Urban AG

This week the PSUAgEd19 cohort spent some time outside of the classroom for our spring retreat! The first part of our trip was spent delivering Project Learning Tree lessons. Each of us prepared a 15-minute lesson on one of the activities in the books. We all were asked to choose different lessons so we could see the variety of lessons that the book had to offer. I loved that we were able to see how everyone changed the lessons to meet the needs of their students. I heavily relied on the Project Learning Tree this semester and has been an awesome resource!

After our PLT activities, we were off to Baltimore to see a new side of agricultural education! We spent Thursday morning at Hampstead Hill Academy, an elementary school! The Academy offered a class Food For Life. Where students learn about nutrition and how to eat healthily. The students were prepping their salads as we were walking in and we had the chance to taste them! Students were totally engaged with preparing salads and the whole time students were active.  I am quite familiar with working with elementary aged students. For the past few summers, I was a camp counselor and spent a lot of time working with campers and the farm that camp had. I had forgotten how much fun and eager younger kids were until visiting the academy!

We visited a couple of other locations where they focused on urban agriculture. One location had a computerized shipping container that has was made into an indoor garden, where students were growing basils and lettuce. Urban Ag was something that I was not too familiar with but the trip provided a great insight into what it is and how it would look like!

We ended the trip with us working on a project for a newly stated charter school. Our project will include creating 4-6 g raised beds for students. This charter school was unique because it was founded by a group of mothers who didn't like the elementary school in their hometown and wanted to create a better school for their kids.  I thought this was incredible and couldn't imagine the amount of work and dedication that these mothers had to put to start this school. The school is planned to open up this Fall, so I am excited to see how our project will turn out for them!

Overall that has been one of my favorite trips with PSUAgEd19! It was awesome to see another side of agricultural education. Recently I have accepted a position with the
 Peace Corps, as an Urban Agriculture Extension Agent.  This trip really provided with insight on other opportunities to be involved in agriculture education, if I decide not to head into the classroom afterward.