[no title]
PRESENTATION TOPIC
EDUCATION & OUTREACH
Session Description
The COVID-19 pandemic created a shift with how we provide outreach and still stay connected with the public. The City of San Diego Environmental Services Department along with their non-profit partners, Solana Center for Environmental Innovation and I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD), will share how they pivoted their programs to be virtual and safely social-distanced along with lessons learned and best practices. The City of San Diego will present on recycling and composting education and technical assistance for businesses and multi-family. Solana Center will present on residential composting education and assistance. ILACSD will present on residential and school zero waste education.
Speakers
Emily Nelson, I Love A Clean San Diego
Title
Education Manager
Speaker Biography
Emily Nelson has educated 40,000+ San Diego County residents annually for over 6 years at I Love A Clean San Diego. As the Education Manger, she leads curriculum development and behavior change strategies to promote zero waste living and inspire K-12 students and adults to protect the environment. Emily believes deeply in the power of small, simple, sustained actions towards a greater good. Ms. Nelson has a diverse background teaching youth of all ages through outdoor and informal education at organizations including Girl Scouts San Diego, the YMCA, and the National Archives and Records Administration of Washington D.C.
Abstract Title
Virtual Programming: Staying Relevant in a Rapidly Changing Environment
Speaker Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic created a shift in how we provide outreach and education in order to stay connected with the public. I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) provides over 900 educational programs in a normal year, including presentations and interactive workshops for youth and adult audiences on a variety of sustainability topics. In order to continue these zero waste and environmental education programs in 2020 and 2021, ILACSD needed to adapt and rethink our approach to fit COVID-19’s restrictions on in-person gatherings. ILACSD did so successfully, averaging a 4.9 out of 5 rating on all virtual programs during the 2020-2021 school year. In this session, ILACSD will review our best practices and lessons learned in pivoting programming for both the immediate short-term as well as the future. ILACSD will share its approach for program analysis and redesign, from maintaining the core goals of the program to incorporating virtual elements while balancing contractual requirements with audience needs.
Andrea Deleon, City of San Diego
Title
Recycling Specialist III
Speaker Biography
Andrea Deleon has been a Recycling Specialist with the City of San Diego Environmental Services Department (ESD) since 2019. She oversees and provides project management on ESD’s education and outreach, City Recycling Ordinance, and residential recycling and composting programs. Andrea specializes in zero waste technical assistance, community engagement, and community based social marketing. Prior to working in San Diego, she worked for several years at the San Francisco Department of the Environment, Cascadia Consulting Group, and HandsOn Bay Area. Andrea has a B.A. in Environmental Studies, Urban Environment and minor in Asian American Studies from San Francisco State University.