My practicum project centered on creating educational materials and activities to promote environmental sustainability in agriculture, particularly addressing food waste. My practicum site was the UMD Extension's Baltimore County 4-H program and my supervisor was Vernelle Mitchell-Hawkins. The goal of our work was to educate and engage people of all ages, from children to senior citizens on the intersection of climate change, agricultural sustainability, and food waste.
Whether virtual or in-person, my typical day involved researching online or utilizing computer software to design graphics and educational content. When I was in-person at the Baltimore County Agriculture Center, my tasks ranged from developing educational materials. At the conclusion of my work, I set up and ran the 4-H table during the Earth Day event.
Drawing from concepts I learned in SGC Colloquium, I applied principles of science education to simplify complex research into understandable formats for the general public. I also drew upon my experience in communication gen eds at UMD, where I learned how to more effectively communicate and publicly speak. This experience has deepened my skills in science education and teaching, while also aiding my ability to process information.
Through this project, I learned about science education and teaching, and discovered a personal skill for research and condensing information. My internship practicum experience has led to me wanting to continue working with 4-H and possibly even pursuing opportunities related to agricultural education. In the future, I plan to further work with 4-H during college and integrate this experience into my future professional development.
I highly recommend this opportunity of working with 4-H to future SGC practicum scholars, especially those interested in science education. Research is a critical skill in the vast majority of STEM fields. Learning to engage with the public will always be a useful skill and enhance your resume, no matter what career field you end up in. Finally, the 4-H staff are awesome, and understand the limitations of working with them during the school semester, making them great to work with.