Career workshops. These hour-long workshops will provide participants an overview of conservation careers and provide information about how they could apply for and participate in internship and free college course options. Aimed mainly at high school and college age youth, any community member would be welcome to join the workshops. The 1–2-hour workshops could count towards community service hours for those students whose high school or college may require documentation of a volunteer opportunity completed. 15 Residents

Conservation Studies Certificate Program at West LA College. This opportunity is open to CHB and other community members who are high school age or older (no upper limit). This free, non-credit certificate program is transcripted, but non-graded. This provides participants with multiple chances to complete the 2-course certificate without the risk of lowering their GPA or spending tuition on a course they may be unable to finish during a given semester. The certificate, once completed, appears on the transcript and is also an excellent item to include on a resume. 15 Residents

Baldwin Hills Greenhouse Program. This paid internship opportunity is open to applicants from the CHB and other local communities adjacent to Baldwin Hills Parklands. It is an excellent resume builder for both the workforce and college applications. Students receive training in habitat restoration, research methods, public speaking, and curriculum development, and receive support with the college application process. 10 Residents

Camp Interns. These paid internship positions will provide opportunities for participants to develop their environmental education skills by assisting with the proposed summer camp. This would be a strong resume-builder for both the workforce and college applications. 15 Residents

KH Interns. These paid internship positions would provide opportunities for participants to develop their environmental education skills by assisting with proposed nature walks as well as the on-site field trip program for public schools during the school year (not a part of this grant). This would be a strong resume-builder for both the workforce and college applications. 15 Residents

Summer Fellows Program. This seasonal employment opportunity is available to applicants who are both high school graduates AND who have completed any of the above internship programs or the conservation certificate program. It is an outstanding resume-builder for a wide range of career pathways. It is an excellent resume item for a student applying to transfer to a four-year college or who applying to graduate school in ecology, wildlife, plant science, or other environmental discipline. 15 Residents

Outward Bound (OBCA)

Will provide expeditions led by OBCA instructors who are experts at curating an experience that builds confidence and helps students foster connections with their peers. Social-emotional learning is integrated into each day of the course. These trips, which take place in Joshua Tree National Park and/or the High Sierra mountains, provide a platform for experiential learning that develops leadership skills, resilience, and team building. These social and emotional skills are practiced by students as they work together to hike a summit, cross a stream, and cook for each other. The goal of all expeditions is that students nurture an appreciation for nature, a sense of their own impact and power in the world, and apply lessons learned on course back home.

Baldwin Hills Library

Will provide connections for community program planning, for in-community activities and student intern recruitment and serves as a gathering place for transport to the natural area trips. In addition, interns will use the library for education/research/career planning.

Los Angeles Audubon/Nature Nexus is committed to providing BIPOC youth with pathways to higher education and career development, providing environmental education, hands-on training, and leadership skills to prepare them for the environmental challenges that lie ahead. On an annual basis, approximately 15-40 youth will be recruited from schools in under-represented communities to participate in internship programs as well as the conservation certificate program at West Los Angeles College. These programs are already established, and the plan is to sustain them beyond the period of this grant. Los Angeles Audubon/Nature Nexus internship programs connect students with biologists and restoration ecologists to actively engage in and improve their communities. Students conduct original research on habitat restoration, the results of which are directly applicable to local parklands accessible to the public. Interns serve as mentors to younger students and help lead community volunteer habitat restoration events. In addition, interns help to maintain 2 Elementary schoolyard habitats which serve as outdoor learning labs installed by LA Audubon and community volunteers with grant support from US Fish & Wildlife.

For almost all the high school students within the program, this is the first “job” they’ve ever had: it’s the first application they’ve ever filled out, and the first interview they’ve ever sat through. They gain experience and confidence in the job application process. Many students within the community they work with are strongly encouraged by parents and older siblings to seek employment while in high school to contribute to overall family income. The paid aspect of this program helps parents see the Baldwin Hills Program as a positive financial opportunity and not an extracurricular drain on their child’s time. The Los Angeles Audubon/Nature Nexus also hopes to employ their student alumni with full-time jobs as they complete their college degrees and return to serve the LA community.