Macy Cook

 Week seven of my internship focused on the theme of cross-cultural competencies and global understanding. Throughout my time at college, I have learned about the importance of engaging with individuals from diverse backgrounds and have seen agriculture’s diversity across the country and how this diversity affects the surrounding communities. In the past two years, I have been given the opportunity to experience agriculture across the southern, midwestern, and northern regions of the country. While each area had many agricultural similarities, this exposure also revealed how there are vastly different crops grown on various topographical regions and how these differences affect and shape the surrounding local communities.

Teaching about plants at
my university's local
Boys & Girls Club.

My freshman year of college, I learned a great deal about cross-cultural competencies when, after noticing the need for fresh products in the community, a group of friends and I worked with the local Boys and Girls Club to plant a community vegetable garden and educate the children about agriculture and where their food comes from. This educational opportunity taught me how to work with children from all different backgrounds, ensuring everyone was included in the process by understanding and meeting each child’s needs. Additionally, as an advocate for my university’s School of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, I have learned how to engage with individuals of diverse backgrounds through recruitment and educational outreach events.

July 8- Teaching the children
at 4-H Camp how to
use the milking simulator.

On a more local level, my week consisted of various enjoyable events and projects. On Monday and Tuesday, I assisted the Dorchester County 4-H Educator, Erica Willing, with her 4-H Camp at a local church. This camp taught the children about good decision making and how choices can have lifelong unforeseeable consequences. The children were able to experience the effect smoking can have on their lungs by breathing through straws of various circumferences. By being provided with different scenarios and choosing their next actions, the children were able to realize the consequences associated with the decisions they make and how they can think through different circumstances and outcomes to reach the best and safest decision. Tuesday, July 8^th, was Cow Appreciation Day, so we brought a milking simulator and materials to make glue from milk. While both were messy and sticky activities, both the children and I really enjoyed this day of camp. These two days of camp presented me with an opportunity to employ my cross-cultural competency skills as I interacted with the children who each came from a diverse background and culture to ensure everyone was included and educated.

July 10 & 11- Teaching
children at the Talbot
County Fair about farm
safety & healthy
food choices.

On Wednesday, I spent my day at the Queen Anne’s County Extension office working on the curriculum for Agriculture Awareness Day. I was able to finalize and send out the interview forms for those who have played an instrumental role in the event. The next two days were spent responding to emails from these individuals and granting access to the forms. Most of my days on Thursday and Friday were spent at the Talbot County Fairgrounds. On Thursday morning, I assisted with Children’s Day at the Talbot County Fair, where children could play games, interact with animals, and participate in activities at various stations. In the afternoon, I organized data sheets and created data charts at the Talbot County Extension office before heading back to the fairgrounds, where I worked the 4-H booth Thursday and Friday evenings. Activities at this booth incorporated farm safety and healthy food choices into engaging activities that drew children of all ages. On Friday morning, I traveled to the Dorchester County Extension office, where I continued organizing data and participated in a berry tasting panel hosted by Haley Sater and Phil Nguyen at the Dorchester County office. Throughout Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I continued to make social media posts promoting the Talbot County Fair’s daily schedule, dinner, and entertainment. The seventh week of my internship has kept me extremely busy, but it has been filled with many enjoyable experiences and projects.