Start:Empowerment
Aviva joined Start:Empowerment in 2022 as a curriculum specialist to assist with the creation of a comprehensive environmental justice curriculum for high school students. They developed a 5 module series that exposes learners to introductory topics in environmental justice and helps them build the tools and language to consider their role as activists within their communities. Through active learning that considers personal experience and the local environment, students build a strong sense of community and feel empowered to address injustices within their communities.
The 5 modules are Introduction to Environmental Justice, Public & Environmental Health, Land Justice, Global Climate Crisis, and Youth Action. Each module hosts a collection of lessons that begin with a deep reflection and discussion-based approach, followed by a critical analysis of a particular case study or issue area where learners engage in hands-on, creative, and project-based activities. Lessons highlight environmental justice history, environmental identity, redlining &environmental racism, Indigenous resistance, campaign building, global climate conversations, and more.
Sprout Up x White Feather Farm
In 2021, as the Manager of Partnerships and programming at Sprout Up, Aviva partnered with White Feather Farm to create a six-part asynchronous farm-based education series for K-4 students. She designed the project from start to finish including the curriculum, video scripts, student and teacher handbooks, and curriculum guides. They also facilitated relationships with local farms and organizations to bring real narratives of Hudson Valley farmers, educators, and historians to students across the country.
The course highlights plant science, food justice, Indigenous history, and present-day narratives of the Mohican people through interactive videos that incorporate hands-on activities, movement, storytelling, and reflection. Learners are invited to consider how food is grown, whose hands it touches, and the environmental and human importance of small-scale agriculture. Aviva also created an activity guide that students use to further relate to and connect with their local food and farming communities.
Sprout Up Explores
In 2020, Aviva assisted with the creation of a new Sprout Up program called Sprout Up Explores. Sprout Up mobilized dozens of college students across the country to create educational videos about science, nature, and environmental justice. Alongside the national team, Aviva coordinated the creation of the educational content and worked to establish Sprout Up Explores as a lasting program of Sprout Up.
Today, Sprout Up Explores has five series: Water Conservation, Exploring a Farm, Environmental Justice, Sustainability, and Environmental Science.
Poughkeepsie Farm Project
Aviva worked with Poughkeepsie Farm Project in the Spring of 2021. They assisted the education team in creating adult learning resources for their Seeds of the Food System program which works to combat food insecurity in Poughkeepsie, NY.
They created an informational booklet on seed saving that highlights the various steps and science behind saving seeds. The goal was to make the act of seed-saving approachable for individuals and families, regardless of resource availability. She also created a one-pager on the basics of seed starting and contributed to the Poughkeepsie Farm Project blog.