Volume 12, Number 1, 2003
For 37 middle and high school students, a springtime day off from school this year didn't mean a day off from learning. Instead, these sixth- to 11th-graders spent part of their April school vacation getting an early taste of college during Spring Visit Day at UD.
Sponsored by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the free, daylong program was designed to expose students at an early age to the opportunities that exist in higher education. The students, from throughout Delaware and Maryland, were accompanied by their parents or other adult chaperones as they met with College faculty and staff, learned about UD admission requirements and scholarship opportunities and enjoyed tours of the campus.
But, the focal point of the day was a series of informational and often interactive sessions about the College's wide range of majors and activities. Students were able to select the sessions they wished to attend, which ranged from such topics as "Basics of Biotechnology" to "Get the Dirt on Soil Science."
Alex Linsner, a seventh-grader from Middletown, Del., and his ninth-grade brother, Nick, learned how to make fizzy, carbon-dioxide-infused candy in a session called "Fun with Food Science," led by research associate Adrienne Shearer. Later, the brothers had a chance to test the shock load of bike, hockey and snowboarding helmets in "Crash-Test Dummies: Engineering and Technology at Work," presented by Eric Benson, an assistant professor in the Department of Bioresources Engineering.
The crash-test dummies were a big hit with Alex, who, with a penchant for taking apart old VCRs and other household appliances, says he may be interested in studying engineering in college. The boys' mother, Cathy Linsner, says she jumped at the chance to have her children participate in Spring Visit Day.
"This program is a great way to encourage kids to look into the many different career options that exist," Linsner says. "They may not consider all the possibilities until they come to a program like this and see what is out there."
Like many other parents in attendance, Amy Dickerson took a day off from work to take part in Spring Visit Day. Dickerson drove to campus from her home in Laurel, Del., escorting her ninth-grade daughter, Miranda, as well as Miranda's friends, Krista Scott and Autumn Patilla. The girls, all members of the Sycamore 4-H Club, spent the early afternoon at a wildlife conservation session and on a greenhouse tour.
As she strolled through the College's research and teaching gardens, Miranda Dickerson gave an "I-don't-know" shrug of her shoulders when asked her career interests. The best thing about the program, she says, was having the chance to learn more about different majors so that she can start thinking about a career path.
Her mother says she viewed the visit as a "great way to keep the kids focused on their education. Their high school transcripts are going to be so important, and I wanted to reinforce that fact."
The event is part of the College's Future Blue Hen Program, a series of educational outreach activities that target middle school and young high school students. Held for the first time this year, Spring Visit Day will become an annual event, according to Karen Aniunas, assistant dean of student services for the College.
"The feedback we've received from the attendees and their parents has been incredibly positive," said Aniunas, as she took a break from helping to set up a complimentary luncheon for the program's participants. "They appreciate the effort and energy that our faculty and staff put into creating such imaginative and informative sessions. And, what makes Spring Visit Day especially valuable from our perspective is that it's something parents and students attend together, thereby giving us a chance to educate both audiences."
Meanwhile, back in the labs and classrooms, the visiting students were hard at work, pondering everything from what vinegar has to do with milk production to why certain groups of termites were flourishing inside glass-enclosed habitats. These young people were learning about the scientific method, about critical thinking and, the program's organizers hope, just a little bit more about themselves and what they want to do with their lives.
--Margo McDonough, AS '86, '95M