My name is Isabella Symington St. John. I am a YCS-ELI Alumni and a first-year Marine and Environmental Science (MMES) graduate student at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI). During my time as a Yale Conservation Scholar, I partnered with Mystic Aquarium as an Education Intern where I gained valuable knowledge of coastal ecosystems and public engagement. I am currently a research assistant in the Grimes lab, working on the St. Thomas campus mangrove nursery, where I assist with nursery tasks, field trips, outreach events, and teaching in local classrooms through the lab’s Mangroves in the Classroom (MIC) program. During this convening, I will discuss the MIC program’s impact on the youth of the U.S. Virgin Islands.