Thanks to the CAFE Summer Scholars program, I had the rewarding opportunity to work with Melissa Ocana and Mass ECAN this summer. Working for a climate change network, I was able to see first hand how connected so many different systems are or at least could be. I have had the chance to meet dedicated practitioners in research, policy, community engagement and more spanning from government, non-profit, and private sectors. During my internship, I worked closely with Melissa Ocana in building up the network via creating newsletters, planning field trips and workgroups, as well as coordinating this summer’s Peer Learning Program Pilot. So far, the pilot has been a huge success and has already shown potential in expanding the knowledge base and capacity for the members involved. It has been amazing to meet with all the cohort members, learning from their experience and watching their work be enhanced by one another. I will be continuing my work with Mass ECAN this semester, and I am looking forward to scaling up the Peer Learning Program in a way that it can benefit the entire field.
