UM ‘Green is the New Pink’ for Young Environmentalists
2nd Year of Program looks to recruit 7-10th grade students to study local ecology.
OXFORD, Miss. – If you know a seventh through 10th grade young woman who would enjoy spending her Saturday hiking by a local river, hunting for salamanders, fishing for rare species, or tracking invasive organisms, they should check out the University of Mississippi’s “Green is the New Pink: Young Women Environmentalists in Action” program.
The environmental leadership program, created by the UM Office of Pre-College Programs, gives students the tools and resources to create positive change in their community, to encourage the adoption of resource conservation activities, and to ensure the safety of our planet for future generations.
“Last year’s participants had unique research opportunities and learned so much about the world around them that we wanted to be able to offer the program to a new group of students,” UM Assistant Director of Pre-College Programs Wendy Pfrenger said.
This year, Pfrenger, along with UM Pre-College Programs Director Ellen Shelton submitted a grant proposal to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks to fund the program. Last month, they were informed that the proposal had been accepted.
The “Green is the New Pink” program will give students the chance to explore different elements of the UM Field Station while collecting and examining data that they will later share with younger students who participate in the UM Ecology Day Camp program.
“We think it is a great opportunity for the participants to share what they discover with the next generation of environmental researchers,” Pfrenger said.
Shelton and Pfrenger are working with Scott Knight, the director of the UM Field Station, to provide specific learning and research activities for participants.
They will be working alongside Oxford High School teacher Angela Whaley, Corinth Middle School teacher Martha Tallent and Lafayette Middle School teacher Katie Szabo during the six Saturday morning activity days of the program that will take place in the fall 2018 and spring 2019.
Students interested in participating in the 2018-19 program are invited to apply online by Sept. 20 at outreach.olemiss.edu/pre_college/green_is_new_pink.html.