Monarch Conservation Webinar Series: Community Engagement in Monarch Conservation through the Arts

January 2024 Monarch Conservation Webinar Series: Community Engagement in Monarch Conservation through the Arts

Title: Crochet and Conservation
Presenter: Yesenia Juarez, Fiber artist and founder of Little Village Busy Bees
Description: How do you get the public excited about Monarch conservation? You make it fun!
Bio: Yesenia Juarez is a fiber artist from Chicago! She founded Little Village Busy Bees back in 2015 as a way to meet with neighbors to create art through yarn. She’s happy to say they’ve exceeded that goal! Several of them continually enjoy activating spaces and bringing public art to La Villita, Chicago. Typically referred to as "yarnbombing," their yarn pieces are installed for public view, typically covering bike racks, trees and fences, but there isn't a limit to what they have covered with yarn! She is passionate about nature and the fiber arts, and it's been a wonderful journey combining those two passions to promote creative, community outreach and nature conservation.

Title: Monarch Caterpillars into Butterflies, Children into Scientists, & Parents into Participants!
Description: The monarch is used in classrooms and home-based programs, as well as a way to engage parents in their child’s (children’s) education and as a way to promote community engagement and nature conservation in communities of Chicago. Through this tool, we have successfully increased parental participation and improved science instruction for both Early Head Start and Head Start, while assisting the US Forest Service with its conservation mission. This project has implications for diverse audiences and has served as a way to encourage vocabulary acquisition, foster understanding of geography, spatial reasoning, stimulate observation and investigation. Participants will learn how El Valor has utilized and encouraged parents to explore nature in urban communities while supporting their child’s learning and awareness of nature conservation through the Monarch Butterfly.
Presenter: Carolina Benitez, Education Manager
Bio: Carolina Benitez is the Education Manager of El Valor’s Children Programs. Ms. Benitez has worked at El Valor since 2006 in various leadership roles. These roles began as a Head Start Family Advocate; and other positions included Early Head Start Parent Infant Educator, Education Coordinator for Community Partners; Head Start Education Supervisor; Early Head Start Education Supervisor. Ms. Benitez has been part of the training and coaching team of El Valor; training Staff, parents and other agencies participating in presentations at conferences. Ms. Benitez earned her undergrad degree in Psychology at Benedictine University, and a Graduate Level Certificate in Infant and Toddler Specialist Studies from Erikson Institute.
Presenter: Veronica Nieto, Health, Nutrition and Safety Manager
Bio: I have been with El Valor for 18 years, working in many fields; Home Visitor, ERESA, Parent Engagement Coordinator and in Health, Nutrition and Safety Manager. I worked in involving parents in their leadership and professional development, as well as advocating for parents in policy council and guiding parents as the first teachers in their child’s life. Using my major in Psychology from the University of Illinois, to help families create memories with their children along with engaging them in the importance of early childhood.