Adopt-A-Calf with Area Elementary Schools
Extension Education
Colleen Larson
Dairy Regional Specialized Agent
University of Florida
Okeechobee
Abstract
Traditionally, school field trips have been a rewarding way to introduce and educate young people to the dairy industry and the benefits of including nutritious dairy products in meals. Many schools were unable to go on field trips in 2021 due to budget restraints and persisting covid precautions. I reached out to teachers who had previously participated in dairy field trips to determine if there was an interest in an alternative educational activity. The response was overwhelmingly yes. Through a planning meeting with the teachers, we agreed that the best presentation style to keep their attention and promote interaction was Prezi. The calf was born at the end of September, and I started the monthly segments in October. During the first month, students followed a live link to a Google form to vote on a name for their calf. Embedded videos were used to make the student feel like they were there with the calf. Prezi presentations with videos were sent to 8 classrooms (11 adults,163 students). I worked with a student voluteer to help in some of the videos to create interest. I utilized industry created worksheets and suggested projects to reinforce what they had learned. In follow-up segments, I asked “Do you remember questions?”. Based on teacher feedback, 100% of the students voted on the calf’s name. 90% of students answered questions correctly from past and current segments. Questions related to dairy knowledge, calf care, and dairy product nutrition. Students could submit questions and request what they wanted to see in subsequent segments. Several students requested to see the calf in real life. Two preschool classes and one special needs class was able to visit the calf in February. I am making plans to take the calf to the remaining classes this spring. A final survey will be used to determine how to improve the program in the future.
Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC
This poster is being submitted only for display at AM/PIC. Poster is not to be judged, but the abstract will be published in the proceedings.
A poster file has not been provided
Authors: Colleen Larson
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Larson, C. Dairy Regional Specialized Agent, UF IFAS Extension, Florida, 34974