The secret to an awesome expo for teens is pretty simple: all-in teachers, enthusiastic presenters, oversize chainsaws, speed dating, and squeeze cows (more about that later).During our second annual expo 200 students from RCPS and PMHS science classes yakked it up with 28 presenters representing fields as varied as solar energy, wildfire fighting, eco-therapy, materials engineering, green design, and landscape care. The Expo is Boxerwood’s newest way for advancing our mission “to educate and inspire people of all ages to become environmentally successful stewards of the Earth.”
Modeled on a pilot project offered at Boxerwood last May, this year’s extravaganza took place October 3 at the Glen Maury Park pavilion in Buena Vista. The Expo featured a speed-dating approach to career conversations. Grouped by theme, the presenters commandeered stations with special show and tell items. Students visited stations of their choice during five, 11-minute rounds, punctuated by a ringing cowbell.
During each round the presenters shared about their jobs then engaged the students in Q&A. We quickly learned that expo bling attracts interest, whether it be a chain saw and fire-fighting equipment (thanks, Forestry team!), samples of recycled glass sand, or those high-demand mini-squeeze cows (stress release toys) provided by our agricultural colleagues. To accommodate the number of students attending we offered both a morning and afternoon session, with most presenters generously giving their time for the whole day.
Was it worth it? An amazing 98% of the 200 students who completed exit surveys said yes. Not only did many indicate the Expo introduced new ideas for their lives, they also said they enjoyed the process and the chance to connect with local adults doing interesting work. Intriguingly every single station was someone’s favorite, whether it was soil science, pollution solutions, education, farming, wildlife management, or something else. Happily, the presenters also gave the experience high marks, with 100% agreeing the expo was valuable to them either personally and/or professionally.
Our next expo will be Fall 2023. If you know someone who earns a living in a green career who would like to join us, please contact elise@boxerwood.org.
