Online engagement programs can introduce youth to sustainable STEM solutions and careers through connections with agricultural and natural resources (ANR) experts. Prior research indicated youth are concerned about the planet's future. Sustainability experts can engage with youth to alleviate some of those concerns to show how they can positively impact soil and water quality challenges in urban areas. We applied arts-based data collection methods to examine how imagery from a live online electronic field trip (EFT) about hydroponics influenced urban high school students' visual conceptualizations of food-growing techniques and related career role models. We coded drawings and compared them directly to images featured in the EFT. We present the results in themes and a visual collage that indicates youth a) identified specific hydroponics techniques and technology, b) conceptualized women career role models as hydroponics experts, and c) described hydroponics as a sustainable agriculture solution for urban food insecurity. Findings through their drawings and reflections revealed EFT imagery influenced students' perceptions and responses, with the resulting collage highlighting important connections and themes. Future research could replicate the study across ANR topics, locations, and careers as well as implement real-time evaluation methods such as perception analyzer dials and opinion polling.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Dyment et al. (2024) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: