At the beginning of 2024, SCoRE launched an External Advisory Council, composed of key partners with deep expertise in sustainability, innovation, and community engagement.  Over the past year, we have proflied some of our EAC members in our newsletter.  This month, we are delighted to share an interview with Janelle Wright, Environmental Justice Programs Manager at the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA).  WAWA is a nationally recognized leader in environmental education and a longtime SCoRE partner - having been engaged since 2017 in course partnerships, thought leadership, and community-engaged research, as well as innovations such as SLS's Partner in Residence Program.  As a GT alumna, Janelle has been involved with SCoRE/SLS through various capacities - most recently co-leading the GT X WAWA Outdoor Classroom Build.  Anna Tinoco-Santiago, SCoRE's Community Engagement Specialist talked with Janelle about WAWA's work, Janelle's own professional journey, and more.

Anna Tinoco-Santiago: Janelle, thank you for being willing to meet with me.  I know you have so much going on so I appreciate your valuable time.  I want to start off by learning a little bit about your background, how you first got involved in this type of work, and how you got involved with SCoRE?

Janelle Wright: When I was younger, I was in Girl Scouts for many years, from elementary to high school.  That was my introduction to the environmental space and being outside and being connected to nature.  I also became interested in exploring what it looked like to study environmental science and view it as a potential career path for myself.  I was a part of an environmental science club and class that grew my interest and wonder on the topic.  As an undergrad, I learned about Urban and Environmental planning which introduced me to a more people-focused component of environmental impacts.  I feel that the combination of science and the student organizing at my university charged my interest in this work.  [This work] gives me the opportunity to address these issues on a social and public scale while I maintain my appreciation for the sciences.  Lastly, I have family members that dedicate their work to forestry, health, food, and land.  I think it's all connected to environmental justice.

ATS: Those are all neat ways to get involved.  It makes me think differently about girl scouts.  I'll remember that next time I see a girl scout or take a bite into one of the delicious cookies they sell!  So tell me, how dd you get involved with SCoRE, SLS at the time?

JW: I met Jenny through the RCE and that's how I initially learned about SLS.  I was in the Resource Assistant's Program which is a two-year fellowship through the US Forest Service. I was in the program by way of Greening Youth Foundation.  At the Forest Service's Southern Regional Office.  I was part of the Sustainable Operations Department, which was nested under engineering.  We hosted an RCE meeting there, which is where I met Jenny and a few other people that are still currently connected to the RCE.  There, I learned about the Sustainable Development Goals and what the connection between different institutions and communities looks like.  After my fellowship, I became a part of WAWA which was more of a seamless connection to the work because through the work with the Forest Service, we were already partnering with WAWA.

ATS: Going a little deeper, what do you hope to learn or gain from serving on SCoRE's External Advisory Council, both personally and professionally?

JW: There's so much rich expertise on the council, and I'm still early in my career.  I'm one of the youngest folks on the board.  We now have someone else around my age, which is great, since I think we bring a youthful perspective.  When it comes to connecting to community, infrastructure, technology, and all these developments, for me it's about utilizing the rich expertise [on the council].  It's also about both observing and building partnerships and developing relationships with [the council] members. One of the most valuable components, I believe, is building those relationships and looking at the web of connections that occur across our work.  Even though sometimes it can be very different, there's actually quite a bit of overlap.  We continue to ask what kind of impact can we have in terms of how we're bringing some of the opportunities directly to community via the EAC?

ATS: As you mentioned, we have a variety of different people on the Advisory Council that bring in different areas of expertise and different perspectives, all of which have had to recently shift how they approach their work. This can make things feel like they're on an uphill battle. What would you say keeps you motivated or engaged in doing this type of work?

JW: For me, it's a grounding routine which is something to fall back on in terms of wellness.  I feel that the core piece is moving my body in some kind of way and being active, as well as outside.  I love nature.  My relationships also motivate me.  I check in with the people around me, who I care deeply for, and, fortunately, it is very reciprocal.

ATS: Self-care is truly the best, isn't it?  And no one can go all-in when you aren't taken care of.  What's that saying about pouring from and empty cup? now on the opposite end of an empty cup, I read on a WAWA blog post that you recently completed a popular education training.  Can you tell me more about that program and what your experience was like?

JW: Yes, definitely the opposite of an empty cup.  It was a 9-month program mainly virtual with one in-person component, through the National Association of Climate Resilient Planners which I found out about through LinkedIn.  From a conversation with a contact at the NACRP, the program sounded really cool and seemed to align so much with the work we're focused on at WAWA which involves looking at community driven planning both from an internal strategic level, but also how community is connected to the physical space that we steward like the watershed and the nature preserve.  The program, focused on community-driven planning facilitation, brought past cohort members and other communities in to share successes and wins around what community-driven planning looks like.  The process involves going further, and mindfully and intentionally asking and allowing community to make decisions, and build governance and policy for themselves.  It was a really great experience, where we exchanged process creation and experiences with another cohort member.  Despite differences in projects, those conversations were so valuable, as were those with others who I connected with in that space in both physical and digital platforms.

ATS: I'm so glad you really benefitted from it.  Nine months sounds like a real commitment, especially considering all of your current responsibilities.  How do you juggle and maintain your priorities while incorporating a healthy work-life balance?

JW: Having a calendar!  I wasn't always super organized, but I learned early on that having organizing tools helps to keep me structured.  I also give myself grace, and try my best to ask for it when needed as well.

ATS: Oh yes, giving yourself grace is great advice.  Can you share a book ,article, or Ted-talk that had significant impact on your life?

JW: Yeah, sure! I recently read this article Invisible Landscapes, featured in Orion Magazine, which refers to this parallel of the mycelium network, which is the connection amongst trees and the underground, in the human body.  It's called interstitium.  It's like a fluid connector that was sort of invisible, but also always there.  I feel like it serves as a metaphor in nature for ways we work with each other and build our relationships with others and ourselves.  It reminds me of natural systems that focus on community and understanding and relating to the people around us that are beyond the surface.  Going beyond my goal in life of having this, that, or the other, or making X amount of money.  What does productivity really look like, both in the natural, and in our everyday life?

ATS: What a beautiful concept! I love that and am definitely going to look into it!  Moving on, can you tell me about an achievement or milestone in your career that you felt was special?

JW: When I started at WAWA, which was during the height of the pandemic, we were all virtual, but of course like many other organizations we started doing some mutual aid activities.  We were all involved with our neighborhood planning unit and started doing wellness checks in conjunction with food distribution to get food to elders in the neighborhood.  For the wellness checks, we compiled a list of questions to ask the elders to see if they had any other needs we could support them with, and through these questions, I learned so much about them. They opened up and helped build this connection that I had not had with them before.  They expressed how much they wanted to talk to someone and even, on occasion, pray over me! It was really meaningful to see someone's spirit shift from a simple question.

ATS: That was so sweet.  In the end, we're all just humans, right?  Is there a mentor or role model who significantly impacted your career trajectory?

JW: Yeah, it's actually the future generation and the need for learning through youth which is more of a driving factor for me.  Believe it or not, I hadn't had a ton of experience with youth prior to my work with WAWA, but gained experience through WAWA's O-Academy camps.  It served as a way for me to remember myself as a child and the way I like to learn and went beyond that.  It reminded me, what am I doing all of this for - future generation.  That's where my learning and mentorship comes from.  Even if I'm not directly working with many youth now, they are a continuous source of inspiration.

ATS: Remarkable!  So what advice would you have for a young professional who would like to follow your steps?

JW: I;s say you have to be really observant sometimes and just listen.  Ask good questions and get curious during your youth and bring that into adulthood.  Sometimes, as we age, we leave that all behind and we lost that spark.

ATS: I love that!  Outside of your professional life, what are some of your hobbies that keep you busy when you're not working?

JW: There are many things that I enjoy outside of work.  I love to read, and I've organized a book club with a group of Black women I attended graduate school with, called the Black Lady Planner.  This small community has been tremendously valuable in my life, and I enjoy hearing and learning from this wonderful group of women.  I also love outdoor activities - hiking, biking, kayaking, you name it!  I'm also into arts and crafts such as painting and watercolor.  Other things I enjoy are yoga and pilates, and recently I have begun practicing and learning woodworking.

ATS: Wow, you're a jack of all trades! Anything that gets your body or your mind moving is your thing! so for my last question, I'm bringing it back to SCoRE.  How do you stay informed about emerging trends or best practices or developments related to SCoRE's work?

JW:  Of course, the SCoRE newsletter, but I also think the SCoRE team is really great at keeping us connected whether it's information through general emails or us seeing each other in person.  You all have great personalities and are always willing to share and you all are passionate about your work, which is evident based on your partnerships and projects.  That's honestly how we know what the teams' values are, based off what you're working on.

ATS:  Well, that's a big compliment for us, and we hope it's evident that we truly value partnerships like those we have with you and WAWA.