“Business and community partner recruitment, partnership structure, and the wide variety of activities partners should be engaged in to support the program of study and ensure programs are aligned with workforce needs.”

What

For practice teaching #4, we implemented an experiential learning field trip centered around animal science. For this field trip, students toured the animal science complex on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln East Campus. They also got to meet and learn about research being conducted by Dr. Schmidt, a researcher and teacher at the complex. The learning objective for this was to identify three career pathways related to animal science.  I led what would have been a preview of the day before/on our way to the tour. I used "Think, Pair, Share" as an interactive way to get students thinking about what goes on in the animal science complex. I also went over some expectations for this field trip, such as listening to the speaker, asking questions, and being respectful.

So What

This instructional strategy aligns with the ACTE Element 8: Business & Community Partnerships because it allowed us to work with members of the college and community. Partnering with animal science recruitment staff and a researcher/professor enhanced the relevance of the field trip, as students received expert opinions from people directly involved in these pathways. Evidence of student engagement was shown when students asked questions about the different areas we toured. They had access to tour the facility that few people notice when they see the animal science complex. They also had a real-world example of ongoing research and its importance not just to Nebraska producers but to producers as a whole. This aligned directly to ACTE Element 8, as students were able to engage with industry professionals and experience real-world applications of animal science. Our partnership decisions aligned with our objective because students can see various pathways in animal science, both through real-world examples and through access to facilities.  This is seen in our implementation activity in the lesson plan with “Alli Raymond, who is a part of animal science recruitment, to give us a general tour of facilities and inform us about what UNL animal science is all about,” and “Unique opportunity to speak with Dr. Ty Schmidt who specializes in Anatomy/Physiology of animals, meats, and has many research projects under his belt.”

​Now What

Student engagement during this field trip, along with the strong collaboration of our partners from the animal science complex, contributed to a more manageable and sustainable teaching experience. Because the students were actively engaged in asking questions and participating in discussions with professionals, there was less of a need for redirection or behavior management. One partnership practice I plan to carry forward is establishing clear communication with our partners multiple times before the field trip. We had a bit of trouble at first with finding partners due to a conference happening for animal science that day, but we were adaptable and found ways to still make this field trip happen. This would also be to share what our learning objectives are, and work together to plan specific opportunities to enhance the overall experience and long-term sustainability.

What

For practice teaching #5, we implemented our Kimmel grant project. In igniting young entrepreneurs, we proposed a workshop that would get students in the mindset of an entrepreneur and implement a business that would better their community. Through this workshop, students began by hearing from Robyn Williams about Kimmel and how one idea started this amazing business and research experience. They were then led by the Engler recruitment team, with us, through an activity to get them to think about how one thing can be used for so many different things. Finally, they came up with ideas that would better their community and pitched their ideas to a set of judges in the hope that they would implement a business that would help their community and encourage them to continue developing their own ideas. One engagement routine we implemented was having engaging activities that built off of each other. The overall learning objectives were: We will create a business idea for our community, and we will present a business pitch about that idea.

So What

This instructional strategy aligns with the ACTE Element 8: Business and Community Partnerships, through using the funding to create an engaging, unique workshop and support students' ideas. Having a guest speaker such as Robyn showed an example of how just one idea can create something unique and important to the community. The funding partnerships enhanced what the students can do by providing the means to get materials and allowing these young minds to implement businesses for their chapters. The resources provided influenced our instructional strategy by allowing the students to have a hands-on experience with not just us, but also experts who have led students through these experiences. Collaborating with our partners impacted the experience by adding important insight and helping to create the best experience possible. A logistical consideration for our group would be the budgeting. With the materials needed for this workshop being minimal, it allowed us to use the expenses to support the students' ideas. Whether this will work the way it is intended is still in the processing stage to see if what was given will encourage the chapters to implement or not. Overall, the funded materials helped the students meet the learning objectives by allowing them to actually write down and brainstorm their ideas. Throughout this workshop, students actively collaborated to develop ideas and confidently pitch them, demonstrating engagement and the application of an entrepreneurial mindset. 

​Now What

Access to grant-funded materials, the Engler recruitment team, and support of the Kimmel Foundation reduced the instructional strain by providing both resources and structure. This allowed me to focus more on supporting students’ learning rather than organizing and funding independently. One practice I will carry forward is actively seeking out and applying for grants that align with my program's goals. I will also plan how to use these funds to directly support my students’ learning. This will increase long-term sustainability and student opportunity by allowing them to engage in meaningful, real-world experiences within the program.