I will never forget the first day that my fellow mentor Mary and I were preparing for our first class visit. I remember thinking to myself, “How am I going to get up in front of an entire class of students who are just two years younger than me?” “Are they going to take me seriously?” What I didn’t realize then was that just a few short months later, I would be walking out of GHAA for the last time, choked up, with tears in my eyes.

The progress I have seen in these students over the past few months has been extraordinary. Although they needed a little push at times, I can confidently say that every student took their initial ideas and turned them into truly amazing final products. The showcase couldn’t have gone better, and I felt so much pride for all of the groups who presented. I am also incredibly proud to share that the principal of GHAA, Maryam Wardak, was so inspired by the students’ work that she is providing them with the funding to carry out their projects. This achievement is a testament to their dedication and a powerful reflection of the school’s commitment to a greener future.

When I left GHAA that final time, I told the students that if they felt I had made an impact on them, they should know they impacted me ten times more. I have learned so much through being a mentor and I am proud to say that I have fostered such meaningful relationships with the students that I will cherish forever. As an aspiring teacher, this experience has also given me valuable tools that I will carry into my future classroom. This GHAA class will always be my first class, and I am so excited to see what the future holds for these students, as well as for their school, with the implementation of these environmental projects.

I want to give a special thank you to my absolutely wonderful co-mentor, Mary. The car rides to Hartford were some of the most special moments, and I am so grateful for the time we shared. Thank you for being my big sister at UConn and I am so excited to watch you continue changing the world after graduation. I would also like to thank Laurel and Laura for giving me the opportunity to be part of this incredible program. Thank you for believing in me and for your unwavering support throughout the semester. Expect lots of visits from me next year!

This program is so incredibly special, and I am eager to see what lies ahead for EDS. We all have the power to create change, and this program truly demonstrates that by building a bridge between budding ideas and real world application. It reminds us that change doesn’t have to start big, it begins with people who are willing to care, to try, and to take that first step. Through this program, we see that every idea has potential, and every person has the ability to make a difference.

Reflecting on Being an EDS Mentor – Mary Ferguson

May 6, 2026

Long time, no see! Once again, my name is Mary Ferguson, and I am about to graduate with my Bachelor’s of Science in Earth Sciences with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality studies! This past semester I had the distinct honor of being an Eco Digital Storytelling Mentor within the Natural Resources Conservation Academy.

Throughout these past 14 weeks I worked closely with the students from the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts (GHAA) and mentored them through a project very similar to what I created for the Environmental Storytelling Course I took last fall. This experience taught me so much about myself and I think it’s fundamentally changed my future career path.

Getting to interact with these students illuminated the love I have for being in the classroom. Before this experience, I was very unsure if I would get a master’s degree. I figured like most professionals in my field, I’d work for a few years then pursue a master’s in something related to my job so my employer would cover part of the tuition. I liked how simple and safe this plan was. However, since getting the opportunity to be in the classroom and interact with these amazing young adults, I don’t know if the easy, safe choice is what I want anymore. I found a new type of joy in the classroom, with those kids. Now, I’m considering getting my master’s degree for teaching in the next few years, something I never thought I’d be interested in.

Not to get too philosophical, but I do think I’ve figured out the meaning of life, really. Stick with me here. I will acknowledge that my belief system is very heavily influenced by the society in which I was raised, but I think it holds true for many people. In my mind, the meaning of life is to chase experiences that make you feel alive. Those interactions, feelings, and whatever else makes you think, unprompted, ‘I am so glad to be alive’. It may seem overly simplistic, but I’ve been chasing that feeling my whole life, and don’t intend to stop.

Getting to mentor these kids, getting to see them grow, their confidence in themselves and their abilities flourish, I got that same feeling. I felt like I was making an impact, that what I was doing really mattered. Without even realizing it, I found myself jumping at any opportunity to be in the classroom with these kids. It made me feel alive.

After I graduate, I have a job in environmental engineering lined up, though I have a sneaking suspicion that a Master’s of Teaching will be in my future. Until next time, chase what makes you feel alive. You won’t regret it.

Introducing EDS Mentor: Mary Ferguson

February 18, 2026

Hi y’all! My name is Mary Ferguson, and I am so honored to be one of the 2026 Eco Digital Storytelling Mentors within the Natural Resources Conservation Academy. I’m a senior studying Earth science with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

A girl with a tie-dye crop top and black leggings stands facing the camera with her back to Yellowstone's Grand Canyon — When I worked in Yellowstone I enjoyed going to the canyon often.

I’ve always had a passion for science, but when coming to UConn, I had no idea what to major in. After an introductory Earth science course, I was hooked. Something I found truly fascinating about that course was how infectious the instructor’s excitement was. I’ve been chasing that feeling, and the ability to create that feeling in others, since then.

This passion brought me to the Environmental Storytelling course last fall, where I got to practice my skills in ArcGIS Storymaps. I decided to create a project surrounding how time in/out of green spaces can impact mental health. This is an incredibly important topic for me, as I am a runner and I got injured over the summer. Because of my injury, I wasn’t able to spend much time outside, and I noticed a decline in my mental health because of it. Being able to discuss this topic in a meaningful way was an experience I’m incredibly grateful for.

A cartoon-ish drawing of a brain surrounded by trees. Text reads "Green Spaces and Mental Health" — This is an image from my final project for the Environmental Storytelling course, “Green Spaces and Mental Health”

When sharing our (nearly) finished projects with high school students, I found myself having the same feeling I have been chasing my entire college career. Seeing the students get excited about the topic and the science behind it brought me a sense of fulfillment that I hope to bring into a career in science communications.

Currently, I’m finishing up my last semester of my bachelor’s degree and loving every second of it. In my spare time I’m reading lots of fantasy books and training for my first half marathon.

Eco-Digital Storytellers Mentor Reflection: Jamaile Hall

February 10, 2026

Hello! My name is Jamaile, and this marks my third and final time serving as an Eco-Digital Storytellers mentor, and what an incredible journey it has been! While it’s truly a bittersweet moment to say goodbye to this remarkable program, the students, and the faculty, I leave with immense gratitude. As someone involved from the very first undergraduate course and mentor position, I’ve had the honor of not just participating, but of witnessing our program grow and flourish, adapting to become even more impactful.

This role has been transformative for me. I stepped into it with shyness and hesitation, but thanks to the unwavering support of the staff at the NRCA, I found my voice. This experience has been the crucible for developing my presentation, of the community that engage in civic action and legislation. Additionally, I communication, and leadership skills while empowering high school students to engage deeply with community issues.

This fall semester, in particular, has been one of my absolute favorites! I guided students in using technical tools, such as thermal imaging cameras and air quality monitors to collect environmental data and translate those findings into compelling narratives. We explored the spectrum of civic action from local campaigns to legislative advocacy and bridged the gap between the classroom and the real world by connecting them to active members brainstormed with them how to potentially utilize animation to communicate processes like the urban heat island effect or a redesign of a public space that can coincide with their stories!

Seeing the students’ creativity flourish has been incredibly rewarding, and they are well-prepared for their spring exhibition. This program also holds a special place in my heart for being a space where my Ecology and Digital Media & Design major blend together to help create these digital projects. And I couldn’t be more proud of the direction the current projects are going. As I close this chapter, I carry with me not just incredible memories, but the confidence and skills I gained here. I am immensely proud of the NRCA community and the brilliant work being done and I hope it continues for a long time.

Introducing EDS Mentor: Lily Walowitz

January 27, 2026

Hi! My name is Lily Walowitz and I joined the Natural Resources Conservation Academy as an Eco-Digital Storytellers Mentor for the 2026 program. I am currently a sophomore at UConn pursuing a Secondary Earth Science Education Degree.

Since I was in kindergarten, I have known that I wanted to be a teacher, but the question was always: what should I teach? It wasn’t until I took a high school environmental science class that I realized that I am extremely passionate about the environment, and I want to share that passion with others.

Picture I took while kayaking in the Pocono Mountains

UConn has allowed me to channel my passion into amazing projects that I am so honored to be a part of. I am proud to be an ambassador for UConn’s Clean Air Quality Initiative in which I help to create lesson plans for students K through 12 focused on DIY air purifier construction. I am also currently in the process of producing teacher explainer videos to instruct teachers on how to assist students in learning about air quality.

Through the 2025 fall Environmental Storytelling course, I decided to use my background in indoor air quality to create a kid-friendly animation about the dangers of indoor air pollution. I landed on this idea because while doing research for elementary lesson plans, there were no informational videos about indoor air pollution for elementary aged children. Along with this animation, my group and I produced an activity book to further reinforce the ideas seen in the animation. Being able to create such amazing forms of media and sharing them with the public has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. I hope to inspire others with my project and help high school students develop their own projects that they are passionate about.

In my free time, I love participating in volunteer initiatives that allow me to give back to the community. I am involved with 4H in Vernon at UConn which is an organization where undergraduates travel to schools in Vernon and assist students in STEM activities and projects. I also love going to the beach and being in the ocean, taking pictures of nature, as well as spending time with family and friends.

Eco-Digital Storytellers Mentor Reflection: Amber Hwang

January 16, 2026

Meeting students for the first time at Workshop 1

Wading into my Environmental Storytelling class in the fall of 2024, I never imagined how this program would rearrange the stars as I wayfind the environmental space. When the waters ahead are uncertain, working with high school students at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts (GHAA) through Natural Resource Conservation Academy’s (NRCA) Eco-Digital Storytellers (EDS) inspired joy and hope for our collective environmental future. This experience guiding students as they told community-centered environmental stories using geospatial technology and digital media helped me see the power of radical imagination and creative storytelling in opening pathways for environmental justice.

Students exploring air quality sensor data on a map during a GHAA visit

At the first class visit of fall 2025, students collected temperature, air quality, noise, and biodiversity data using our Urban Forestry Toolkit and Survey123 to map the impact of urban trees on ArcGIS Online. This visit exploring the surroundings of their school showed me the possibilities in returning the classroom to nature and empowering communities to gather their own data for environmental stories.

A highlight of the fall was inviting community partners, Sydney from CT Roundtable on Climate and Jobs and Madison from CT Zero Waste Coalition, to visit the classes. After listening to them share their communications and community organizing work, students had the opportunity to practice mock interviews with the digital media techniques they learned. Moved and energized by the climate leaders’ passion and journeys shaping environmental justice futures, we carried that inspiration into students’ own projects as they began workshopping ideas for their concept pitches.

Jamaile and I each sharing the evolution of our projects, including map and film script revisions

As GHAA teachers brought together digital media and environmental science classes to mirror UConn’s interdisciplinary undergraduate course for the new school year, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to contribute to community partners working more closely with students in the fall. Reflecting on last spring, I remember learning from conversations about placemaking and murals with RiseUP for Arts and listening to stories about food justice when EDS mentors visited Keney Park Sustainability Project. From workshops on the UConn campus to class visits in Hartford, it has been such a gift to learn from the students, listen to their stories, and hold space for their ideas.

EDS & DDM mentors with the NRCA team at Environmental Changemakers Showcase at the Connecticut Science Center

After many months of crafting their multimedia storytelling projects on StoryMaps, seeing the students share their work at the Environmental Changemakers showcase in April was a proud moment for us all. We also had the chance to interact with posters by Conservation Ambassadors Program students under Difference Maker Mentors (DMM), another impactful NRCA program engaging historically underrepresented youth in environmental action, and hear from panelists who helped us see how environmental action and digital media storytelling fields can be inclusive and intersectional.

Students learning Adobe After Effects at our workshop’s Animation Tech Station

Beyond the digital storytelling skills and environmental justice wisdom this program has sown, EDS has illuminated more paths in my career and life. As I study humanity’s diverse relations and imaginings of the environment through Environmental Studies and English and learn how to visualize and analyze geographic data with maps through Geographic Information Science, in EDS I found a collaborative space where my interests and these disciplines I study uniquely meet. This program’s innovative nature and culturally sustaining pedagogy is truly a paradigm shift embodying the kind of creativity within environmental justice in technology that sparks the courage and solutions the world needs in this era.

Braiding science exploration with storytelling education, EDS has been a community that illuminates the wonders of our world to not only envision, but to co-create regenerative futures. This has been one of the most inspiring experiences of my time at UConn and I will carry it with me always. A special thank you to Laura, Laurel, and Nicole for their thoughtful mentorship, trusting me with this role and helping me grow. Thank you to my fellow fall mentor Jamaile and my spring mentoring cohort for being incredible individuals to have crossed paths and worked with. I am excited for how this program continues to grow, teaching us the art of possibility and reminding us that the stories within our communities can be the maps that help us find our way.

Apply to Be an NRCA Difference Maker Mentor (DMM)!

November 21, 2025

The Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA) is now accepting applications for Difference Maker Mentors (DMMs)—UConn undergraduates who serve as leaders for the Conservation Ambassador Program (CAP) and as near-peer mentors to high school teens as they complete a community environmental action project.

We are seeking students from all majors and backgrounds who are passionate about mentoring youth, collaborating on community-based environmental projects, and promoting culturally sustaining, inclusive, and equitable practices.

Details: 4 positions; June 2026–Apr 2027; learn more at https://nrca.uconn.edu/dmm/
Apply by: Jan 2 at 11:59 PM; s.uconn.edu/dmm-app
Questions? Contact Dr. Laura Cisneros at laura.cisneros@uconn.edu

Eco-Digital Storytellers: NRCA Partnership Fuels Major Pedagogical Shifts in K–12 Classrooms

Across Connecticut, the Natural Resources Conservation Academy’s (NRCA) Eco-Digital Storyteller (EDS; https://nrca.uconn.edu/eds/) program is reshaping how teachers approach learning—helping schools integrate environmental science, geospatial technology, digital media arts and youth-centered storytelling into everyday instruction. Despite the cancellation of federal funding, this work is continuing thanks to essential support from UConn’s EMERGE program, which has enabled the NRCA to continue collaborating with educators and expanding opportunities for students.

An EDS participant collecting video in a park

The need is urgent: E-STEAM career fields are growing rapidly, yet historically excluded groups remain underrepresented. Research shows that diverse teams produce more innovative solutions, underscoring the importance of creating accessible, interdisciplinary pathways for all youth. EDS meets this need through a multi-layered model that brings together high school students, teachers, community partners, UConn faculty, and undergraduates to co-develop digital environmental storytelling projects that advocate for local solutions and envision just and sustainable futures.

EDS program participants at a UConn workshop

In just a few years, the NRCA’s EDS team has trained more than 155 teachers, students, and undergraduates, supporting 15 environmental storytelling projects shared with public and professional audiences. This intensive mentoring—paired with hands-on workshops at UConn, curriculum design support, and classroom-based support—has been pivotal in helping teachers adopt high-quality project-based learning (PBL), geospatial inquiry, and interdisciplinary creative practice.

Nowhere is this shift more visible than at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts (GHAA). Rooted in the statewide EDS model, GHAA teachers have worked closely with NRCA to design an ambitious new approach for 2025–26: a dual-enrollment, 2.5-hour interdisciplinary block pairing UConn ECE Foundations of Digital Media with Environmental Science. With NRCA support, teachers are facilitating deep problem-scoping, field inquiry, collaborative StoryMaps, expert feedback loops, and 6–8 week project cycles that position students to “think like” scientists, artists, and storytellers.

These NRCA-supported shifts are transforming GHAA into a flagship site for creative, community-rooted, youth-driven E-STEAM education—and demonstrating the powerful impact of Eco-Digital Storytellers across Connecticut.

Introducing Difference Maker Mentor: Megan Ng

September 29, 2025

Hey everyone! My name is Megan Ng and I’m so excited to be a Difference Maker Mentor for the NRCA Conservation Ambassadors Program cohort of 2025-2026. I’m a sophomore majoring in Natural Resources with minors in Psychology and Urban and Community Studies.

I have a great love for learning and I’ve been interested in every little thing from marine sciences to music all through my life. One thing that’s always stayed consistent has been my passion for the environment and how we interact with it. I also love working with people, learning about them, and helping them get involved in their own passions. It’s only through my experiences at UConn that I’ve found that my passion for both people and the environment can intersect in climate justice.

I’d love to spend part of my undergraduate career helping with research, but for now I tend to focus on global and local studies of injustice with the hope that understanding our world’s systems can help us improve them. With these teachings, I want to bridge the gap between underrepresented communities and environmental spaces with education. I hope that with this mentorship I can help to support people of all walks of life in finding a place in their communities.

Beyond academic work, I love volunteering with Spring Valley Student Farm and the Office of Sustainability at UConn. This year, I’m part of many service organizations to learn more about my college community and connect with others.

I often spend my summers teaching kids about science through fun hands-on activities, but you can always find me at an exhibition in NYC to fill my junk journal. When I’m not working, I enjoy designing, upcycling clothes and accessories, baking, playing video games, and listening to my new favorite artist of the month. There’s always new things to experience here on campus and I can’t wait to continue with this one!

Megan’s mentee group (PB & Bears) ready for fisheries

Exploring tectonic plates at Thingvellir National Park

Introducing Difference Maker Mentor: Ben Baby

September 22, 2025

Hi! My name’s Ben and I’m serving as a Difference Maker Mentor for the 2025-2026 NRCA CAP program. I’m currently in my senior year as a Physiology & Neurobiology student. I love the outdoors and it’s very important to me that we keep our environment healthy as human influence on nature continues to grow.

I was introduced to the CAP program while taking the prerequisite class and it gradually drew me in, and I developed an interest in it. Conservation is essential as it helps preserve the wild, which continues to shrink year after year. The CAP projects are small & focus on helping reintroduce the benefits of the environment to towns and cities that have been experiencing issues due to the disappearance of local foliage and wildlife.

Summit of a hike in Shenandoah National Park

I’m looking forward to life after undergrad, as I’m planning to pursue a career in environmental law. I credit this interest to the books and articles I’ve read about the history of environmental court cases, and how difficult it is to find real “wins” in the world.

I have a deep love of the environment and wildlife, probably due to all the nature documentaries I watched with my family as a child. It’s a dream of mine to visit each continent and see some of the animals and habitats I’ve only seen on screen.

When I’m not in class, I can be found reading, watching a movie or just hanging out with my friends. I also enjoy cooking and make food for myself and my friends when possible. I go on hikes when I can and am planning to go on my first winter hike later this year.

I can’t wait to see what all our participants present at the showcase!