The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign welcomed 6th- to 12th-grade students from The Vault Community Center's Envision U Summer Career Camps for a hands-on learning experience featuring “animal careers” hosted by the Department of Animal Sciences on June 4. 

Below camp organizer Chelsea Irwin, the education liaison at The Vault, shares insights on what the students gained from their visit and how ACES plays a crucial role in inspiring the next generation through youth development and community engagement.

Can you explain what The Vault’s mission is and your role on the team?

The Vault exists to provide a fun and positive environment for social, academic, and spiritual growth where teens can be mentored to reach their full potential through a variety of opportunities and services. My role as the education liaison is to merge The Vault’s mission with the school district curriculum through collaboration with school and community resources to create high-quality and engaging learning opportunities — along with adding new learning and career experiences beyond the scope of the standard curriculum.

What was your goal for this visit and what did you want your students to gain from this experience?

The purpose of this trip was to introduce the students to the animal sciences department, and let them learn different aspects of raising and caring for livestock. This was part of our weeklong Animal Career camps that we offered to our students this summer. Many of our students are not familiar with large animals, and when they think of an “animal career” they often think of household pets and/or animals at a zoo. With my background in raising livestock, I wanted to provide a new experience for the students to interact with new animals.

Briefly describe what the visit entailed.

We met with Illinois Extension specialist, ANSC instructor, and livestock judging coach Lee Rinker, who was the lead for our trip. He took us to the Beef farm where we met with Nate Brookshire, a graduate student whose work is with the cattle. He talked to the students about the different technologies used in caring for the cows as well as basic knowledge about the animals. We also met with Ashley Dickerson, a research specialist who works at the dairy farm. She showed the students what life was like for the cows — from freshly born calves to being weaned and then moved to the milking pen. The students got to tour the milking parlor as well and see where their milk comes from. Lastly, we met with ANSC instructor and horse farm manager Megan Glowacz on the horse farm, where we had a short but fun experience with a mare and her new foal. The kids got to feed and pet them.

What feedback did you hear from the kids? What did they take away and/or enjoy the most?

For many of the students, this was the first time they had ever pet a cow or were close enough to feed a horse. The biggest question of the day was “What is the difference between a beef and dairy cow?” Well, the students quickly learned and could point out the differences between the two animals. Many of them have dreams of working with exotic or small animals, but they bonded instantly with the livestock. They loved the opportunity to roam on the farms and explore areas that were a bit out of their comfort zone. At the end of the day, the kids thoroughly enjoyed all the new experiences they had around the large animals.

How can members of the ACES community support programming like this through The Vault?

We are very proud to empower teens through experiential learning and leadership opportunities in partnership with our amazing, supportive community. These academic and career-based programs (provided free of charge to students!) cost The Vault approximately $95,000 each year. We welcome and encourage the community members to partner with us financially or by providing experiential learning opportunities that can break down barriers to education and inspire the next generation.

Support The Vault's mission of empowering teens through experiential learning and leadership opportunities by making a contribution online at The Vault's support page. To explore giving opportunities in the College of ACES that support youth development and community engagement, contact the Office of Advancement at acesadvancement@illinois.edu or 217-333-9355.