You are currently viewing Giving back as mentors

Giving back as mentors

Alex and Anna are helping mentor elementary students in SEEDS EcoSchool, the same program they attended as elementary students. Both seniors in high school, they worked with SEEDS EcoSchool this past summer as summer camp staff and found their time with the younger students very rewarding.

They both believe that the SEEDS EcoSchool program, and the fun, caring, and supportive environment it creates, is very important for youth. They saw the ways it helped them, and want to pass that on to others.

Alex:
“Honestly, when I first started working here, I thought it was just going to be a summer job. But a few weeks in, I realized how much I enjoyed it. I’d forget I was even at work sometimes because I was having so much fun with the kids. Now, I’d call it a passion.

“Being in SEEDS as a kid helped me a lot. I remember what I liked and the kind of teachers I looked up to, and I try to bring those same qualities to the way I work with kids now, making it safe, fun, and fair. I want to be a positive person in their lives, like the role models I had.”in 

A collage of two photos showing Alex and Anna as elementary students in the EcoSchool program. Anna is smiling at the camera while being a part of a pyramid with five other students. Alex is singing on stage with other students during the Quest, a musical production put on around 2015.

Anna:

“It’s so much fun being on the teaching side. I never thought back when I was their age in SEEDS that I’d someday be the one leading projects. You get to come up with things the kids enjoy or take their ideas and run with them.

“When I was a student, I loved the activities and especially the field trips. I made so many friends, not just in my grade, but in other grades too. SEEDS gives kids so many chances to make friends and meet new people.” – Anna

Every day, SEEDS EcoSchool is connecting youth to nature, each other, and their communities which has positive impacts long into the future. You can help us create a hope-filled future for these young people with a gift today.