An internship at The Natural Step Canada is far from ordinary. There’s no stapling, no photocopying, and besides a few hours of replacing the office address on some print materials, there’s nothing stereotypically “intern” about this experience.

My (Stephanie) experience is vastly different from that of Kara, the other intern also hired though the YMCA’s Youth Eco Internship Program. Since January, I took on the online voice of The Natural Step Canada through their social media outlets and the blog. Kara was responsible for an overhaul of The Natural Step Canada’s award-winning eLearning course. We were both working online but with vastly different platforms.

Kara and I have written about our experiences, which we are excited to share with you.

Stephanie Mindorff, Social Media Coordinator:

I feel like I should start at the end and go backwards—tying everything together like one of those terribly confusing movies. I ended this internship by reading the Ecology of Commerce by Paul Hawken. In retrospect, I should have started it this way. During my Masters, a friend of mine told me about a book while we were chatting on the beach in Surfers Paradise, Australia. Little did I know that I would, less than a year later, be involved with the organization that moves this environmental revolution.

I worked on several projects during my time. These were (and still are) ongoing. I drafted a social media strategy and put my spin on the blog strategy that has had the magic touch from several interns over the past year.

I was also able to work on the blog—drafting stories, finding news of interest to rebroadcast to our readers, and publishing upcoming events. I utilized this time to also start a weekly section on the blog called “What We’re Reading”—a compilation of stories, articles, and resources that staff around our office are reading or working on at the moment. Over the past few weeks we uncovered some great stories that I was delighted to be able to share with you.

Being able to share my opinion, participate in meetings, and being given the opportunity to run with ideas made this experience unlike any other. Like I said, no photocopying and filing here. My thoughts and opinions were not only asked for, they were valued. Not many interns can say that.

The first day I started I knew I stumbled onto something great. Unlike the majority of the office, my background wasn’t in sustainability. I have always enjoyed ‘green’ initiatives, but my knowledge of sustainability went about as deep as that conversation I had on the beach. Because of that, I was able to look at The Natural Step with a fresh perspective. As I was only with the organization for a short time, I was never able to get knee deep in The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (people spend years working to get to that point), but I was able to brush the surface. I’m happy to have been afforded the opportunity to work in such an organization and truly appreciate the opportunity from the YMCA’s Youth Eco Internship Program.

Like I said, at The Natural Step Canada no two experiences are the same. Kara’s experience was vastly different from mine. Take it from her…

Kara Stonehouse, eLearning Research Associate:

Belting out a terrible rendition of a Kelly Clarkson hit was not how I envisioned my first day as an intern at The Natural Step Canada, but then again, The Natural Step Canada is no ordinary organization. You see, there are a few things the people at this organization know that I wish more workplaces and individuals would grasp with such clarity.

At The Natural Step Canada, they know regular karaoke and potluck parties and pizza lunches keep the team talking happily and getting along. They know that giving employees the option of working from home some days keeps busy parents from burning out. The Executive Director knows when to be strong and when to be flexible and make changes. The program officers know when to get it done and when to “Let go and move on!” The staff know their work has meaning and makes a positive difference for communities and businesses. My supervisor, Alex, knew that if he gave me the reins on the project, with his support and guidance, I could lead meetings and gain confidence to do my best.

I knew a few things, too. Like, that if I spend some time getting to know the contractors personally, the process can flow more smoothly because we trust each other and are comfortable asking questions. I feel like my work on the eLearning course has made a great difference in the quality of the learning experience. 

Here is a link to the eLearning home page.

I guess it is not about ‘knowledge’ after all. What I really appreciated about this internship was the wisdom of the team. What inspires me is this courage to live a life that creates the world we want. I am very thankful to the YMCA’s Youth Eco Internship Program for making this experience possible and I highly recommend other young people interested in sustainability to apply for internships with The Natural Step Canada.

The Natural Step Canada would like to express our sincere gratitude to the YMCA’s Youth Eco Internship Program for the funding opportunity which allows us to increase our capacity to accelerate change toward sustainability in Canada and throughout the world.