Our Crowdfunding Groups
Help us support the next generation of environmental scientists, educators, and leaders committed to diversity.
What is the Bio/Diversity Project?
The Bio/Diversity Project works to foster more diverse and inclusive environmental fields by creating a K-16+ pipeline into the workforce, and expanding access to education, training, mentorship and paid work experience for University of Arizona students.
Each year, we recruit University of Arizona students from groups traditionally underrepresented in the environmental sciences and train them to serve as environmental science outreach educators in local K-12 schools. Over the course of a semester, interns receive training on developing hands-on and culturally responsive environmental science lessons. Interns then implement these lessons in local Title I schools. In doing so, we expand access to culturally responsive and place-based environmental science programming, while also exposing K-12 students to a diverse set of college-going mentors and role models.
Throughout their internship experience, students participate in training and networking events with local environmental science organizations, enabling UArizona students to build career readiness skills and professional networks necessary to enter and succeed in the environmental fields. Upon completion of the internship experience, students have the opportunity to apply for paid positions with partner organizations to gain additional skills and work experience.
Hear directly from UArizona internship participants by watching their reflection videos here!
Why #wateradream?
We are fortunate to have received generous funding from the University of Arizona Campus Sustainability Fund and the Arizona Institute for Resilience RISE Program that enabled us to offer the Bio/Diversity Project as a paid internship experience for UArizona students from Fall 2022 to Spring 2024. During the past 2022-2023 academic year, 28 UArizona students earned a living wage by participating in our internship program which allowed us to provide this experiential learning opportunity with our most diverse cohort of University students to date.
When planning for the 2024- 2025 school year, we are prioritizing offering paid learning and workforce-readiness opportunities for UArizona students. We are asking for your support to make this goal possible.
Give today to help us continue to offer paid, career development, and workforce readiness internship opportunities for UArizona students.
To make a donation via check make it payable to the University of Arizona Foundation for the Benefit of WISE with Bio/Diversity Project in the Memo and mail it to:
The Women in Science and Engineering Program
University of Arizona
925 N. Tyndall Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85721
For additional questions, please contact Stephanie Murphy at sumurphy@arizona.edu
For more updates on the Bio/Diversity Project:
Follow our Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/uabiodiversity/)
Go to our Website (https://biodiversityproject.arizona.edu/)
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The Bio/Diversity Project is a collaboration between UArizona's Women in Science and Engineering Program and Saguaro National Park/The Friends of Saguaro National Park, with additional support provided by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and faculty and staff from over 23 different UArizona Departments. WISE is housed in the Southwest Institute for Research on Women in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Cover the cost of one environmental science outreach lesson at a local Title 1 K-12 school
Gift the expense of a professional development opportunity for one intern
Fund a week-long stipend for a Bio/Diversity Project student intern
Compensate an intern for facilitating 20 hours of culturally-responsive, hands-on, place-based environmental science activities
Support one work-study undergraduate student to participate in our semester-long internship program
