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    Difference Maker Mentors

    10-month leadership positions for UConn undergraduate students. As Difference Maker Mentors, undergraduate students serve as program leaders of the CAP field experience and near-peer mentors to CAP teens.

About Difference Maker Mentors

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Difference Maker Mentors are UConn undergraduate students passionate about...

  • Authentic community engagement
  • Culturally sustaining environmental education & mentorship
  • Critical community science & local environmental action

Difference Maker Mentors are program leaders and near peer-mentors in our Conservation Ambassador Program (CAP). The goals are to:

  • Elevate diverse voices in CAP leadership
  • Provide near-peer role models to CAP teens
  • Create a pathway for CAP teens to continue their involvement in community conservation as leaders

DMM Pathway

The four elements below comprise the Difference Maker Mentor (DMM) pathway.

Training

UConn undergraduate students (potential DMMs) begin by enrolling in the Community Engagement for Environmental Action spring course (NRE 1250 sec 01). Learn more about the course in the course syllabus.

 

 

Leadership

A group of students walk in a line in tall grass.

Selected from the course, DMMs then put course skills and knowledge into action by co-facilitating the summer CAP field experience under the guidance of NRCA faculty and graduate students. DMMs help with logistics, support instructors, lead a subgroup of teens, and lead 1-2 activities.

Mentorship

3 people sitting on benches and smiling with one person standing and smiling next to one of the benches.

Following the CAP field experience, each DMM helps a small group of CAP teens as they design, develop and implement local environmental action tailored to their interests and community needs. DMMs co-mentor teens from July to April along with a community partner.

Showcase

A group of 3 students smile next to a scientific poster presentation.

DMMs help their CAP mentees prepare for and present their local environmental action projects at a spring showcase event. This is typically done as part of a professional conference, making it an excellent learning and networking experience for both the teens and DMMs.

group session

Upcoming Events

Date Event
May 13, 2022 Application Due

Complete this short online application
May 20, 2022 Applicants Notified of Acceptance

Sent to your email used in application
June 1, 2022 Enrollment Forms Due

Mailed to your address used in application

Current Grad Mentor & DMMs

Shanelle Thevarajah

PhD Student
Natural Resources

Gabriela Archambault

2nd Year
Environmental Science

Molly
Daigle

2nd Year
Natural Resources

Tamara
Parks

2nd Year
Environmental Engineering

Julianna Service

4th Year
Allied Health Sciences

Ready to Join or Want to Learn More?

We are looking for undergraduate students from diverse majors and backgrounds who are interested in mentoring teens, working collaboratively on projects that benefit local communities and environments, and implementing culturally sustaining, equitable and inclusive environmental practices.

Ready to join?

Enroll in the 2025 spring course, NRE 1250 section 001: Community Engagement for Environmental Action (1-credit). Preview the 2025 course syllabus. Contact Dr. Laura Cisneros at laura.cisneros@uconn.edu, if you have any questions.

Want to learn more?

Join one of our info sessions by adding your name and email to the link below (see a pre-recorded info session here).

Past NRCA Interns and DMMs

Difference Maker Mentors

We've had the pleasure of integrating multiple cohorts of UConn undergraduate students that served as Difference Maker Mentor (DMM) leaders in our NRCA programs. Each DMM mentored high school students as they carried out community-based environmental action projects. In addition, DMMs also lead a variety of other side projects and programs, including co-facilitating Urban Forestry Workshops in collaboration with Keney Park Sustainability Project and creating resources and materials such as this Camera Trap Reference Guide.

students stand in front of large ant sculpture 

Name Major Term
2023-24 Cohort (see team here)  
Alexandra Blas Allied Health Sciences June 2023-April 2024
Paige Booth Environmental Science June 2023-April 2024
Aalyah Contreras Human Development & Family Sciences June 2023-April 2024
Adriana Garcia Vazquez Cognitive Science June 2023-April 2024
Andy Zhang Environmental Science and Economics June 2023-April 2024
2022-23 Cohort (see team here)
Leilani Durate Natural Resources June 2022-April 2023
Leah Gichuru Molecular & Cellular Biology June 2022-April 2023
Ilana Goldner Ecology & Evolutionary Biology June 2022-April 2023
Erin Mckeehan Economics & Environmental Studies June 2022-April 2023
Sydney Seldon Environmental Science & Environmental Policy June 2022-April 2023
2021-22 Cohort
Celine Agbotey Applied Mathematics June 2021-May 2022
Michio Agresta Natural Resources, Human Rights & Spanish minor June 2021-May 2022
Margaret Sanders Natural Resources, Human Rights minor June 2021-May 2022
Caitlin Daddona Environmental Science June 2021-October 2022

 

NRCA Student Leaders

NRCA Student Leaders include UConn undergraduates who work on a variety of short-term and/or specific projects, including helping to prepare research manuscripts, co-designing future programs with community stakeholder input, and creating and organizing our database of participant conservation projects that now span 10 years.

students in front of sign

Name Major Term
Abigail Bar Mathematics June 2022-August 2022
Chelcy Htoo Human Development & Family Studies March 2022-August 2022
Honore Munyaneza Health Care Management March 2022-May 2022
Emma Morgan Natural Resources January 2022-May 2022
Tamashi Hettiarachchi Education - Curriculum & Instruction January 2022-May 2022
Sydney Collins Environmental Science June 2020-August 2020

 

Difference Maker Interns

Difference Maker Interns are NRCA alumni who are currently enrolled as UConn undergraduate students. Difference Maker Interns return to the Academy to help foster the NRCA experience for current students and contribute to NRCA program efforts. During the summer term, DMs serve as interns in the Conservation Ambassador Program's field experience. DMs work behind the scenes to make the field experience a success, support program activities, and aid in planning and execution. During the semester, they focus on participant engagement and science communication. DMs choose their focus area and contribute to significant initiatives, such as managing the NRCA's social media presence, creating multimedia content, communicating with current NRCA participants, and aiding in recruitment for NRCA programs.

Name Major Term
Margaret Sanders Natural Resources, Human Rights minor June 2020-May 2021
Tianna Felder Business Management & Marketing September 2019-May 2021
AJ Barthel Environmental Studies January 2020-May 2020
Amanda Hernandez Statistics September 2019-December 2019
Maggie Chafouleas Environmental Science & Journalism January 2019-August 2019
Ricky Moore Natural Resources January 2019-August 2019
Mari Cullerton Environmental Science June 2018-August 2018
Jenique Blair New Media Studies June 2018-August 2018
Hannah Curran Environmental Science September 2018-December 2018
Kenechi Nkwo Human Development and Family Studies September 2018-December 2018

 

Program Funding

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NRCA’s Difference Maker Mentors (DMM) program is currently supported by a generous 5-year donation from the original private family foundation and from a grant (WAMS-2021-38503-34817) from the USDA Women & Minorities in STEM Fields. Additional support was provided to Dr. Cisneros through the NAAEE CEE-Change Fellowship. a partnership between ee360 and Cedar Tree Foundation to support leadership and innovation in civics and environmental education across North America.

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