| NCAUR Outreach |
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NCAUR Outreach
Outreach activities at NCAUR, strives to encompass broad interactions with the general public as well as specific groups to help them learn more about agricultural research and how it affects their lives every day, and educating the future scientific work force. The Outreach committee is currently chaired by Kim Ascherl and is comprised of a group of dedicated volunteers.
The following are summaries of select activities and photos of a few of the events during this past year, some of these events happened on site, while others happened off-site at schools and local museums. Please note that we do have consent and photo release forms on file for all of the photos in this summary.
For more information about outreach activities and how to schedule a tour or virtual event, please contact Kim Ascherl at kim.ascherl@usda.gov.
Chicago High School for Agriculture Sciences visited NCAUR for a laboratory experience on May 16, 2023
Chicago High School for Agriculture Sciences visited NCAUR for a laboratory experience on May 10, 2022
Lewistown IL High School Tour of NCAUR, November 21, 2019
Student Researcher Day at NCAUR, November 12, 2019
Through the Student Researcher Program, high school students gain hands-on experience with some of the same research techniques used daily by career researchers at the lab. By the end of the day, students will have rotated through three different laboratories, interacted closely with research staff and gained a deeper understanding of how the multi-disciplinary teams at NCAUR solve research puzzles of national importance, one piece at a time.
NCAUR Participates in Career Spark, October 8-9, 2019
Eleven NCAUR scientific staff presented information and demonstrations of work done in laboratories focused on agriculture to 8th grade students from 73 schools in nearby communities. The goal of the career fair was to provide students an opportunity to explore, experience and be inspired by the many careers available in the Central Illinois area. NCAUR was a natural fit into the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Career Field, since it offers a unique tilt to science careers that many other organizations might lack. NCAUR's booth covered many disciplines of science including plant biology, entomology, microbiology, food chemistry and chemistry involving oils and polymers.
Science Rocks, at Peoria Riverfront Museum, September 7, 2019
Science Rocks was a collaboration with the Peoria Riverfront Museum. NCAUR provided 5 booths with demonstrations and hands-on activities relating to our diverse research projects. The Peoria Riverfront Museum estimated that approximately 664 attendees came through the museum during the Science Rocks four hour free event.
Illinois Wesleyan Math Forum, September 5, 2019
American Society for Metals (ASM) Materials Camp at NCAUR, July 23, 2019
American Society for Metals (ASM) Materials Camp introduces & encourage area high school students to choose engineering as a career.
Canton High School Career Fair, March 22, 2019
Three NCAUR Research Technicians demonstrated science techniques at the Canton High School Career Fair in Canton IL. They also spoke about careers available in science and agriculture here at NCAUR.
Student Researcher Day at NCAUR, November 8, 2018
Through the Student Researcher Program, high school students gain hands-on experience with some of the same research techniques used daily by career researchers at the lab. By the end of the day, students will have rotated through three different laboratories, interacted closely with research staff and gained a deeper understanding of how the multi-disciplinary teams at NCAUR solve research puzzles of national importance, one piece at a time.
Science Rocks, at Peoria Riverfront Museum, September 8, 2018
Science Rocks was a collaboration with the Peoria Riverfront Museum. NCAUR provided 5 booths with demonstrations and hands-on activities relating to our diverse research projects. The Peoria Riverfront Museum estimated that approximately 1,715 attendees came through the museum during the Science Rocks four hour free event.
AgDiscovery visit on July 18, 2018
Students and mentors from the 2018 AgDiscovery Program (sponsored by USDA/APHIS) learned about the research, history, and resources available at NCAUR during their visit to the building. They visited the ARS Culture Collection, learned about the process of converting biomass to energy, talked to Dr. Jill Moser about her research on functional foods and inspected cabbages (in the field) for cabbage loopers.
Western Illinois University visit on April 27, 2018
Two teachers and fifteen students from the Western Illinois University Dietetics program came to NCAUR to learn about the history of the building, visit the Functional Foods Pilot Plant and learn about oils as it relates to their studies about nutrition.
Quest Academy mini STEM camp on April 6, 2018
Middle school students from Quest Academy in Peoria, IL received hands-on experience in basic experimental techniques used every day by NCAUR researchers. Students learned the importance of measuring, weighing and recording observations. The students were guided by NCAUR scientific staff members.
Science Rocks, at Peoria Riverfront Museum, September 9, 2017
NCAUR provided seven booths (representing each of our Research Units) with demos and hands-on activities relating to our diverse research projects at the Peoria Riverfront Museum’s Science Rocks event. The Peoria Riverfront Museum estimates that 1050 people go through the museum during Science Rocks event.
American Society for Metals (ASM) Materials Camp at NCAUR, July 24-26, 2017
American Society for Metals (ASM) Materials Camp introduces & encourage area high school students to choose engineering as a career. This year, two teams participated in the project at NCAUR. Students from the two teams were assigned two projects to perform at the AgLab over three days.
4G Stem Camp at NCAUR, June 28, 2017
The 4G STEM camp was a collaboration with the University of Illinois Extension office, designed to introduce girls entering sixth, seventh, and eighth grades to careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). This year NCAUR hosted 35 girls for a full day (7 hours) of doing hands on science experiments.
Quest Charter Academy-Middle School Teachers Visit to NCAUR, May 27, 2017
High school teachers and the development director from Quest Charter Academy toured NCAUR and spoke to several of our research scientists about possible outreach and mentorship opportunities between Quest Academy students and NCAUR.
Western Illinois University Dietetics Students and Faculty Visit NCAUR, April 20, 2017
Western Illinois University Dietetics Students and Faculty visited NCAUR facilities on 20 April 2017 to learn about the pilot plant, oils, and the history of NCAUR.
Student Researcher Day at NCAUR, November 8, 2016
Through the Student Researcher Day Program, high school students gain hands-on experience with some of the same research techniques used daily by career researchers at the lab. Students rotated through three different laboratories, interacted closely with research staff and gained a deeper understanding of how the multi-disciplinary teams at NCAUR solve research puzzles of national importance, one piece at a time.
