May 7, 2014

Dear valued consultants of Friends of Alewife Summer Ecology Camp,

I am Mae Quilty and I am this year’s camp supervisor. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Cambridge youth at Friends of Alewife Reservation, and to encourage environmental stewardship both in and out of the Alewife Reservation. I am currently finishing up the academic phase of my Masters of Arts program in Sustainable Development at School for International Training (SIT) Graduate Institute in Brattleboro, Vermont and am looking forward to heading back to my hometown for the summer. Most recently, I have worked with youth as a teaching assistant in a GED classroom in Lowell and have completed an outdoor leadership training with the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Youth Opportunities Program in Boston. I have organized Earth week events, park clean ups, led canoe and hiking trips, and have incorporated my love for the environment into the curriculum of whatever setting I am teaching in.

I am looking forward to having a fun and educational summer with the youth who will be a part of the Mayor’s Summer Employment Project (MYSEP) and hope that you will consider returning to camp for another year as an integral part of the experience, with the same type of schedule we have had in the past at the FAR summer ecology camp, which the Mayor’s program has sponsored for many years. We are hoping to combine a number of lessons with applied practice so that the youth are able to gain valuable hands on experience in the field of environmentalism and build their skills as well as their knowledge base with some of your expertise from the past. I will be working with directives of Ellen Mass, President, a scheduled consultant meeting, and alongside Assistant Supervisor, Chamaine Washington whose letter you will also receive. With your experience and skills and all of our passion for teaching, we hope to have the best year yet here at FAR. I hope you will consider joining us this year as we embark on an exciting summer!

Please feel free to contact FAR at 617 415-1884 or myself with any questions or concerns you may have in terms of scheduling, curriculum, etc. My e-mail is Mae.Quilty@mail.sit.edu. I will be available in the offices on a part time basis beginning early June and you can call me there. I am looking forward to working with you this summer as I’m sure the students will be as well!

Best,
Mae Quilty
Friends of Alewife Reservation Summer Ecology Camp Supervisor