Use of Workshops to Prepare Students for Their Internship Experience.

The Department of Agronomy at Kansas State University has a required internship for nearly all students. The internship program is very structured and includes an evaluation by the employer and an assessment by the student including input on skills they feel need more emphasis prior to the internship. The majority of internships involve field based consulting activities and students often indicate the need for more current information to assist them with basic pest control practices, identifying production problems, and assessing crop development. For the past several years, the Department has organized a two-night workshop for students enrolled in summer internships. One night is focused on pest management and crop production problems. A set of calculations is assigned covering basic agronomic math problems. The second night is a review of weed identification using live plant samples and “lab practical” stations focused on identifying crop developmental stages, nutrient deficiencies, herbicide injury symptoms, and other production problems using plant samples. Stations also include practice in reading and interpreting pesticide or seed bag labels, sprayer nozzle selection, evaluating soil test results, variety/hybrid selection, etc. Attendance earns bonus points toward the final grade for the course. Students have rated the workshops as a valuable tool for helping them prepare for their internships. For younger students, they provide at least an introduction to topics they may not yet have covered in classes. For older students, the workshops provide a great review of essential topics before they head to the field.