Learning for a Greener Future
Cheyenne Griffin | Learning for a Greener Future High School Intern, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
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Through immersive education during the summer, area high schoolers learn the importance of the Phipps mission. Students planted seed beds in the edible rooftop garden and shadowed horticulture staff to witness what goes on behind-the-scenes in the greenhouse and the conservatory. Ramsha's favorite part of the summer was the guest lessons in cooking, led by Slow Food Pittsburgh. Being able to make delicious food such as pizza while learning how it was healthy and sustainable was the best experience. Students also got to take a field trip to the Frick Park environmental center where they learned about green initiatives. The property is net-zero water through features like a fountain that runs completely on rain water. Cheyenne said her favorite part of the summer was the green career panel, where professionals in green careers gave the students advice and it was a great networking opportunity so she could get an early start on thinking about her future. The Phipps high school internship program provided students with such a diverse set of opportunities that led students to think about their relationship with the environment. Both Cheyenne and Ramsha agreed that it was important that the program introduced kids to healthy foods and lifestyles at their age, and it brought them closer to building amazing friendships.
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Cheyenne Griffin
Cheyenne Griffin was an intern through Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ Learning for a Greener Future internship, a program for highly motivated Pittsburgh-area high school students. As part of this program, participants with a strong interest in investigating the natural world gain knowledge in the areas of plant science, environmental education and communication, sustainability, vegetable gardening, and green careers. Through this internship, Cheyenne gained a variety of work experiences, classes, community service projects and field trips in the diverse fields of environmental and plant sciences. She worked with Phipps' skilled science education and horticulture staff, college interns and volunteers, as well as experts from Pittsburgh's environmental community.
