Students as Garden Educators (SAGE) program
Special to the American
High school students can begin planning now to enjoy a rewarding summer experience and fulfill community service hours. They may volunteer with the Missouri Botanical Garden’s SAGE (Students as Garden Educators) service program to teach young visitors about the wonders of nature.
The program is open to any St. Louis-area student, age 14 through 18, who is outgoing and eager to share knowledge with others. Applications will be accepted through Friday, Apr. 24 for May through October volunteer positions.
SAGE volunteers will work in the outdoor Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden, a two-acre family attraction designed to educate through play. Students will help to enrich visitors’ experiences with discovery and learning at seven themed “Germination Stations.”
Don a headlamp to lead children on a Missouri cave experience, explaining the unique formations. Explore a tree from bark to branch and root to leaf. Instill an appreciation for nature inside the Nature Explore Classroom, where children can dig in the mud, hunt for an insect, or make art from flower petals. Share the important roles wetlands play in Missouri, from absorbing flood water to hosting rich biodiversity. Have “bushels of fun” inside the General Store with food plants, help foster an appreciation of flowers and their pollinators, or demonstrate early settlers’ many uses for native plants.
Young Garden visitors are not the only recipients of the program’s benefits. SAGE allows high school participants to practice and improve their public speaking and teaching skills in an approachable atmosphere. Students can cite their participation to enhance future college and job applications, and acquire at least 50 hours of community service.
SAGE participants must attend an orientation on Saturday, May 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to familiarize themselves with the program. Students will receive an informational packet and shadow a Children’s Garden staff member for two hours prior to their service.
SAGE volunteer positions are available seven days a week, May 10 through Oct 31, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Evening hours are also available on Wednesdays and Thursdays from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Shifts are flexible and staff will work to accommodate participants’ work schedules, summer school, vacation plans, and other commitments. Students are asked to volunteer a minimum of 50 hours.
To apply, download an application at www.mobot.org/education/sageservice/ and send the completed form to the Missouri Botanical Garden, attention Laura Aschenbeck/ SAGE Program, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, Mo. 63166-0299. Applications are due by Friday, Apr. 24.
For questions or more information, contact Laura Aschenbeck at (314) 577-9425 or laura.aschenbeck@mobot.org.
HBCU blog
Last week the Thurgood Marshall College Fund launched HBCUProfessor.org, a blog site dedicated solely to increase the awareness of the scholarly research of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) faculty.
This offering was created to provide a resource for faculty to publish working papers and commentary on fields of economics, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as well as higher education.
To date, there are 14,000 faculty at more than 100 HBCUs. Higher education scholars contend HBCUs are more nurturing, supportive, and offer an academic environment that advances academic success. HBCUProfessor.org aims to increase research resources and information for HBCU faculty that is innovative and instructive. Additionally, each month, a prominent HBCU chief administrator offers commentary on contemporary issues affecting HBCUs in the context of American society.
HBCU Professor Blog web site can be viewed at: www.hbcuprofessor.org.
