Internship
What is the UIC Heritage Garden Internship Program?
All project efforts are carried out through the activities of the internship program, which runs for four semesters (Summer, Fall, Spring and Summer) and adapts to the season. Interns sustain the planting of the satellite gardens and offer public programs including tours of the gardens. The UIC Sustainability Fee has funded paid internships since its inception in the summer of 2013. The seven Centers for Cultural Understanding and Social Change (CCUSC) collaborate on this project with program infrastructure provided by the Latino Cultural Center.
Internship
What is the UIC Heritage Garden Internship Program?
All project efforts are carried out through the activities of the internship program, which runs for four semesters (Summer, Fall, Spring and Summer) and adapts to the season. Interns sustain the planting of the satellite gardens and offer public programs including tours of the gardens. The UIC Sustainability Fee has funded paid internships since its inception in the summer of 2013. The seven Centers for Cultural Understanding and Social Change (CCUSC) collaborate on this project with program infrastructure provided by the Latino Cultural Center.
HOW DO WE TEACH AND LEARN?
The Heritage Garden curriculum is developed and taught by CCUSC directors. It builds on research conducted by current LCC director Rosa Cabrera and former AACC director Lori Baptista when they worked at the Field Museum. This research identified a number of key community concerns and strategies for community involvement in climate action, including gardening and urban agriculture. The Heritage Garden project frame work uses an assets-based approach that recognizes the range of green practices that people are already doing, builds on cultural values and identity, and links community concerns with environmental issues.
The Interns engage in many hands-on, educational activities that help to develop and maintain the garden and sustain their relationships with community partners. Interns oversee the planting and maintenance of eight satellite gardens on the east side of campus. Interns also lead tours and host two annual public events that support intercultural engagement to broaden efforts around cultural and environmental sustainability. Interns research the cultural significance of plants in the garden, gather recipes, and collect stories from family, friends, and neighbors about their environmental friendly practices. Interns participate in weekly discussions about readings related to environmental and cultural sustainability, visit community resources relevant to this project, and work with local artists to make creative and explicit connections between environmental sustainability, cultural diversity and social justice.
Heritage garden in the UIC news!
September 25, 2018- UIC earns national recognition for sustainability efforts
October 17, 2017 - Seeds of social change
July 12, 2016 - Tree planing honors Pulse victims
October 13, 2015 - Monarch butterflies a lesson in sustainability, social justice
October 8, 2015 - Monarch butterflies a metaphor for UIC Heritage Garden
June 30, 2015 - UIC Heritage Garden seeds conversations about culture, sustainability
July 8, 2014 - What grows in UIC's Heritage Garden?
February 13, 2014 - Chicago chef Bill Kim unlocks flavor at UIC
September 17, 2013 - A growing interest in culture, sustainability
September 4, 2013 - UIC event links diversity of environment and culture
September 3, 2013 - A closer look at heritage gardens
Curriculum
Curriculum
Internship Goals & Educational Activities
Establish a sustainable educational model to help engage students around environmental and cultural sustainability issues.
Intellectual Framework
Our intellectual framework is based on research done by the garden directors, Rosa Cabrera and Lori Baptista.
SYLLABI & Program Structure
Click to download the syllabi we have used throughout the years, and also read more about the program structure,
BOOK DISCUSSION
Find out what books the interns have read that relate to the Heritage Garden's framework.
UICHG Community
UICHG Community
Centers for Cultural understanding and social change Directors
From Left to Right: Rosa Cabrera, PhD, Director of the Rafael Cintrón Ortiz Latino Cultural Center; Mark Martell, PhD, Director of the Asian-American Resource and Cultural Center; Cynthia Blair, PhD, Interim Director of the African-American Cultural Center
From Left to Right: Natalie Bennett, PhD, Director of the Women's Leadership and Resource Center; Zeina Zaatari, PhD, Director of the Arab American Cultural Center; Moises Villada, Interim Director of the Gender and Sexuality Center
Not Pictured: Dean Addams, Interim Director of the Disability Cultural Center
Student Leaders and Interns
Spring 2019- Current Cohort
Student Leaders
Jonathan Villaseñor, Bioengineering/Pre-Med
Alex Smith, Psychology
Student Interns
Mechiya Jamison, Urban Planning and Public Policy
Zuleyma Morales, Neuroscience
Edith Mendez (photographer), Photography and Graphic Design
Heritage Garden Educator
Nadia Sol Ireri Unzueta Carrasco, Gender and Women's Studies
Fall 2018
Student Leaders
Jonathan Villaseñor, Bioengineering/Pre-Med
Tran Huynh, Nutrition
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Nour Ghalyoun, English/Pre-Med
Alex Smith, Psychology
Student Interns
Mechiya Jamison, Urban Planning and Public Policy
Zuleyma Morales, Neuroscience
Edith Mendez (photographer), Photography and Graphic Design
Heritage Garden Educator
Nadia Sol Ireri Unzueta Carrasco, Gender and Women's Studies
summer 2018
Student Leaders
Jonathan Villaseñor, Bioengineering/Pre-Med
Samar Khrawish, Integrated Health Sciences
Tran Huynh, Nutrition
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Nour Ghalyoun, English/Pre-Med
Alex Smith, Psychology
Student Interns
Kayla Toulabi, Political Science
Abigail Olsen, Neuroscience
Mechiya Jamison, Urban Planning and Public Affairs
Zuleyma Morales, Neuroscience
Umair Naseem, Computer Science
Edith Mendez (photographer), Photography and Graphic Design
Spring 2018
Student Leaders
Jonathan Villaseñor, Bioengineering/Pre-Med
Samar Khrawish, Integrated Health Sciences
Tran Huynh, Nutrition
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Interns
Nour Ghalyoun, English/Pre-Med
Alex Smith, Psychology
Fall 2017
Student Leaders
Jonathan Villaseñor, Bioengineering/Pre-Med
Samar Khrawish, Integrated Health Sciences
Tran Huynh, Nutrition
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Britany Davis, Biological Sciences
Interns
Nour Ghalyoun, English/Pre-Med
Alex Smith, Psychology
Summer 2017
Student Leaders
Jonathan Villaseñor, Bioengineering/Pre-Med
Samar Khrawish, Integrated Health Studies
Tran Huynh, Nutrition
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Britany Davis, Biological Sciences
Interns
Nour Ghalyoun, English/Pre-Med
Alex Smith, Psychology
Ana Ruiz, Sociology and Criminal Law
Onyedikachi Ebiringah, Psychology
Giovanni Garcia, Computer Science
Top row (left to right): Jonathan Villaseñor, Alex Smith, Onyedikachi Ebiringah, Nour Ghalyoun, Giovanni Garcia, Samar Khrawish
Bottom row (left to right): Ana Ruiz, Britany Davis, Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Tran Huynh
Spring 2017
Student Leaders
Tran Huynh, Nutrition
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Interns
Jonathan Villaseñor, Bioengineering/Pre-Med
Samar Khrawish, Integrated Health Studies
Britany Davis, Biological Sciences
Fall 2016
Student Leaders
Tran Huynh, Nutrition
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Intern
Samar Khrawish, Integrated Health Studies
Jonathan Villaseñor, Bioengineering/Pre-Med
Britany Davis, Biological Sciences
Catalina Restrepo, Psychology
Summer 2016
Student Leaders
Tran Huynh, Nutrition
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Ian Torres, Latin American and Latino Studies
Interns
Catalina Restrepo, Psychology
Britany Davis, Biological Sciences
Jonathan Villaseñor, Bioengineering/Pre-Med
Samar Khrawish, Integrated Health Studies
Ainna Flaminia, Nursing
Rozy Lakada, Computer Science
Top row (left to right): Jonathan Villaseñor, Britany Davis, Samar Khrawish, Ainna Flaminia, Ian Torres
Bottom row (left to right): Catalina Restrepo, Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Tran Huynh, Rozy Lakada
Spring 2016
Student Leaders
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Ian Torres, Latin American and Latino Studies
Yaritza Guillen, Urban Planning and Public Affairs
Interns
Tran Huynh, Nutrition
Fall 2015
Student Leaders
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Ian Torres, Latin American and Latino Studies
Yaritza Guillen, Urban Planning and Public Affairs
Phoenix Chen, Teaching of Mathematics
Interns
Tran Huynh, Nutrition
Rinn Bobek, Nutrition
Maria Lagowski, Psychology/Pre-OT
Maurice Mayes, Computer Science
Summer 2015
Student Leaders
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Ian Torres, Latin American and Latino Studies
Yaritza Guillen, Urban Planning and Public Affairs
Phoenix Chen, Teaching of Mathematics
Interns
Tran Huynh, Nutrition
Rinn Bobek, Nutrition
James Esparza, Public Health
Maria Lagowski, Psychology/Pre-OT
Maurice Mayes, Computer Science
Jocelyn Munguia Chavez, Psychology
Arianna Roldan, Architetecture
Alonzo Zamarron, Graphic Design
Jessica Qian Zhang (Documentation), Communications
Back row (left to right): Ian Torres, Tran Huynh, Maria Lagowski, Alonzo Zamarron, Yaritza Guillen, Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Maurice Mayes. Rinn Bobek, Phoenix Chen, Arianna Roldan,
Front row (left to right): James Esparza, Jocelyn Munguia Chavez, Jessica Qian Zhang
Spring 2015
Student Leaders
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Ian Torres, Latin American and Latino Studies
Tania Sosa, Psychology/Pre-PA
Interns
Yaritza Guillen, Urban Planning and Public Affairs
Phoenix Chen, Teaching of Mathematics
Jessica Qian Zhang, Communications
FALL 2014
Student Leaders
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Ian Torres, Latin American and Latino Studies
Tania Sosa, Psychology/Pre-PA
Karl Novak, Civil Engineering
Lucia Whalen, English
Interns
Yaritza Guillen, Urban Planning and Public Affairs
Phoenix Chen, Teaching of Mathematics
Jessica Qian Zhang, Communications
Sharanitha Sampath, Biology
Zainab Shirazi, Psychology/Pre-Med
SUMMER 2014
Student Leaders
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Sharanitha Sampath, Biology
Jessica Qian Zhang, Communications
Karl Novak, Civil Engineering
Interns
Yaritza Guillen, Urban Planning and Public Affairs
Phoenix Chen, Teaching of Mathematics
Natalie Cruz, Business and Marketing
Akhila Gopal, Biology
Ian Torres, Latin American and Latino Studies
Lucia Whalen, English
Tania Sosa, Psychology/Pre-PA
Top row (left to right): Natalie Cruz, Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Phoenix Chen, Sharanitha Sampath, Ian Torres
Bottom row (left to right): Yaritza Guillen, Karl Novak, Lucia Whalen, Tania Sosa, Akhila Gopal
SPRING 2014
Student Leaders
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Christian Alfaro, Gender and Women's Studies
Eduardo Muñoz, Urban Planning and Public Affairs
Karl Novak, Civil Engineering
Yaxal Sobrevilla, Communications
Interns
Razan Abu-Hashish, Gender and Women's Studies
Lulú Martinez, Gender and Women's Studies
Victoria McClain, Urban Planning and Public Affairs
Sharanitha Sampath, Biology
Jessica Qian Zhang, Communications
FALL 2013
Student Leaders
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Christian Alfaro, Gender and Women's Studies
Karl Novak, Civil Engineering
Yaxal Sobrevilla, Communications
Interns
Razan Abu-Hashish, Gender and Women's Studies
Lulú Martinez, Gender and Women's Studies
Victoria McClain, Urban Planning and Public Affairs
Esha Kher, Computer Science
Zainab Shirazi, Psychology/Pre-Med
SUMMER 2013
Student Leaders
Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Community Psychology
Christian Alfaro, Gender and Women's Studies
Marta Aguila, Urban Planning and Public Affairs
Eduardo Muñoz, Urban Planning and Public Affairs
Yaxal Sobrevilla, Communications
Interns
Jessica Qian Zhang, Communications
Karl Novak, Civil Engineering
Obehi Ilenikhena, English American Literature
Jinyoung Chang, Psychology
Back row (left to right): Obehi Ilenikhena, Sarah Gabriella Hernandez, Yaxal Sobrevilla, Karl Novak, Karl Novak
Front row (left to right): Marta Aguila, Eduardo Muñoz, Jessica Qian Zhang
what our interns are saying
what our interns are saying
“This internship has made me more social and interactive in my classes. I do not shy away from discussions as much as I used to. I ask more questions. I challenge the material presented more with my newly developed perspective (especially in sustainability related subjects). I have grown a greater appreciation for the UIC community after working here on campus.”
“As an undocumented student, I have also enjoyed having my existence acknowledged as more than my status, but through the labor and beauty that I bring to campus…in being a part of this internship, I also feel like I have some say or some investment in the environment that exists on campus.”
“The internship has changed a lot of the ways in which I think about sustainability. I never thought about connecting sustainability with cultural traditions. But, once I started story collecting and doing my own research, I realized that people have been practicing different methods of reusing, recycling, and reducing that take into consideration their environments and beliefs. ”