What do you want to be when you grow up? In high school this question quickly becomes a daunting task to figure out. Luckily for Milwaukee students, the Urban Ecology Center is on a mission to keep this question full of hope and wonder. 

The Urban Ecology Center High School Outdoor Leadership program is a unique paid internship that helps teens build a wide range of skills including leadership, studies of ecology, environmental justice, and job-readiness. After completing an 8-week summer internship, high school students have the opportunity to apply for an academic year position (September-April). 

The Outdoor Leader program at the Urban Ecology Center allows youth to get outside, learn about green careers, make friends, and get paid! It is our goal to provide high school students the resources and guidance to make connections within themselves, their communities, and nature. Outdoor Leaders are a part of our Green Career Pathway program, which engages people of all ages, backgrounds, and interests in studies of ecology, volunteerism, environmental justice, and much more.

As a volunteer, Camoya remembers, “The first thing they had us do was canoe…and I’ve never canoed before. I was really nervous and it was completely out of my comfort zone. But they were like ‘you can do it, you can do it!’”

“The staff were very encouraging. So we got in the canoe and we canoed the lagoon. It was one of the best days I’ve ever had here.” From Camoya’s first introduction to the Washington Park Urban Ecology Center as a youth volunteer in 2014 to her years in the High School Outdoor Leader program and then acceptance to college in the fall of 2018, we’ve loved being a part of this amazing young woman’s journey!

I want to tell you about an amazing employment opportunity that the Urban Ecology Center has for high school students. But first, let’s do an icebreaker.

What was your first job? For me, it was babysitting. I worked with many different families, which meant different expectations from employers.Some families paid fairly, others did not. There were well behaved children and those who saw a parent date night as an opportunity to cast off all the tyrannical rules set in place for them.

The bitter cold of Milwaukee winters makes it difficult for many to stay active and have any interest in leaving the house to enjoy the outdoors.

Since I joined the Outdoor Leader program at the Urban Ecology Center this summer, I've come to understand that this place can make it possible to have fun outdoors in any weather. I have never considered myself to be a 'winter person,' often opting to stay cuddled up in a blanket on the couch once the temperature drops below 20 degrees.