Giovanna Ferreira - WEEK 2 at S.C.C.

This week at the castle, in my opinion, was a little bit shorter but not less informative than the first one.
Our very first meeting on Monday was with two representatives of the communication’s office from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. They came here to help us out with some ideas for the 2020 Earth Optimism summit and to talk about how can we show presence in Latinoamerica through sister events. Into many different ideas of events that can be done for the summit, one of them was to have a “networking cocktail” during the gala night to attract the youth audience to participate in this. 
Side note: Earth Optimism Summit is a public event, but the gala is not; this means that you can assist if you have an invitation, you are a speaker, or if you are part of the chosen group of teens who are going to focus on the scientific field. 
The event is a huge opportunity for teens because, just like us with the YAP, they will have the opportunity to talk and exchange some ideas with well-known scientists from all around the world. 
During this meeting, they also shared one of the biggest projects the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute is working on at the moment. Carlos Jaramillo, one of their scientists, discovered some holes underground the Amazonas. Apparently, this will help to see how climate will change in the future and for us to take some action about it. They will be uploading a video soon talking about it and I will be happy to share it with you all.

On Tuesday, we were just working on the website trying to update some pictures and upload new blogs, and I was thinking about all these meetings that we have and how tiring they can be. 
I also realized that most of our meetings are just women. When I did my research, I found out that most people that work at the Smithsonian are girls, except when you get to director positions, you barely see women there (< fun fact). 
The clock hit 4 o’clock, I was packing my computer and the office door opened. It was Carolina Peña—a passionate advocate for environmental sustainability with more than 14 years of work experience with international organizations, including the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Pan-American Health Organization. Now she is an independent consultant working with the WHO-Pan-American Health Organization, identifying processes that impede effective flow of pooled procurement of essential medicines and strategic health supplies at affordable prices—this woman is incredible and she was having a meeting with my office just to help us out to get some contacts in the Caribbean region. 
When I introduced myself, she asked where I was from and I told her I was born in La Paz - Bolivia, coincidentally she was also from the same exact place. After a little bit of talking, we found out that we both went to the same High School back in Bolivia and we have some mutual friends and everything. I was so happy to meet her because she even asked to take a picture with me instead of me asking her!. I decided to stay for that meeting.


Claudia Peña and me 



After the meeting, we exchanged numbers and went around the National Mall talking about what she does now, how she started it, our high school back in Bolivia, and many other things, she was such a nice person. 
Wednesday was just another “meetings-day”, and on Thursday and Friday, my supervisor let me work from home on some translations for the website (I will attach the link once it is ready so you can all take a look at it). 

Thursday, other than doing translations,  was special because it was my community outreach initiative day. It was an amazing experience because I read the book not only for kids but also for their families who were there as well. The library has a program called Mi Familia, where every Thursday they get together, work on different activities, and share some snacks. All of them were Latinxs, of course, and they asked if I could read it in Spanish, so I did. After finishing reading it, we started doing the activities book but it was really quiet and my mom noticed it and told me: 

-Hijita tengo tu parlantito ahi en la cartera

I played some Tito Puentes’ songs in low-volume. Many of the parents there knew some of these songs and they were happy to hear them, they even danced a little with their kids!.





A picture with Emmanuel. He was the smallest one in the group. 





With all that being said, I cannot wait to see what happens this third-week of internship. 

Hasta la próxima semana!

Giovanna F. 

July 15th, 2019.


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