Among the dark green leaves at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (Phipps), you can see Jennifer Torrance Stuckey ’16 educating young minds about nature and climate. As Youth Climate Advocacy Committee (YCAC) Coordinator, she takes great delight in shaping the next generation of changemakers.
“At Allegheny, I managed our two aquaponics systems in Carr Hall Lobby and Room 221 for all four years. This gave me an incredible opportunity to develop workplace skills: I learned to analyze the needs of the fish and plants, train others to care for the system, manage a budget for supplies, problem-solve issues, and learn many more lessons that carried forward into my career,” says Torrance.
YCAC is a youth-driven committee of people between the ages of 16 and 22 who are passionate about the environment and their communities. Torrance is responsible for hiring each year’s cohort of committee members and leaders to co-create a robust program, contacting guest speakers, developing collaborative partnerships, and providing various support for youth-led climate initiatives.
“My professors, particularly Prof. Eric Pallant and Prof. TJ Eatmon, put a lot of trust in me and always showed that they valued my input and hard work. Not only did this build my confidence, but it also modeled how I could empower and uplift other people in my life,” says Torrance. “Now, in my role at Phipps, I constantly think about how I can provide similar opportunities for growth to the teens and young adults I work with. I truly believe this set me up for success, and I hope to do the same for them.”
After graduating from Allegheny with an environmental science major with a writing minor, Torrance interned for Phipps’ discovery education program, where she spent her summer educating guests. It wasn’t long before she was offered a position teaching children’s programs after demonstrating her enthusiasm.
“A major in environmental science and a minor in writing was a perfect combination for my roles at Phipps! The combination allows me to have both a wide knowledge for nature and climate-related programs and the skill to write and design robust lesson plans. It helps me to communicate the key points effectively, adapt them for various audiences, and easily connect a variety of topics when I’m teaching,” says Torrance. “I was recently able to use these skills at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP28, in Dubai, UAE, where one of our YCAC youth leaders and I helped draft text to present to negotiators on Action for Climate Empowerment.”
While at Phipps, Torrance grew the number of field trips and camps tremendously during her first four years. She also spearheaded the summer high school internship programs and coordinated the Phipps Fairchild Challenge program. After the pandemic, she was tasked with forming the Youth Climate Advocacy Committee, which is currently in its third year.
“Working with the teens and young adults in our committee is incredibly rewarding. I work with some of the most brilliant, dedicated, creative, and fun colleagues, and it’s amazing to me that they still have their whole lives ahead of them to have a positive impact on their communities!” remarks Torrance. “They give me so much hope for the future. They constantly impress me with their passion and knowledge, and they also make me laugh at every meeting. I love finding ways to support them in their work and help them grow as people.”
