Apply to be a Peer Mentor for the AgDiscovery 2022 Summer Program

Ag Discovery 2022 is seeking qualified and exemplary students to fill the position of Ag Discovery Peer Mentor. Ag Discovery Peer Mentors assist Ag Discovery student participants during the 3-week program from July 10– July 29, 2022. Peer Mentors will receive a stipend and are included on all program field trips. In previous years, such field trips included Brookside Gardens, and National Zoo, Smithsonian Natural History Museum, Capitol Hill, and USDA/APHIS research facilities. The 2021 program was in virtual format due to COVID-19, so there were no field trips...but we hope to have planned activities for summer 2022.

Students who are interested in making connections, promoting the College of AGNR, and are able to work with youth (ages 15-17) are encouraged to apply. A detailed position announcement is below. Please send a resume and cover letter to Jehnae Linkins at linkinsj@umd.edu no later than Tuesday, March 1, 2022.

Ag Discovery Peer Mentor Position Announcement
The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Maryland College Park is excited to announce the 2021 Ag Discovery summer program from July 10 – July 29, 2022. Ag Discovery is a 3-week program sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) in conjunction with the University of Maryland (UMD) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and UMD Young Scholars Program (YSP) to promote the agricultural and life sciences and provide high-school students with an on-campus experience.

Student participants ranging from ages 15-17 will engage in varied activities involving plants and animals, the importance of protecting America's food supply from insects and disease, the role of regulation in genetically engineered organisms, and the challenge of managing and resolving wildlife conflicts. Student participants will have the opportunity to earn three university college credits in AGNR100, “An Educational Odyssey Exploring Food, Culture, and the Environment.

Ag Discovery Mentor Position Description:

All AGNR Discovery Mentors…

• Assist with online course construction and management
• Monitor student participants during sponsored activities from July 10 – July 29
• Accompany student participants on all weekday field trips and one-weekend events. Past student activities include a Capitol Hill tour, trips to the National Zoo, Smithsonian Natural History Museum, Brookside Gardens, Patuxent Wildlife Refuge, and USDA lab experiments. Most activities may be virtual in the event of changes in CDC guidelines
• Assist AGNR100 instructor with course grading and activities
• Attend AGNR training session
• Positively represent AGNR and the University of Maryland
• Provide support, leadership, and compassion to Ag Discovery students

Qualifications: 

Applicants must 1) have experience working as a counselor, mentor, or tutor, 2)be an AGNR student, 3) demonstrate leadership abilities, and 4) be in good academic standing in your major.

Program Dates: 

July 10 – July 29

*Please consider your plans to take summer courses and the time commitment required for this position. Mentors must be available for the entire program, July 10- July 29. The workday for our virtual program is from 9 am to 3 pm daily and one Saturday during the three weeks. Students will work remotely during the program.

How to apply:

Send a cover letter and resume to Jehnae Linkins, linkinsj@umd.edu

Deadline:

Tuesday, March 1, 2022.

Thank you in advance for your interest!