In her short tenure as the Program Director of the Environmental Education Leadership Corps, Ashley Mike has proven her dedication to the environmental education field by developing and improving the EELCorps program. She has established and improved policies and procedures that meet or exceed the federal and state guidelines for AmeriCorps programs while consistently providing the members of the EELCorps with professional, emotional, and practical support to ensure their success and enhance their ability to increase the capacity of the service sites to improve the environmental literacy of the citizens of all ages through quality EE programming.
Ashley is fully committed to ensuring that the members of the EELCorps have training and support beyond their national service as AmeriCorps members and strives to equip them with tools and skills that will serve them beyond their EELCorps obligations so that they feel empowered and confident to seek full-time employment as professional environmental educators if they so desire. She has provided trainings and materials to help the members in areas like resume writing and interviewing skills.
Beyond supporting the members themselves, Ashley has proven to be an invaluable resource for the environmental education service providers who serve as service sites by providing resources and advice about best practices and practical ways to utilize the members to help with the sites’ missions. She has developed excellent systems, provided high quality training in support of members and sites, and has set a standard of excellence her members and sites can aspire to. She also shows an excellent attention to detail and great passion for the work.
(Ashley herself got her start in EE as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Berea's Forestry Outreach Center!)