Jamie Jefferson, an Arlington High School student, combined campus life with career exploration earlier this year as part of the 2014 AgDiscovery Program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
She was part of a group of 11 teens from Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Maryland and Georgia who lived on the UAPB campus for two weeks, interacting with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) professionals and university professors.
Hands-on labs, workshops and field trips were the norm. Most days were spent with scientists at work, at times as active helpers.
They wrangled geese for banding, played detectives during a plant inspection activity in Pine Bluff, participated in learning activities at UAPB’s Aquaculture Research Station, toured the Arkansas State Vet Tech School in Beebe and visited the Little Rock Air Force base, where they learned about wildlife management at airports.
The teens came away with a new appreciation for life in the U.S. after their taste of life in developing countries through an overnight stay at the Global Gateway Project at Heifer International in Perryville.
With many USDA scientists retiring, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has teamed up with selected universities to sponsor AgDiscovery, where teens learn about careers with USDA and APHIS and the high school courses necessary for majors to qualify for those careers.
There is no charge for the program, but participants are responsible for transportation to and from host campuses.
For more information about AgDiscovery, visit www.aphis.usda.gov/agdiscovery. UAPB has been one of the host universities since 2008 and was the first university west of the Mississippi to host AgDiscovery. To apply for the 2015 AgDiscovery Program, complete an online application.
