2024 | Roots of Change: Inmate Education in Natural Resources and Careers
October 20th, 2023 - Interfaces for Global Change 10 year anniversary workshop event. (Photo by Luke Hayes/Virginia Tech)
IGC Capstone Project | Interfaces of Global Change
Roots of Change: Inmate Education in Natural Resources and Career
Student Members:
- Mariana Castaneda Guzman, Fish and Wildlife Conservation
- Reilly Brennan, Entomology
- Thomas Bustamante, Fish and Wildlife Conservation
- Megan Moran, Fish and Wildlife Conservation
- Chris Blume, Fish and Wildlife Conservation
- Rachel Green, Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Faculty Mentor:
- Dr. Willandia Chaves, Fish and Wildlife Conservation
This capstone project involved the team traveling to a local prison and guiding a group of inmates through a series of day-long courses to prepare them for a career in natural resources upon release. The team created four lessons addressing the form and function of plants and animals, terrestrial and aquatic ecology, practical skills used by professionals in natural resources fields, and professional development. As the course progresses, they provided participants with informational packets to review and regularly surveyed the group to gauge enjoyment and understanding of material. Upon completion of the course, they provided each inmate with a certificate as tangible proof of their accomplishment.
The Interfaces of Global Change IGEP provides PhD students with a unique intellectual focus and training.
Each IGC Fellow gains depth in their specific scientific area of expertise (e.g. biology or engineering), while simultaneously gaining breadth in the multifaceted realm of global change and the science-policy interface.
