At Cabrillo National Monument, motion-activated cameras are set up in the vegetation to capture images and video of wildlife. But once the footage is taken, it’s up to researchers to sort through and identify each animal. Aamir Asadi figured there had to be a better way. So as part of her internship with the EcoLogik Institute, a nonprofit that encourages young girls and nonbinary people to pursue STEM careers, the 19-year-old created a machine learning tool that would sort and identify the footage automatically. This way, researchers can more efficiently respond to changes in population numbers and climate change impacts’ on flora and fauna at the monument. “It’s our responsibility as scientists and engineers,” Asadi said, to “get as creative as possible with the ways that we’re using this technology, to make sure that we’re using it for good in a way that’s sustainable.” Asadi’s summer internship was funded by a $275,000 grant from the Prebys Foundation. Last week, the nonprofit announced nearly $6 million in grants to 24 San Diego nonprofits to help them provide paid work opportunities for youth, especially those who are refugees, homeless or from other historically underserved backgrounds. A total of $5.89 million is being distributed, with grants ranging from $100,000 to $400,000, and will go toward paying for internships, apprenticeships and training programs for young people from 16 to 26. Along with the EcoLogik Institute, awardees include Casa Familiar, the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, HomeAid San Diego and the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation. The 24 nonprofits were chosen from 86 that applied, based on criteria such as program length and long-term outcomes for participants. As part of an internship with the EcoLogik Institute, Aamir Asadi created a machine learning tool that sorts and identifies wildlife footage automatically. (Courtesy of Edgar Ontiveros Medina / Prebys Foundation) Asadi is about to head back to UC Santa Cruz, where she is studying robotics engineering and critical race and ethnic studies. She says the work she’s done with EcoLogik has helped foster her love of science and technology and direct her career path. She first joined the organization at 13, participating in its summer camp at Cabrillo before completing its apprenticeship program, where she led snake talks and worked on invasive species removal and native plant rehabilitation. This year, along with creating the program to identify animals on wildlife cameras, she designed a curriculum for future participants to better understand the implications of using AI in conservation. The internship is the first paid experience for youth at the EcoLogik Institute, said director Sam Wynns. It pays $20 to $26 an hour, depending on level of experience and the kind of work the interns do. The value of a paid internship goes a long way for youth. Paid internships for college students have been linked to higher wages after graduation as well as greater career satisfaction, an education nonprofit found in 2022. Asadi said the internship has helped her stay debt-free during her first two years of college. And the stipend that 26-year-old Destiny Cole got from HomeAid San Diego’s two-week Works Program — $17.25 an hour — was part of the reason she was able to complete the course. The program helps former foster youth and those who have experienced homelessness learn about and launch careers in construction and the building industry. Destiny Cole and a fellow participant in the HomeAid San Diego Works Program, which helps introduce careers in the building industry to former foster youth and those who have experienced homelessness. (Courtesy of John Peterson) Cole, who grew up in foster care in Arizona and moved back to her hometown of San Diego last summer, didn’t have a reliable car until recently, so she had to pay for ride-hail services to get to class. “It was helpful to be able to have the extra money,” she said. Immediately after completing the program, Cole was hired as a customer care representative for the construction company Lennar, and last week, she bought a 2018 Toyota Camry. Along with helping pay trainees, HomeAid executive director John Peterson said the $100,000 in funding the organization got from Prebys will also go toward providing lunches and paying staff. Both Cole and Asadi say the programs have also helped connect them with their communities and envision what’s possible for their lives. For Asadi, the best part of her EcoLogik Institute experience has been meeting successful people in the field — especially fellow Black and nonbinary scientists. “When I did face things like anti-Blackness or gender discrimination in my own pursuit of a STEM career, I knew how to address it, because I could go to these people for advice,” Asadi said. “I could see the tools and the systems that they use,” she explained. Plus, she added, “I could also get that emotional support as well, and know that I wasn’t alone.”