11377652 fb8c11e297da143587a08dcb40690869 thetanvi http://gravatar.com/thetanvi thetanvi http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/fb8c11e297da143587a08dcb40690869 http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/fb8c11e297da143587a08dcb40690869 thumbnail http://1.gravatar.com/userimage/11377652/b2c1bbe92493a0b6feb0b390b2b73c5b Tanvi G Tanvi G thetanvi I am graduating this month with a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. In January I'm traveling to India and I would love to connect to an internship with Navdanya. I have a great deal of experience and interest in the organic agriculture and environmental movement as well as learning about and protecting India's indigenous culture and species. I am currently writing a proposal to establish a community garden on my campus and through Students for Environmental Awareness establishing a connection with my campus and the Great Kids Organic Farm started by the Baltimore City Public Schools to provide city students with organic, local, produce as well as education and experiences with the science of agriculture and nutrition. During the summer of 2009 I interned at the Union of Concerned Scientist's Washington, DC office in the Food and Environment Program. The Union of Concerned Scientists is a national non-profit that in addition to scientific research also recommends and advocates for progressive policies in the federal government and conducts outreach to the public. During my time with Dr. Shirin and Deepak Gadhia of Gadhia Solar and the International Center for Networking Ecology Education and Reintegration in Valsad, Gujarat I learned how water conservation and organic farming in addition to other sustainable techniques relates to and benefits rural India. Being extremely involved on my campus, as well as in my community, I have a great deal of experience in environmental issues, community organizing, and event planning. With my positions as President of Geography and Environmental Science Council of Majors and Secretary and Webmaster of Students for Environmental Awareness I have coordinated a number of campaigns and events on campus and throughout the region. I am responsible for maintaining and designing advertisements and marketing for my groups through our websites as well as fliers, brochures and posters. Additionally, as part of the steering committee of Maryland Student Climate Coalition I led over 600 Maryland participants at the 2009 National PowerShift Conference in DC. I also organized the Maryland Student Climate Coalition Summit of students from all over the state on my campus in Fall 2009. I took part in lobbying and leading political campaigns such as PowerVote and work to pass the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act in Maryland. Both PowerShfit and PowerVote are focused on involving students and youth holding political figures accountable for policies supporting a shift to clean, just renewable technologies. I was awarded the “Dynamic Leader of Service Award” from UMBC and "Outstanding Volunteer Group of the Year" from the Parks and People Foundation after I took the initiative to create and lead a week long Alternative Spring Break in March 2009 with a group of students devoting the week to environmentally themed volunteer service and reflections with local schools, parks, and community organizations in Baltimore. I was a co-director for my campus’s annual Earth Day celebration, Ecofest in April 2008 and April 2009 and an organizer of the Global Women’s Health Fair in April 2009 with Women Involved in Learning and Leadership (WILL). From December 2008- January 2009 I volunteered on an organic farm in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California near Northern San Juan. There I learned about sustainable communities, alternative building techniques as well as familiarity with farming and animal husbandry on a self-sufficient family farm. Not only do I have a strong devotion to environmental issues I also have a broad range of experience in environmental research and monitoring fieldwork and lab work and data entry and document/report creation, I also have experience working in an office as well, plus skills in computer skills in web and graphic design. In the summers of 2007 and 2008 with my internship for Maryland Environmental Service I assisted in creating and coordinating meetings of the Environmental Compliance Committee in addition to meetings bringing together individuals from a range of backgrounds including community members and state environmental regulatory agencies. During my current internship with the Recycling Division in the Baltimore County Bureau of Solid Waste Management I provide the public with information on recycling, composting and waste prevention through research, writing for the newsletter, and representing the Bureau at public events. As an educator at the Maryland Science Center I was rewarded through constantly learning and sharing with a broad range of children and adults through demonstrations, experiments and personal interactions. After completing a weeklong training in Environmental Leadership from the Sierra Student Coalition I gained countless skills in community organizing and personal responsibility allowing to the handle busy schedules, be an effective leader, plan campaigns tactics and reach out to people strategically. I am eager to use my skills in community organizing, art/design and environmental science to share my intense passion to bring individuals, communities and organizations together for the cause of protecting the environment, organic agriculture, foods indigenous to India, seed diversity and as a young women myself- women's rights.