Internship Spotlight: Georgina Kouwenhoven - Roots and Routes IC

I am deeply grateful for Mr. Lloyd Darlington and Mrs. Carol Darlington’s generosity in funding the incredible internship experience I’ve had. Ever since I was young, I’ve had a passion for understanding the world we live in, while supporting the belief that it is not an inherently evil place. As I’ve grown, I’ve continued to learn about the dynamics of colonialism, capitalism, and imperialism that have shaped and continue to shape our world. Through this, I hope to follow a career rooted in creating change based on respect for the land and one another.

I chose to intern at Roots & Routes IC because of its commitment to environmental justice through Indigenous collaboration. I strongly believe environmental initiatives must incorporate decolonial worldviews and therefore, this organization's method and motto was inspiring. Roots & Routes IC is a nonprofit based in Ecuador that uplifts communities through cultural connection and social justice initiatives. They’ve led projects such as a film created through local workshops and a remote educational program that connects with Indigenous communities. My team, the Youth Visionary Collective (YVC), led almost all behind-the-scenes work for the organization. This included marketing, coordination, and grant funding.

During my internship I fulfilled several roles: steering team member, researcher and social media content creator. In my role as a steering team member, I facilitated weekly YVC-wide meetings, organized a grant research initiative, and led recruitment. In social media, I created posts for our campaign. As a researcher, I aided Dr. Juli Hazlewood with the development of an interactive map of Chocó communities.

My academic connection to this internship is tied to my degree as a Joint Honors student in Environment and History with a minor in Indigenous Studies. Researching for the Chocó map combined my passion for historical and Indigenous studies, while other tasks focused on environmental justice through nonprofit work. While I did not receive academic credit for this internship, it complimented much of my current studies and therefore was its own valuable learning experience.

The most prominent highlight of this experience was taking charge of several initiatives. Early on, I reviewed the entire organizational Google Drive to better understand internal processes. I then created a refined document outlining goals, structure, and teams, designed to help incoming interns transition smoothly. I also led a grant research project after learning that a major barrier for the organization was funding. I presented both projects at the end of the internship and received incredible feedback.

I experienced some challenges, such as inconsistent communication with my supervisor. I misunderstood the amount of initiative I was meant to take, as she expected me to head my own projects. Once we discussed expectations openly, I began leading my own initiatives and found great success within the organization.

This internship will certainly hold a deep impact on my future. It has equipped me with experience such as leadership, team coordination, social media organization and grant research. As someone hoping to work in the non-profit sector, these skills will be integral to building my career.

An important financial element of this grant was its ability to support my completion of two internships over the summer. After receiving the Mr. Lloyd Darlington award, I was accepted into another role as an environmental educator. This role began shortly after my contracted time with Rootes & Routes, meaning I could complete them both. The funding from either position alone was not enough to support my wellbeing; although with the help of this grant, I could complete them both. This provided a wealth of experience for my future and enough financial support to comfortably continue on my academic journey.

Thank you Mr. Lloyd Darlington and Mrs. Carol Darlington. I truly cannot thank you enough for your generous support of the Carol and Lloyd Darlington Internship Award. This grant has had, and will continue to have, an immense impact on my education, career, and life.