Our Students

AIP students come to our program from many backgrounds - they work in formal and informal education, at nature centers and conservation NGOs, at zoos and aquariums and in animal care. They join our program because they want to advance their careers or break into new ones. They want to pursue something they are passionate about - the science of conservation, community engagement and stewardship.

Each WCS-AIP student's Master Plan is unique. Here are a few recent examples:

  • Caroline Cotter (‘22) - Caroline's master plan, titled "Justice & Injustice in Conservation & Environmental Education," focuses on furthering diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in conservation through understanding the historical and present exclusion and oppression of Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC) by conservation, environmentalism, and environmental and biological science education, and through celebrating the ways that BIPOC have resisted and led sustainability and conservation efforts.
  • Cole Patterson (‘21) - Cole’s master plan aimed to engage his community, amplify their voices, and connect Central Brooklynites with organizations doing the environmental justice work relevant to their specific needs. He chose to ground this work in conservation psychology, inspiring action through shared norms & community-based research.
  • Gabrielle (Thompson) Rodriguez (‘22) - Gabi’s master plan goal is to connect urban communities to nature by engaging them in community science while utilizing the technology they have at their fingertips. Technology that uses Geographic Information Systems can connect students with their environmental community and be a resource for science teachers who are shifting to remote learning.


For more information about the WCS-AIP program please email: wcsaip@wcs.org

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