Zoë Banfield
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
Long-term Fellow: October 2024 - 2025
Mentored by Anne Marie Hoffman, VI EcoSchools
Zoe Banfield, a St. Thomas native, brings energy, thoughtfulness, and a strong sense of community to her role as a Navigating Home Fellow. She currently serves as the St. Thomas/St. John program coordinator for the Virgin Islands Conservation Society’s (VICS) Eco-Schools USVI program. Her path in the fellowship so far has been one of growth—not just for herself, but for the programs and students she supports.
Through her leadership, Eco-Schools USVI is now actively partnering with local schools across St. Thomas—including Charlotte Amalie High School, Ivanna Eudora Kean High School, Jane E. Tuitt Elementary, and Bertha C. Boschulte Middle. Together, they’re building student-led Eco-Clubs, revitalizing school gardens, and creating outdoor learning spaces. These projects not only support national Eco-Schools certification goals, but also give students hands-on opportunities to engage with environmental issues in real and lasting ways.
Zoe is also working with UVI’s Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service to deliver their “Water Heroes” program, which brings conservation and water quality education to classrooms across the island. At CAHS, for example, teachers have advocated for Water Heroes to become a recurring staple in the Biology 1 curriculum. In parallel, she’s helping execute a program called Water Smart Schools, which promotes access to clean drinking water and making the switch from single use plastic to filtered school water.
Although Zoe came into this role with experience in nonprofit coordination and a strong academic background in environmental science and food/agriculture law and policy, environmental education was a new space for her. She credits the Navigating Home Fellowship with helping her find her footing and build confidence in this work.
“I’ve learned so much since becoming a Navigating Home Fellow,” Zoe says. “It’s helped me grow as an educator, a program manager, and someone exploring what’s possible at the intersection of environmental science and community work.”
Through the fellowship, she’s built a strong peer network, connected with mentors, and gained access to opportunities like the SEAS Summit, which have all shaped how she sees herself in the field. Now, she’s considering future study and career paths that combine conservation with social and political science.
“Being in touch with other environmental educators and researchers has been inspiring,” she adds. “It’s helped me realize there’s a real range of possibilities out there—and I’m excited to keep exploring.”
Zoe’s work is a clear example of what the Navigating Home Fellowship was designed to support: emerging leaders who are grounded in community, actively building local capacity, and making a lasting difference in how the Virgin Islands thinks about sustainability, education, and the future.