My CAHNR summer: Megan Davenport grows as an agricultural educator

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This summer, Megan Davenport is developing her skills as an agricultural educator through her internship with UConn 4-H Hartford County.

the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural ResourcesExtension internships provide students with the opportunity to learn and work in a paid, career-oriented role.

What is your name, major and year?

My name is Megan Davenport and I am a double major in Animal Science, Agriculture and Natural Resources.

What is your internship this summer?

This summer, I am an intern at the Hartford County UConn 4-H Extension. This internship is a hybrid of virtual and in-person engagement. So when I’m not working from home, I work at the Hartford County UConn 4-H Extension Office in Farmington and the Auerfarm 4-H Education Camp in Bloomfield. I facilitate educational enrichment programs through the Auerfarm Education Camp to students in Hartford Public Schools. I also prepare and help coordinate the annual Hartford County UConn 4-H Fair. I work with UConn 4-H members to gauge their interest and engagement in virtual and in-person programs. Another role of mine is to teach UConn 4-H Teen Council leaders how to be effective workshop leaders.

Why were you interested in this opportunity?

Through my extensive involvement in UConn 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA), I developed a passion for agricultural advocacy and leadership development early on and knew I wanted my career to reflect this interest. . After leading workshops for FFA students as a CT FFA state officer, I realized that my true vocation lay in teaching agrosciences and that this internship would be an incredible opportunity for me to develop new skills. in the field of education. This internship allows me to learn how to teach various age groups of students as well as students from various backgrounds and levels of experience in agriculture. Overall, the ability to connect and work with 4-H students while providing a stimulating and resourceful environment for them to grow and flourish as young agricultural and community leaders was an opportunity to perfect career for a future teacher like me.

How does your work help improve the quality of life for Connecticut residents?

By facilitating workshops and creating educational programs and videos that 4-Hers youth can participate in and view, I enable these members to acquire essential skills that help them become effective and strong leaders who can then grow. big things for their communities. By providing enrichment programs, enjoyable farming experiences, and a positive learning environment for 4-Hers, I can help develop the next generation of farm and community leaders who then have the tools they need to create programs. and events beneficial to Connecticut residents and communities.

How would you describe your work experience in this internship?

It has been a wonderful experience so far. This has been the most relevant internship I have done to help me achieve my goals of being a more effective agricultural teacher. Besides teaching students (which I plan to do during my masters program), there aren’t a ton of hands-on experiences for classroom management and teaching students of different ages. Fortunately, this internship gives me the necessary experience so that I can apply what I learned here to my student teaching experience and to my future teaching career. Being able to interact with students and assess their learning and interest in various topics allows me to be a more effective educator and allows me to create programs that provide information relevant to various types of community needs.

How does this internship fit with your future goals at UConn and beyond?

My aspirations to become a high school agroscience teacher made this internship opportunity very attractive to me when looking for summer internships, and so far it has worked on all fronts. My colleagues and supervisors are incredibly helpful and enjoyable to work with, and I have been fortunate to make many important business contacts. After facilitating educational programs for students, I also got a glimpse of what my career path would be like and I am delighted to say that this internship confirmed that being an agroscience teacher is my dream job. Finally, this internship is also a great introduction to teaching students and will prepare me very well for my aspirations of getting my masters through the Teacher Certification Program for University Graduates offered by UConn as well as the world of education. which I am delighted to enter. !

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