Welcome to our two new VISTA Summer Associates!

Earlier this month, we were pleased to welcome two new VISTA Summer Associates through AmeriCorps, Renata Piacenti and Casey Phelan! Renata will primarily serve as a Community Outreach and Recycling Engagement Specialist, while Casey will be helping out as an Education Specialist. Both are super excited to serve the City of Detroit this summer and help make our communities a better place through sustainability and environmental consciousness. 

Learn more about Renata

Renata’s journey to Detroit has taken her across several countries and cultures. Originally from Brazil, she has also lived in Italy, Canada, and now the United States. Before coming to the United States, she earned a Law degree in Brazil. Although her career path has shifted, her passion to serve others has remained constant. One experience that greatly influenced her was living in Italy in 2005, where she was introduced to an advanced recycling system that required residents to separate household waste into categories. Seeing how education and community participation supported environmental stewardship sparked her interest in sustainability and the positive impact individuals can have on their communities. 

After moving to Michigan, Renata served as a Food Educator with Detroit Public Schools Community for two years helping students learn about nutrition, food systems, and positive lifestyle habits. Through that experience, she fell in love with Detroit and was inspired by the city's resilience, diversity, and strong sense of community. She is super grateful for the opportunity to contribute to environmental education in Detroit and support a city that has given her so much. Her hope is that through collaboration she can help make Detroit greener and inspire pride in local communities.

Outside of work, she is a proud mother of two amazing children, ages 18 and 14, and two spoiled cats. When not working, Renata can be found nurturing monarch butterflies and supporting their summer journey, traveling, cooking, playing volleyball, and cherishing quality time with the people she loves.

Learn more about Casey

Casey has had a passion for the environment from a young age, which was sparked by watching shark documentaries on her television. Growing up, she continued to stay involved with the environment, which led her to pursue an Environmental Pre-Law degree at Ohio University. She is currently entering her third year in undergraduate studies. Along with her major, she has a minor in Sociology, with certificates in Latin American Studies and Law, Justice & Culture. Through coursework at Ohio University, she has focused her work on the City, writing various research papers centered on the City of Detroit. Such as writings on the electric vehicle industry in Detroit, and a comprehensive review of present day and past Latin American residents in the city.

When not working, Casey can be found hiking, watching movies, hanging out with friends and family, or just enjoying everything the outdoors has to offer. She is excited to share her enthusiasm for youth outreach and environmental policy with the city and to continue making it a better place for all this summer!

Both are super excited to support Green Living Science's mission of empowering Detroiters through environmental education through their work this summer. They welcome anyone interested in connecting to reach out to them at renata@greenlivingscience.org or casey@greenlivingscience.org!