Final Post

                My time here has been really fun. I am very glad that my school allows us this opportunity to experience the work place. These past few weeks have gotten rid of my unsureness with my future and it has strengthened my desire to help the environment. Now I know that that I want to take a career path that will lead down the road of environment and ecosystem conservation. Pro Peninsula has taught me that we need to help the environment. I am now much more aware to the state of the environment and how it needs to be improved. It went by much faster than I expected. Of the several task I did my favorite task was replying to the craigslist emails. I enjoyed these because they were a good break from some of the more tedious work. I am very grateful that Pro Peninsula and Gigi allowed me to intern here.

The Second Week

          

                    This experience made me want to move toward a college path that is more involved in environment conservation and protection. Before internships I was still unsure of which specific career I would want to do. Now I now that I would do something related to Pro Peninsula's focus. I think that I could see myself do something similar to my internship in the future. I would like to work with environment conservation and work in the same field as Pro Peninsula. Today I went to an elementary school that had been learning about whales and how we can help protect them. The kids have pen pal in Mexico that are also learning about the whales. I helped pass out the letters to the children. They were all very happy to receive letters. I found this experience very interesting and I enjoyed it. I really enjoy it here and I am looking forward to my next week working here.

Goodbye everyone!

Never before, in my life, have four weeks ever gone by this fast. I never thought that going off on my internship would be as interesting or fun as it was for me. Although what I've mostly done so far is office stuff, and other random tasks; what I enjoyed most during my time here were the classroom visits. Even though, I was mostly uninvolved, I really liked seeing the 5th graders, and watching them get so excited about our visits. They all seemed so excited about learning about the sea turtles, and what they could do to help them from going extinct. It was also interesting to look down sometimes on the letters I passed out as I passed them out. I have realized that I need to practice my Spanish more. I could barely understand some of the letters that these younger kids were reading.

I've learned quite a lot in the few weeks I've been here. Not only about sea turtles and what we can do to help them, but also about the whole working experience as a whole. During my whole four week internship experience, I've had a very random schedule, where I came in early on somedays, and later on other days. I've learned that it's really important to keep your schedule flexible, and to be able to come in on time. I've also noticed that there's a lot of difficulties involved in moving out of an office.

I will use the information I learned by picking up litter, recycling more, and doing what I can to promote and teach others about the importance of their actions, and the effect they have on the environment. I've also learned about the working experience as a whole, and I will try my best to improve wherever I need to improve as I slowly but surely rise in my path to a professional career.

Bye everyone,
Michael C.

First Post

I am Gabriel Parr and I am a junior at High Tech High North County. A big part of our junior year at High Tech High is internships. My favorite and best subject is biology, so naturally I would lean toward that field of work. At first I had an internship with the Wild Animal Park, but as it turns out my position there was already filled. So I chose to intern with Pro Peninsula. My teacher had recommended this to me based off of my passion for biology and life sciences. At first I wasn’t sure because I had never heard Pro Peninsula. After reading a little about them and checking out there web site, I decided that it would be a good choice. I chose to intern at Pro Peninsula because one of my interests is environment conservation and protection on wildlife. I will be with Pro Peninsula from June 1^st to June 17^th. I am very interested with the work that this organization does and the cause that they stand for. I am very glad to have the opportunity to experience the work environment first hand and to learn new things.

2nd Week of Internship/ Pro Peninsula 10th Anniversary Party

So during my second week of internship all of the staff went to Loreto, BCS, Mexico for the Conservation Science Symposium. The Conservation Science Symposium was a 3 day event in Mexico with the focus of using science to come up with concrete actions and long-term plans to conserve natural resources throughout Baja California and the Gulf of Mexico. From what I understand based off the Program, the whole event was filled with presentations and videos with some moments of fun. During the first week I made a flier/program for the videos that were supposed to be shown on the second night.

While this was happening, I stayed at home and worked on Sea Turtle Updates. I researched the turtle species that I was told to update and wrote two paragraphs using information from a previous update along with some information from what I read on the websites. I had a fun week off. I spent the rest of my time studying for my upcoming SAT, exercising and also just cleaning up my house a bit.

The Pro Peninsula 10th Anniversary Party is happening on June 23rd. During the first week of my internship, I made a flier about this party and an event page for it on our facebook page. It will happen at the Sea Rocket Bistro from 6pm-9pm, and will be awesomely fun. The suggested attire is casual and there is a suggested $10 donation for each person, there will be complimentary drinks and snacks. Yummy sustainable seafood and veggie dishes will be served by Sea Rocket Bistro. It's going to be really fun.

1st Week of Internship

This week went by really fast. I've had a lot of fun though. I like how everyday here isn't always the same. I like the variety that there is in the tasks that I'm put on. From cropping papers, to making flyers, to laminating, to passing out letters to the elementary school kids; it's all been really fun. I'm already used to the location and the workplace too, and also how the day generally works.

Before this, I've never been on any kind of public transportation by myself, and along with this internship, taking the trolley everyday to work is also a new and fun experience. Everyday there are always new and different faces on the trolley. This definitely is better than going to school. I know its only the first week but I'm looking forward to the rest of my internship here.

Day 1 of My Internship at Pro Peninsula

I am Michael Caballero, a junior at High Tech High Chula Vista. Being from the second graduating class of my school, I was somewhat surprised last year when I found out I'd have to go on an internship in order to graduate. From the end of my sophomore year to about 4 days ago, I've been nervously awaiting a solid place for my internship. I didn't feel like it was really necessary for me to go out and look for one so I didn't actually choose this place. My cohort teacher told me that this place was bio-related, and it was all about ocean conservation. I felt like this would be a better place to intern at since it also involved protecting animals and nature. I've always liked the ocean, and all of the animals that live in it. When I was younger my favorite field trips were always those going to either the Birch Aquarium or SeaWorld. I looked up this company after hearing that I'd intern with them and I saw turtles on the front page. From that time on I've been really, really excited. I'm really excited for the rest of my internship experience here.

Milan says, "Adieu for now!"

A month has never gone by so fast! Pro Peninsula has provided me with a full experience of what goes on behind the scenes of the nonprofit / conservation world.

Pro Peninsula through the eyes on an intern is a fascinating one...from assisting in event planning, graphic design, to their incredible education program, I’ve learned what can happen when you set your mind to a goal and focus on pursuing it. Pro Peninsula was built on an idea, and inspiration, a dream that became a reality due to dedication, work, stress, and it now stands proud- a fund within The Ocean Foundation dedicated to making a difference.

Any organization running on this kind of energy can only be successful, especially with a dedicated team behind it. Without such strong commitment, optimism, and drive; Pro Peninsula would be nothing but a dream. Luckily we also have you, our supporters to keep us going, and join the mission to protect the natural environment in Baja California.

Also, if you are interested in interning for them, I recommend you shoot them an email, 'cause I know they could use some extra help right now!  and its fun and a great cause.

Power Plant

Off of E street in Chula Vista there is a power plant that is dedicated to the researching of sea turtles. I’d never known what it was though I drive by it pretty frequently seeing as it is on the way to school from home and vice versa. We drove up to what looked like a factory almost, and parked close to the water. There was a small peninsula that extended into the middle of the small bay, we walked towards a group of people there to also monitor the sea turtles. Shortly after the children showed up, a group of 6th graders, I’d gotten used to 5th graders but I remember 6th grade and feeling superior, so being responsible for these elementary school grownups was a little nerve racking.


We went over some questions from their fifth grade experience at the Chula Vista Nature Center, and decided to make it a little fun, remembering that going on field trips in elementary school, you want the best to happen and to just have a good time. These kids were animated, laughing, a little out of control but listened when I told them to. When we went towards the place where they catch sea turtles we waited watched, but had the chance to learn from the scientists that were there. We all kept an eye out for the turtles but in the end didn’t end up seeing one. Even though we didn’t, it was still an experience worth being there for, and I feel like every moment that I get to spend with children and be a part of a learning experience I wouldn’t trade for the world.

I have been at Pro Peninsula for almost a month Guys!

While I’ve been here, doing mainly stuff that focused on Wild & Scenic like sitting in on meetings & making tickets, I also made the save the dates/postcard, and made the skeleton for the website. I’m pretty proud of the things that I’ve been doing and I feel like it’s going to be put to use & if not, I still feel like I’ve been here for a reason, I’ve learned that when you’re around people who share the same values as you and are just friendly, plus if there is love behind what you do, there is no room for failure. I’ve learned that Pro Peninsula is more than a non profit awesome organization that is dedication to the saving of sea turtles, it’s one of the organization genuinely concerned about what may become of the world if we don’t take charge.


Wild & Scenic film festival is one of the ways that many people can get the out word about things related to nature that they are passionate about. With the time and work they put into these movies they make, they deserve to be seen, but there are only a select amount that can be seen because of the time limit, but even just the effort and the ambition they must have to create something with the hope that something new will become of it is beautiful as is. With that much energy, plus videos that keep you at the edge of your seat, how could you not want ot come?

Pro Peninsula Invites You to the event, Wild & Scenic.
 

Changing The World That Rests In Their Hands

During the second week of internship I had the opportunity to go on a few field trips with one of my mentor's co-workers. We went to a place I never knew existed called The Chula Vista Nature Center. Here is where 5th graders from certain schools get a tour of the nature center and after the tour, get to write back to their pen pals in La Paz, one of the nesting places for Green Sea Turtles. After some quick setting up we waited for the children to arrive. They all stepped off the bus enthused and animated, listened to directions, were introduced to me, and began the tour. We stopped to see the Sea Turtle tank first, then to see a Wetland to learn what these places mean to the many birds that stop for a rest during long journeys to more suitable environments. We eventually made our way to the Stingray & Shark Exhibit where I got to see the kids smile and reach into a rocky tank to touch the skin of the creatures that some of them had not ever seen up close.

After several more stops to see birds and learn new and fascinating things, we made our way to the room where the kids would write to their pen pals. We arrived and after some quick directions, I wondered around helping the kids that were struggling. I came across a little boy staring at his letter with his head in his hand. I soon found out that he was deaf in one ear & was having trouble understanding the directions that were given and how to read his letter. I spent around 15 to 20 minutes helping him read & write in Spanish, and watched him receive compliments on his thoughtful and nicely written letter. Watching these children at the Stingray & Shark Exhibit excited and hearing things like "they're so soft", or "whooaaaa", more commonly, though, I’d hear laughs from the joy of being able to learn with their hands and eyes, and seeing their success writing their letters, I realized that my heart is where there are young minds, so capable of learning, giving, and most of all, changing the world that rests in their hands.

Required & Inspired

My Cohort teacher from school posted a prompt for our internship blogs asking what role our individual internship companies had in the community. I came up with this:

One word to describe Pro Peninsula; Green. Or should I say Blue? Pro Peninsula is fund within the Ocean foundation; attention focus, Sea Turtles. When I think of PeoP, I think of nature, saving endangered species, and overall seeing the beauty of earth and realizing that it should not be taken for grangted. I believe that only after a few days of being here at Pro Peninsula that differences start small.. and they grow, and grow, and you know, one day you have a film festival about what's going on in the world, the wild, that people attend and become informed, you're mailing people who want the updates. Hopefully the word gets out and there and people become more aware and into saving the environment so that up and coming generations will see the world as beautiful as it should be seen. It's pretty heart warming to feel like you're doing something selfless to benefit evey one in the world, and I think that's why so many people are members of green organizations; because of that feeling of doing something about an internationl problem. Deep down, we all want what's best for the world, who not start somewhere? Like Baja?

It's only the beginning.

I was a sophomore in high school daydreaming in the middle of Chemistry, 4th period, about all of the opportunities that would approach me when I, Milan Finnie, finally became an upperclassman. Informed about the mandatory intern experience every junior must go through in order to complete a high school career at High Tech High Media Arts, San Diego I wondered where I might choose to intern. Later that year, we began a project called HTHMA Organics. The reason for the project was clear; many familiar products are used in the world, and not very often questioned or analyzed, and sometimes contain harsh chemicals that all end up in the big blue sea. Our project was to create all natural, non-chemical beach products; sun screen, aloe, surf wax, and lip balm. Living in Imperial Beach, California, I saw this project in a different light. It would affect my hometown!

Personally, I had the opportunity to make sun screen, and ended the project feeling accomplished, proud, and most importantly, beginning a new life of being one of the many global superheroes in the world.

I am now a junior attending High Tech High Media Arts. Finally, the time came for me to choose my internship, and I struggled immensely until one day, my principal told me to check out Pro Peninsula's website and see what I thought. Interested and stoked, I sit here on my first day, a little nervous, and little anxious, but above all, excited to see how this turns out. I guess we'll just have to see.

Interested in seeing the update? See it here next week.