Category: Professional Development

Therapeutic Horticulture Program Finds a New Home

by Eva Sailly
June 17, 2026

Relocation from Wilmont to the Teaching Farm This summer, the UF/IFAS Therapeutic Horticulture Program is joining the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Teaching Farm, relocating from Wilmot Gardens. The move will connect the program more closely ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Blog Community, Events, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Community Programming, Horticultural Sciences, Horticultural Sciences Teaching Farm, Leah Diehl, Students, Teaching, Therapeutic Horticulture

Careers Beyond Titles

by Gayle Whitworth
June 16, 2026

Co-written by Angelika Keene What Do You Want to Do? One of the first questions adults ask students is, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It sounds simple, but for many people, it feels overwhelming. The problem is that we often ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Money Matters, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: #lifestyles, Careers, Future, Hobbies, Personalities, Values, Youth

Beyond the Classroom: My Experience Interning with UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County

by Evelyn Spencer
June 15, 2026

My name is Evelyn Spencer, and I worked as an Environmental Education and Outreach Intern in the fall of 2025 and spring of 2026 with the UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County Sustainability Program. I graduated in May 2026 from the ... READ MORE

Category: Professional Development, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: Careers, Internship, Pgm_Sustain, Professional Development, Sarasota County Extension, Sustainability

Don’t let the ‘summer slide’ slow down learning; experts share fun options to fuel young minds

by Lourdes Mederos
June 11, 2026

Summer break has arrived for kids. A time for fun, freedom and family vacation. It can also be a time when academic skills fade away. With nearly 3 million students enrolled in Florida public schools, University of Florida experts at ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Blog Community, Camp, Clubs & Volunteers, Events, Professional Development, Relationships & Family, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: 4-H, 4-H Camp To Go, 4-H Programs, 4-H Summer Camps, Adventure, Adventures, Backyard Fun, Bonnie Wells, Citizen Science, David Hafner, Español, Exploring, Gardening, INaturalist App, Learning Opportunities, Lynsey Occenac, Outdoor Adventures, Science, Spanish, STEM, Summer, Summer Slide, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Broward County, UF/IFAS Extension Martin County, UF/IFAS Extension Osceola County, University Of Florida, Vacation, Young, Youth

FMNP in Action: Coastal Shoreline Restoration in Cedar Key

by Haley Cox
June 10, 2026

As the Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) celebrates its 25th anniversary, the Cedar Key community is celebrating recent contributions made by Master Naturalist students and partners. This spring, students in the FMNP Coastal ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Professional Development, Water
Tags: Cedar Key, Coastal Habitat, Coastal Systems, Community, Florida Master Naturalist Program, Florida Sea Grant, Living Shoreline, Restoration, Shoreline Restoration

Self-Compassion Practices: Be Kind to Yourself

by Angelika Keene
June 4, 2026

Everywhere we turn, social media, influencers, and even health professionals are offering endless advice on how to practice self‑care. Most of it centers on outward habits like getting enough sleep, eating well, and staying active. These routines ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Community Volunteers, Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Professional Development, Relationships & Family, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching, Work & Life
Tags: Balance Not Perfection, Be Kind To Yourself, Growth Mindset, Healthy Mindset, Mental Health Matters, Resilience, Self Compassion, Stress Management, Wellbeing Journey

Meet Kristen Sturgeon: A Florida Master Naturalist Success Story

by Katherine Clements
June 3, 2026

Blog co-authored by Mary Ellen Boelhower, Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) graduate Meet Kristen Sturgeon Meet Kristen Sturgeon, an Environmental Specialist III with Sarasota County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources. In this ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Conservation, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Florida Master Naturalist Program, Fmnp-in-srq, Nature, Pgm_EcoNR, Volunteers

Microbiology and Cell Science Students Visit Washington, D.C. in Inaugural ‘Study America’ Trip

by Dana Saunders
May 28, 2026

The inaugural Study America trip included 13 graduate students from both UF’s Department of Microbiology and Cell Science along with participants from the College of Pharmacy. The experience was open to master’s and doctoral students. ... READ MORE

Category: Professional Development,
Tags: Department Of Microbiology And Cell Science, Microbiology And Cell Science, University Of Florida

What’s New on Ask IFAS: Agricultural Education and Communication (Mar.–Apr. 2026)

by Amanda Quintos
May 15, 2026

Utilizing a Four Frame Approach to Provide Best Practices in FFA Programs Savannah J. Scott, Matthew Sowcik, and Debra M. Barry. The National FFA Organization was started nearly a century ago by a group of young farmers to prepare future generations ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Horticulture, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Competencias Interculturales, Demonstration Gardens, Facilitation, Ffa, Interpretive Signage, Leadership

Successful ForestSAT 2026 more than its parts

by Wes Wolfe
May 14, 2026

It would have been enough just to get together and see everyone. “Sometimes we get so busy with deadlines, right?” asked ForestSAT 2026 organizer Inacio Bueno, Ph.D. “Papers, coding, … work, meetings and other things — proposals ... READ MORE

Category: Events, Forests, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS
Tags: Austin Cary Forest, Forest, Forest Carbon, Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Forest Health, Forest Management, Forestry, ForestSAT, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, SFFGS, SilvaLab, Trees

Subscribe For More Great Content