Education Commons^™

What’S Trust Got To Do With It? Exploring Agricultural Science Podcast Producers’, Guests’, And Listeners’ Perceptions And Levels Of Trust In Science, Jacqueline Aenlle, Jamie Loizzo, J.C. Bunch, Lisa K. Lundy, Kevin M. Folta

Journal of Applied Communications

Little research to this point has examined food, agricultural, natural resource, and human science (FANRHS) podcast creation, the trustworthiness of the information presented, and the credibility of the individuals speaking on the podcast. The purpose of this study was to explore the level of trust in science of FANRHS podcast producers, guests, and listeners. The study followed an explanatory sequential mixed-method design beginning with an online survey instrument to measure trust in science and later, semi-structured interviews to further explore participants’ perceptions of trust and trust in science. Results showed participants had moderate to moderately high levels of trust in …

Integrated Honey Bee Education And Research Aids For Promoting Pollinator Conservation, Courtney Brummel

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Extension and outreach programs combine University instruction and research, with off-campus outreach and service to the community. Successful public education requires training in which colleges and their education services provide programs relevant to today’s needs. To better engage with the public, institutions and Extension professionals often partner with private and not-for-profit organizations to provide training opportunities. The following thesis reviews one such partnership with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard that provides science-focused, on-farm experiences and agriculture production training programming. Chapter 1 reviews their partnership since it began in 2005 and highlights examples of current farm-to-table education …

Developing Outreach Events That Impact Underrepresented Students: Are We Doing It Right?, Andrew J. Gall, Peter J. Vollbrecht, Tristan Tobias

Faculty Publications

Many outreach programs share the common goals of serving underrepresented groups in STEM and improving public attitudes toward science. To meet these goals, scientists must find ways to both reach the appropriate audience and communicate the importance of science in meaningful and accessible ways. This requires careful consideration of the outreach method being used. Two common outreach methods include in‐school visits (scientist in the classroom) and science fairs or open houses. Here, we compare the effectiveness of these two outreach methods in meeting the goals of reaching underrepresented students and/or students with less initial interest in science. We have found …

Assessing The Tennessee Extension Master Gardener Program Using Both County Coordinator And Extension Volunteer Perspectives, Natalie R. Bumgarner, Joseph L. Donaldson

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The Extension Master Gardener (EMG) program is a vital contributor to Tennessee Extension residential and consumer horticulture education and outreach. In 2014, 2,480 volunteers statewide completed service and education requirements to achieve or maintain certified EMG status. These volunteers, led by Tennessee Extension agent county coordinators, contributed over 178,800 hours of service while recording over 30,300 hours of continuing education. These totals illustrate both the contributions of EMG volunteers to horticulture outreach and their desire for education to enhance their own knowledge and skill. Understanding the most needed areas of training for EMG volunteers to support their education and outreach …

How Do Undergraduate Stem Mentors Reflect Upon Their Mentoring Experiences In An Outreach Program Engaging K-8 Youth?, Kari L. Nelson, Jamie Sabel, Cory Forbes, Neal Grandgenett, William E. Tapprich, Christine E. Cutucache

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Many university students are becoming involved in mentoring programs, yet few studies describe the impact of mentoring on the mentor. Additionally, many studies report that students graduating from college are not prepared to enter the workforce in terms of key career skills and/or content knowledge. Herein, we examine the impact of our program, NE STEM 4U (Nebraska Science, Technology, Engineering and Math for You), in which undergraduate (UG) mentors engage K-8 youth in after-school STEM experiments. The UGs reflected upon their experiences using post-mentoring evaluations, 12- and 24-week interviews, and exit surveys. Many of the questions asked of …

Ne Stem 4u: An Out-Of-School Time Academic Program To Improve Achievement Of Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Youth In Stem Areas, Christine E. Cutucache, Jamie L. Luhr, Kari L. Nelson, Neal Grandgenett, William E. Tapprich

Biology Faculty Publications

Background

The Nebraska Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics 4U (NE STEM 4U) program was initiated at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) in 2013. NE STEM 4U is a student-run, faculty-led program facilitating problem-based learning (PBL) sessions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for socioeconomically disadvantaged kindergarten through grade 8 (K-8) students. PBL sessions are provided throughout the academic year in a twice-weekly, after-school, informal education program. The instructional material provided after school builds upon the curricula of the school day. Importantly, this program is a partnership between faculty members and administrators in higher education at UNO with …

University Of New England Center For Excellence In Neuroscience K-12 Outreach Program, Alexandria D'Ambruoso, Kelsey Schwarz, Alex Deal, Kristen Erickson, Edward Bilsky, Michael Burman

Posters

Research poster describing UNE's Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences (CEN) K-12 outreach program. Founded in 2009 with three main areas of focus—research, scholarship and community outreach—CEN includes over 40 faculty members affiliated with neuroscience research and/or education. The Neuroscience Outreach Program was established in 2009 with the goal of bringing fun, interactive neuroscience lessons to schools to engage students in learning about neuroscience. UNE undergraduate and professional students present the lessons in classrooms with support from UNE faculty and staff.

Ec01-2507 Safe Transport, Storage And Disposal Of Pesticides, Larry D. Schulze, Shripat T. Kamble, Clyde Ogg, Edward F. Vitzthum

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Most accidental pesticide poisonings occur when pesticides are mishandled. Young children area often the victims.

Pesticide accidents can be prevented by careful planning, using a secure storage location, adopting safe handling methods during transport and following proper disposal guidelines for both product and containers.

Nf01-451 Consumer Responsibility In Health Care: Improving Communication With Your Provider, Mary Ellen Rider, Paul Flack

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The U.S. health care system continues to undergo reform. The direction of change places more emphasis on the patient to be a responsible partner in his/her own care and for those for whom they are responsible (family members) for care. One of the most important skills consumers have to exercise in this partnership is communication skills.

Ec00-1879 Sorghum Ergot In The Northern Great Plains, Jim Stack

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Sorghum is grown throughout Nebraska on approximately 0.6 million acres of land. It is grown as a forage crop as well as a grain crop. There is no significant commercial seed production in Nebraska. Grain sorghum is used domestically as livestock feed, in ethanol production, and to a limited extent as a food crop.

Grain sorghum is also exported to several countries. All sorghum hybrids (grain and forage) are susceptible to ergot disease. Ergot is a disease that impacts sorghum production directly by infecting unfertilized flowers and preventing seed development. Ergot also impacts sorghum production indirectly. Affected fields with honeydew-covered …