R&R's Youth Visionary Collective: 2020-2025 Report 🌿
The Youth Visionary Collective (YVC) is a Roots & Routes online, youth-led community that is simultaneously a central international and cross-cultural (un)learning program. Youth from across the world come together across cultures to strengthen their skills while learning about collaboratively building an organization that works to visibilize the Chocó Biogeographic Region—one of the most diverse rainforests in the world that few people even know exists. The YVC is youth-led and guided by Roots & Routes’ (R&R) staff.
While learning about the cultures and territorial struggles of the Ecuadorian Chocó’s Indigenous and Black ancestral peoples, international youth simultaneously engage in conversations about 1) their distinct cultural practices and ways of seeing and being in the world, 2) deconstruct colonial models of education, and 3) practice horizontal ways of working together. The YVC interns create social media posts, learn to research and prepare grants, track film festivals, dream up educational curriculum and content for future YVC programs, and contribute to the needs of the Chocó communities as well as of the organization to be able to continue to visibilize the Chocó Biogeographic Region.
This report documents the impact and contributions of the YVC over the five years, 2020-2025. Reflecting the four seasons of the year, there are also four 10-week YVC seasons. interns can continue for as many seasons as they choose. Each season counts towards a four-level “Intercultural Collaborations” certificate. When interns complete four seasons they have qualified for an online Intercultural Collaborations badge. While this report can only capture a fraction of the incredible work that has been accomplished by YVC interns over the past 20 seasons, we would like to extend our gratitude to each and every intern who is and always will be part of the YVC.
Over the past five years, the Youth Visionary Collective has been incredibly grateful to receive support from Peaceful World Foundation, who specifically helped the YVC take off. We also tip our hat to all of the organizations and donors who have helped support R&R, and that means, contributing to the YVC while the YVC also contributes to R&R. Thanks everyone!
Many of our Youth Visionary Collective (YVC) international interns between 2020-2025.
The YVC Teams
The main goal of the Youth Visionary Collective is to provide our interns with opportunities to learn through intercultural collaborations, experience the rewards of organization-building, and enhance their professional skills. An average season consists of 16-24 interns who choose to join one or two of six possible teams:
Our Social Media & Newsletter Team creates Instagram and Facebook content. They do research about the Chocó, practice their graphic design skills, create social media posts. They also weave together the events and highlights in our news bulletin, “Seasonal Offerings”. Interns learn about creating posts and put together a newsletter that reflect R&R’s vision of contributing to the world.
The Bilingual Grants Team researches, documents, and does prepatory work for organizational grants as well as for our films, the YVC, and on-the-ground projects. Interns improve their research and database skills and learn about grant-writing.
The Film & Educational Experience Distribution Team work on a database for film/educational experience distribution to university professors and libraries. They improvv their research, organizational, and Google sheet skills while also discovering new things about the film industry and learning abroad programs.
R&R’s Chocó Map Team researches and compiles environmental and social data on the Chocó Biogeographic Region and ancestral Black/Indigenous communities. They also improve their research, GIS, storymapping, and Google sheets skills.
Our Futures Team develops infrastructure for the future of the YVC. This season, Futures conducted outreach and developed a certification process for YVC alumni to strengthen the organization’s ties, as well as summarized the past 5 years at the YVC to identify growth opportunities.
Our Steering Team spearheads the direction and leads the YVC. They organize the weekly all-YVC meetings, organize the distribution of the YVC certificate, and recruit interns. The steering team consists of leaders throughout the YVC who are simultaneously the team leaders of each of the other YVC teams. They improve their skills in leadership, community-building, and program administration.
The YVC is uniquely suited to adapt to the needs of Roots & Routes by switching up the teams that exist each season to align with what is needed from YVC interns. Here are some teams that have existed in YVC’s past. Other teams that have existed in the past are the Pluriversity Team, the Podcast Team, and the Rights of Nature Team.
🚨Measuring Success
The YVC has had measurable success in bringing youth together from across the world and engaging students with the work of Roots & Routes. Interns gain skills in communication, nonprofit management, and research throughout each season they participate in.
National Origin of YVC Interns
A large component of the YVC and Roots & Routes’ mission is intercultural collaborations. The YVC is inherently a space for this as interns come from around the world, with interns originating from most regions of the world. In our general meetings, we encourage cross-cultural dialogue and bonding, which encourages learning and growth in all interns.
Another benefit of the YVC in support of Roots and Routes is its ability to respond to increased need for interns. In seasons with a larger workload, the YVC is consistently able to recruit interns, with an average of 18 interns per season.
Number of Interns each Season 2020-2025
Additionally, the YVC is routinely capable of retaining interns as 46.2% of interns stay for longer than one season. Not only does this reflect a recognition of value by interns for committing more of their time to the organization, but also, with low turnover rates, the YVC has the capacity to engage in longer term projects.
Duration of YVC Internships in Seasons
With the support of the YVC, Roots & Routes has been able to publish 419 social media posts and promote Together for Water💦, which has been selected for 20 film festivals and nominated for 2 and won 6 awards. We at YVC also help to advance the organization’s geographical research and educational outreach. The YVC is at the heart of Roots & Routes. Through intercultural and intergenerational collaborations and learning, alternatives to conventional Western education, and peer-to-peer teaching, YVC interns grow both personally and professionally.
YVC Intern Testimonials
LESSONS LEARNED WHiLE SeRVING AS YVC INTERN
“As part of the YVC and Rights of Nature team, I discovered the transformative impact of decolonized knowledge and practices in restoring narratives that foster respect between human beings and the living world. I also deepened my appreciation for collective work and community-building as powerful ways to cultivate compassion, empathy, and collaboration toward a shared vision.”
Juliana from Colombia
“How important it is to make people feel valued (leadership style), that it is key to listen to multiple different perspectives and learn from each other in order to tackle problems.”
Julia from Germany
“An open mind and heart as essential for positive change! Also, that consistent collaboration fosters incredible growth.”
Olivia from the US
“It shaped my understanding and approach to environmentalism and validated my existing belief in the importance of social science in conservation. I learned project management skills and leadership that promotes culutural exchange and collaberation, yes. But most valuable was a new understanding of colonizations impact on the mainstream environmental movement, and exposure to a field that addresses it.”
Gauri from the US
HOW YVC HELPED YOUTH ADVANCE IN THEIR CAREERS
“Currently, I am applying to several graduate school programs for Environmental Science & Justice. I believe that the YVC helped me to realize my full passion for Environmental Justice and made me want to go back to school for it!”
Grace from the US
“I am currently working as an architect in the restoration of historic buildings in my hometown. My experience with YVC helped me gain confidence in my leadership and ideas, and allowed me to learn from collaborative work with intercultural and intergenerational teams — an experience that closely aligns with my professional work, where collaborating with multidisciplinary teams is essential.”
Juliana from Colombia
“After the YVC, I worked for my university’s newspaper as a Social Media Producer and graduated with a B.A. in Communication Studies. Currently, I am applying for master’s programs abroad! With every step I’ve taken towards new experiences, I carry with me a confidence that was built during my time with the YVC. Knowing I could count on support from Juli and the other interns I worked with, my trust in myself naturally grew!”
Olivia from the US
WHAT FORMING PART OF THE YVC MEANT TO PAST INTERNS
“My experience as a Youth Visionary Collective intern at Roots & Routes IC was deeply formative. Collaborating with passionate peers from around the world on a strategic plan and pilot course taught me the value of intercultural communication, task ownership, and facilitating productive meetings in an online setting. I especially appreciated how the program encouraged efficiency and creativity over perfectionism — an invaluable lesson for working in grassroots, founder-led nonprofits. The YVC also boosted my confidence in virtual public speaking, a skill that continues to support me in my current role. I’m grateful for the insight and growth this experience offered, and for the supportive, inspiring community I found there.”
Anna-Lena from Brussels, Belgium
“YVC has helped me with communicating with others. What I enjoyed about my time with YVC is learning about the other interns and their different point of views. I also enjoyed reading whenever there was a reading assignment. It gave me a different perspective on Ecuador, how to react to an issue, and preparing designs for the program. Overall, I enjoyed my time with YVC.”
Marceli from the US
“Being part of the YVC was a truly transformative experience for me. It helped me grow both personally and professionally by giving me the opportunity to contribute to meaningful community projects and develop leadership and teamwork skills. I enjoyed working alongside passionate young people from diverse backgrounds, all committed to making a difference. What I appreciated most was the supportive environment that encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and become more confident in my abilities. YVC helped shape my passion for community engagement and continues to inspire the work I do today.”
Phonpimol from Australia
YVC is Roots & Routes IC’s internal learning community. Young people build connections, learn about one another’s cultures, while helping to build an organization that is building a movement to visiblize the Chocó Biogeographic. It’s a wonderful opportunity that shouldn’t be missed. Join us to make an impact!