Mary Ford is the Vice President of Roots & Shoots USA, the youth program of the Jane Goodall Institute, where she supports and celebrates young people making a difference in their communities. She has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and a master’s degree in environmental management, but her love of children, teaching, and learning led her to a career focused on environmental education and youth empowerment. She has worked as Program Leader for Youth and Educators at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY, and Manager of Education at the national headquarters of the World Wildlife Fund and the National Audubon Society in Washington, DC. Mary has served on advisory boards at the San Diego Natural History Museum, BSCS Science Learning, and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. She served as the chair of the board of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) and is currently the co-chair of the Education Working Group of the Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences.