Hello everyone! My name is Leah Acevedo and I am an environmental science major on the pre-law track at the University of Florida. I could not be more happy to complete this internship. I am so grateful that I got the chance to take on such a fun and exciting internship with Broward 4-H. I have met so many amazing people and learned so much. For my internship, I got the opportunity to work on a large range of projects. I got to experience so many things, and I have grown into a more confident person. This internship has taught me the importance of being determined and passionate. Throughout my time here I mainly worked on advancing our environmental science programs.

Learning from Mentors and Peers

Being able to work alongside my supervisor Kenan Bridges and the other intern, Amy Suarez, has been a rewarding experience. I helped Amy with her Health Rocks! Program, and I got to learn a lot from her as I would accompany her to the middle school sites. Being able to watch how she teaches lessons showed me how different teaching styles can work and taught me a lot about delivering an effective lesson. Getting to interact with the youth to answer their questions or help them with an activity taught me about patience and staying resilient, as some groups would be less excited about the lessons than others. It showed me that adapting your methods of communication to fit the needs of the community is really important, and can make a big difference.

Hands-On Experience with Native Plants and Program Planning

I also got to work on the Native Plants Program with our former Education Specialist Alexa Tillet. I helped edit the program document and matched educational standards with the activities, which was a very rewarding experience and gave me a lot of insight into how program planning works. I created one full teacher kit for the Native Plants Program with all the curriculum and the materials, so teachers are able to check it out for their classrooms. I have started to work on a marketing campaign to help advertise the program, and I cannot wait to see how it will look in the future.

I have learned many things about lesson planning as well from the Learn, Grow, Eat, Go program. Getting to teach a lesson to a local summer camp was a very meaningful experience for me, and I was able to teach 15 elementary and middle school students about plant parts. Now, thanks to that connection, the camp will be starting a 4-H club!

We also taught a water quality lesson at an Everglades magnet camp to more than 100 youth, which was a very exciting opportunity. Getting to develop that lesson taught me to be creative, and I was able to share my passion for water quality.

Building Skills for a Future in Environmental Law

Overall, all the skills that I have learned in this internship have helped me become a more professional person, and I have learned a lot about teaching and how rewarding it can be. My communication skills have improved, and I feel this experience will help me become a good environmental lawyer in the future as I have learned how to teach and communicate with many different people, whether that is kids or adults. I have learned the importance of team work and critical thinking, which will help me be a better student as well.

Lastly, I would like to thank the Broward County Extension office for always being so accepting and welcoming. I have seen all the amazing work that Extension agents and employees have accomplished. I would like to thank Kenan for always being so supportive and encouraging, and teaching me to be more confident, as well Amy for being such an amazing and guiding friend. I will miss all of our talks in the break room, and I can’t wait for you to chase your dreams and become a great occupational therapist. I am excited to see where Broward 4-H will go, and I know 4-H is in good hands!

By Leah Acevedo

ABOUT FLORIDA 4-H
4-H is the youth development program of the land-grant university system and Cooperative Extension System. The program provides hands-on educational programs and experiences for youth ages 5 to 18 with the objective of developing youth as individuals, and as responsible and productive citizens. In Florida, 4-H is administered by University of Florida/IFAS Extension and Florida A&M University.

Related Articles:

Meet Leah Acevedo – Broward 4-H Intern – UF/IFAS Extension Broward County

Teaching, Learning, and Leading: A Summer with 4-H – UF/IFAS Extension Broward County

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