35 Innovators Under 35: Meet Jen Myers

Interested in environmental education both domestically and abroad, Jen Myers considers herself ‘fortunate’ for her many opportunities to work with at-risk and low-income students.

“It’s about reaching kids early and helping them think about their own choices,” Myers said.

Fresh out of college, Myers took an environmental internship on tiny Smith Island with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. That was followed by a two-year stint as an Environmental Education Volunteer with the Peace Corps in the African country of Gabon.

“Logging companies in Gabon created jobs in the region, but much of the profits went overseas and their logging roads killed many endangered species,” Myers said. “We were looking at eco-tourism alternatives for the region - which also comes with its own issues and problems.”

Teaching in French to a community that seeks alternative sources of income off its forests, Myers received a $10,000 grant to build an Environmental Education Center with a group of high school students.

From that adventure, she travelled to England to earn a ‘Values in Environment’ Masters degree from Lancaster University. This environmental ethics education served as the perfect primer for leading courses throughout the Patagonia region of Chile, where she an opportunity to guide University of North Texas undergraduates to ‘Trace Darwin’s Path.’

Myers had one final globe trotting adventure as a second grade teacher at an environmental elementary school in Honduras before becoming the Education Coordinator with AmeriCorps for the Corvallis Environmental Center.

“I am really excited to put down roots in Oregon,” she says, reflecting on an impending move to Eugene with her fiancé as he pursues a Ph.D in environmental philosophy at the University of Oregon. “I’ve bounced around quite a bit and have been battling to have a sense of place.”

Myers has doctoral aspirations of her own, considering a Ph.D in experiential or sustainability education to further her commitment to our planet and the next generation’s role in the cause.

When prompted with how to further involve youth in the environmental movement, her academic training and educational experience reveal a deep understanding of the topic.

“This is exactly why I am interested in the field of education,” she said. “People need to be exposed to issues regarding the future of our planet that affect all of us. It needs to be direct, accessible, and taught in ways that make sense to young people.”

Never one to stay idle, Myers is currently fundraising for a June 3rd ‘Summit for Someone,’ a journey to the top of Mt. Hood that pledges $3,400 for future backpacking trips with at-risk youth.  You can find out more information about her first-time summit – and make a financial contribution - at:

http://www.summitforsomeone.org/main.php?page=4&climber=7056