The first author and youth program leader for the Cornell Garden-Based Learning Program created a multi-tiered approach to providing real-world Extension experience for Cornell undergraduate students while simultaneously gathering essential data for an online curriculum. The second author served as the project evaluator. Eight Cornell University undergraduates enrolled in a two-semester course sequence, in which they learned the knowledge required to create a living sculpture project with youth-adult teams at three New York State sites. This article addresses the factors we discerned that lead to effective student engagement in field experiences, and generalizes our findings for others.
Eames-Sheavly et al. (Mon,) studied this question.