Student: Lisa Leseigneur
Concentration: Sustainable Tourism (Discontinued)
Introduction:
Lisa Leseigneur is a master’s student in Global Sustainability at the USF Patel College
of Global Sustainability. For her Academic Capstone Experience, she completed an internship
with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) — a nonprofit organization
dedicated to coastal restoration, conservation, and environmental education in South
Florida. Working under the mentorship of Kelly P., Director of the Coastal Watch Program,
Lisa played a key role in launching and supporting SCCF’s new Voluntourism Program,
which invites visitors to contribute to post-hurricane restoration and conservation
efforts.
Location:
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) – South Florida
- Voluntourism Program Development & Promotion
Key Responsibilities:- Created website and social-media content to promote volunteer opportunities.
- Conducted outreach to over 60 hotels, resorts, local governments, and businesses to encourage visitor participation.
- Developed informational materials highlighting how hotels could earn sustainability points through programs such as Florida Green Lodging.
- Built customizable forms to help groups tailor their volunteer experience.
- Actively participated in field work — including planting 200 native species in a single
day as part of restoration efforts.
- Community Outreach & Networking
Key Responsibilities:- Reached out to travel bloggers, podcasters, and university volunteer programs to broaden program participation.
- Authored a feature paragraph about the Voluntourism program for the Visit Florida website — a milestone she identified as a significant personal and professional achievement.
- Research & Strategic Planning
Key Responsibilities:- Conducted benchmarking and landscape analyses on voluntourism in the U.S. and abroad.
- Applied core sustainability concepts such as systems thinking, eco-tourism standards, UN Sustainable Development principles, and sustainability policy frameworks.
- Strengthened collaboration and communication with environmental professionals through research-based insights and strategic planning.