As we get closer to our OSLN Convening October 18th, we wanted to share more details about the great day we have planned for you. This convening is a perfect opportunity for K-12 teachers to spend the day learning about Food Security, Agriculture, and running a successful Design Challenge. Oh, and it’s free! But register soon. We’ll close registration on Oct. 11 OR when we reach capacity at 100 participants. At this time, we have more than 80 RVSP’s, so act fast to get your spot!
All participants will start at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center. Everyone will also have the chance to visit Waterman Farms, Ohio State’s Research Farm on campus and just up the street from the 4-H Center. We’ve arranged transportation to the farm and back.
To make sure the farm can accommodate everyone, you will be assigned to one of two groups. The first group will go to the farm in the morning and the second group will go in the afternoon.
Here’s an overview of the schedule:
| 9:30 am | Breakfast, Featured Speakers and Activity |
| 11:00 am | Breakout sessions for Group B
Waterman Farms for Group A |
| 12:15 pm | Lunch at the 4H center for all participants (provided by Battelle) |
| 1:00 pm | Breakout sessions for Group A
Waterman Farms for Group B |
| 2:30 pm | What’s in your Box? with Professor Prototype |
| 3:15 pm | Closing |
While you are at the 4-H Center, you will attend 2 (40 minute) breakout sessions from the list below. There are three choices, so work with your team to divide and conquer and get the info from all the sessions.
Sessions
Design Challenge 101: How to organize and run a design challenge at your school
Panelists:
Eileen McGarvey and Kris Owen, Pickerington Ridgeview Middle School
Melissa Drury, Berne Union Elementary School
Our panel will provide an overview to help guide you through all the steps of coordinating a successful design challenge at your school—from refining the question, to choosing a hook activity, and collaborating across subjects, our design challenge experts will help you get started. Whether you are new to design challenges, or have been doing them for years, this session will offer something for everyone.
Aquaculture and Engineering
Presenter: Bob Horton
Globally, fish consumption has nearly doubled in the last 40 years. At the same time wild fish capture has leveled off. This is due to decreasing wild stocks and high scrutiny of fishing practices. As a result, aquaculture has become one of the primary solutions to the worldwide demand for seafood. Participants will “engineer” a fish feeder to make an aquaculture operation more efficient.
Meet the Food Security Experts: Round-table Session
Presenters: Various experts
This session is designed to help you explore the issue of food security through a variety of different contexts. We have gathered experts on a range of agriculture subjects from biotechnology, organic vs. conventional farming, to programs like Farm to School and food waste reduction programs. This is not a typical workshop session—there is no lecture or specific activity; instead, you choose which experts you want to talk to and what questions to ask.
More information
To learn more about the design challenge, read:
- The unveiling of our 2019 Design Challenge topic and resource database for educators
- Our chat with “Professor Prototype”
- Some basics with on how to run an effective design challenge
Register
Earlier today, we emailed a confirmation at all those who have registered for the event. If you didn’t receive a confirmation, please register here.