Author: Dana Anderson
Planning Unit: Mercer County CES
Major Program: Natural Resources
Plan of Work: Agriculture & Environment Education for Youth
Outcome: Initial Outcome
In Kentucky, we have an abundant supply of natural resources that impact our daily lives. To preserve these resources, we must educate our youth on being good stewards. Over 255 fifth-grade students participated in 2022 Earth Day, sponsored by Mercer County Extension Service. The program's goal was to educate youth about environmental awareness and sound environmental practices. Students spent 20 minutes at ten different stations: Solar Energy, Horticulture, Geology, Entomology, Soil, Water, Bees, Forestry, and Composting. Students learned information that will assist them as individuals and that they can positively impact the environment by reducing solid waste, maintaining clean water, reducing soil erosion, and how wood/forests impact our daily lives. Speakers for the day included representatives from the Mercer County Cooperative Extension Office, Kentucky Forest Service, and Mercer County FFA. Afterward, students completed an illustration on an assigned booth with a short essay on what they learned at that booth. From personal interviews, teachers cited youth have a better understanding of the impact of natural resources and their daily lives. They also noted that the students could relate the information from Earth Day to the things youth learned in the classroom during the school year.
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