Recommendations for Engaging Undergraduate Students in Community-Based Extension Field Experiences

The first author and youth program leader for the Cornell Garden-Based Learning Program created a multi-tiered approach to providing real-world Extension experience for Cornell undergraduate students while simultaneously gathering essential data for an online curriculum. The second author served as the project evaluator. Eight Cornell University undergraduates enrolled in a two-semester course sequence, in which they learned the knowledge required to create a living sculpture project with youth-adult teams at three New York State sites. This article addresses the factors we discerned that lead to effective student engagement in field experiences, and generalizes our findings for others

Plants and Textiles: A Legacy of Technology--Introducing a New On-Line Project for Youth

Plants and Textiles: A Legacy of Technology is a plant- and textile-based on-line project with activities for teenaged youth. The detailed Web site includes an introduction to the project and addresses all components of four detailed activities, with other resources and information available at the site. This article introduces the project, its components, and outcomes and impacts from project participants, university students, and adult leaders

Phytoplankton Composition in a Borrow Pit Lake in Virginia

The phytoplankton assemblages in Lake Trashmore, Virginia, a borrow pit, were dominated by centric diatoms and cyanobacteria, with seasonal pulses of cryptomonads, euglenoids, and chlorophyceans. Ninety species were identified and their abundance levels noted for a 12-month period

Phytoplankton Composition in a Borrow Pit Lake in Virginia

The phytoplankton assemblages in Lake Trashmore, Virginia, a borrow pit, were dominated by centric diatoms and cyanobacteria, with seasonal pulses of cryptomonads, euglenoids, and chlorophyceans. Ninety species were identified and their abundance levels noted for a 12-month period

What Makes a Great Science Experience? A Program Planning Checklist for Educators

The Science & Technology Program Work Team at Cornell University wanted to know what constitutes a fun, exciting, and successful science-based learning experience for young people. In 2002, 4-H Educators and youth were engaged in the Concept System process that generated 144 unique ideas. These ideas were distilled into 15 clusters, all of which linked to three principal elements of program design: Content, Context, and Delivery. Those results were translated into a checklist for planning science programs, available at . In 2005 and 2006, the team recommended adapting it to other interactive learning experiences and for program evaluation

Grapes

This is the Grape chapter in Cornell Guide to Growing Fruit at Home. It features information and instruction for the home grape grower.Choosing cultivars, purchasing or propagating vines, site selection, planting and early care, fertilizing, pruning and training young vines, pruning mature vines, pruning neglected vines, training vines to an arbor, diseases and insects, harvest, seedless table grapes.Garden-Based Learning, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University

Evaluating an Initiative to Increase Youth Participation in School and Community Gardening Activities

Across the country, youth gardening opportunities are rapidly increasing, as is the need for documentation on successful strategies for working with young people. This paper describes the evaluation of the Greener Voices project, a three-year initiative created to increase youth participation in gardening activities through consultation, resources, and information provided to adult leaders at six sites across New York and Pennsylvania. The evaluation is highlighted to encourage others to think about ways to incorporate evaluation into gardening programs. Useful strategies include starting early with evaluation planning, using an underlying program theory or logic model, collecting data through multiple methods, coordinating evaluation and program planning, building theory into evaluation, and publicizing findings. Documenting lessons learned can contribute to the knowledge base in the youth gardening field

Strawberries

This is the Strawberries chapter in Cornell Guide to Growing Fruit at Home. It features information and instruction for the home fruit grower.Choosing cultivars, buying plants, site selection, growing methods, planting and early care, managing your planting, diseases and pests, day-neutral strawberries, harvest.Garden-Based Learning, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University

More Minor Fruits

This is the More Minor Fruits chapter in Cornell Guide to Growing Fruit at Home. It features information and instruction for the home fruit grower.Choosing cultivars, propagation, site selection, planting, trellising, persimmons, pawpaws, mulberries, juneberries, highbush cranberries, Cornelian cherries, beach plums, buffaloberries, quinces, fertilization, harvest.Garden-Based Learning, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University

Tree Fruits

This is the Tree Fruit chapter in Cornell Guide to Growing Fruit at Home. It features information and instruction for the home tree fruit grower.Choosing cultivars, rootstocks, nursery stock, planting, managing grass and weeds, fertilizing, pruning and training basics, training and pruning young apple and pear trees, pruning bearing apple and pear trees, rejuvenating old apple and pear trees, pruning and training cherry and plum trees, pruning and training peaches, thinning fruit, diseases and insects, harvest.Garden-Based Learning, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University