TerraCorps Spotlight: Emaline Relyea-Strawn
Emaline Relyea-Strawn (she/her) is CitySprouts’ 2025-2026 Youth Education Coordinator through TerraCorps. Emaline will be working with the Programs team to support our Garden Educators and our curriculum. You will find Emaline at our various schoolyard gardens throughout the year. Learn more about Emaline below!
What originally inspired you to get involved in youth garden education?
I spent a lot of time in college learning about food systems and it has truly transformed my understanding of our relationship with the environment. Garden education allows for youth to consider and reframe their relationship with the environment by taking care of it, benefitting from it, and creating community through food. Building personal relationships with the food the youth are growing themselves paves the way for building a more conscientious group of citizens!
What is one way you build connections with the students to make gardening more meaningful to them?
Food is so integral to creating community, creating a sense of belonging, and having fun! It’s fun to learn about what foods are important to students and then connecting that with what ingredients are growing in the garden.
How has working with youth changed your perspective on education or the environment?
Working with youth in environmental and garden education has helped me take more intentional moments to engage with what’s around me, be curious about the natural world, and gain a sense of wonder for things I’ve often taken for granted.
What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?
A perfect day would consist of a big pancake breakfast, a run and a swim in a nearby stream, and then perhaps some rest before ending the day with a big potluck, card games, and pickup volleyball and/or frisbee!
What’s one item on your bucket list that you’re determined to check off soon?
Going backpacking in the Adirondacks or the White Mountains!
If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
“You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” by Leo Sayer