My name is Evelyn Spencer, and I worked as an Environmental Education and Outreach Intern in the fall of 2025 and spring of 2026 with the UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County Sustainability Program. I graduated in May 2026 from the University of South Florida Patel College of Global Sustainability, and this was an amazing opportunity as a master’s student to see how sustainability works in the real world. I spent my internship under the leadership of Sara Kane, sustainability and resilience manager, and worked closely alongside Michelle Marinangel, sustainability outreach coordinator, both of whom I learned so much from. Prior to this internship, I was not aware of everything the sustainability program does for the community, and this opportunity provided me with both technical and interpersonal skills learned through the exciting projects I got to work on.

Energy

One of my favorite projects I had the opportunity to work on was the Energy Upgrade program. This is a resource and awareness program to help residents better understand their utility costs and install simple efficiency devices to lessen the burden these costs have on underserved populations. While helping with Energy Upgrade, I was able to table, go door-to-door, participate in educational programming, and hand-out LED lightbulbs and educational materials at non-profit events. While handing out materials and resources, I was able to hear the many stories from residents about their utility burden and what they hope to implement to alleviate that burden. It was very exciting to get hands-on experience with the community and hear how sustainability programming is so important to them.

Sustainable Communities Workshop

I also enjoyed helping to plan and organize the Sustainable Communities Workshop. Because of this

past year’s theme of “Then, Now, Next: 20 Years of Sustainable Communities,” there was a specific emphasis on youth work and participation as the future of sustainability. I worked with a few local students to organize a youth panel, highlight their work at the event, and even write a blog to highlight their amazing work.  Although there are certain tasks and responsibilities you take on as an intern, the supervisors at the Extension office are happy to tailor roles to each intern’s specific skills and interests, which allowed me to also photograph the event!

Outreach Material Creation

Finally, I was able to leave a lasting impact at the Sarasota County Extension through the educational outreach materials I created. I wrote many blogs, including blogs on dark sky benefits, energy-efficient holiday tips, sustainable swaps, careers and degrees in sustainability, and green buildings. I was also able to work with UF to create educational factsheets on Resilience Planning and Nature-Based Solutions. My favorite outreach material creation was an interactive Green Living trivia display. Using this display, community members can answer questions and win prizes. This display is great for starting important conversations, and I loved seeing families interact with it.

Apply for an internship at Sarasota County!

I loved my time as an intern at UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County! I would highly encourage anyone interested to try it out, it never hurts to apply. Working at UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County has been one of the most valuable experiences to add alongside my school education and I know it will lead to future opportunities.

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