MOSCOW, Idaho-Fashion, microbiology, cloning and food safety will all be on the menu for high school students hungry to sample their future college careers during Ag Days at the University of Idaho Sept. 28-29.
Strong demand for the first round of high school workshops sponsored by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences during its annual showcase last year helped turn it into an annual event, said John Foltz, the college's associate dean and academic programs director.
"We wanted to offer high school students the chance to learn about different areas of science that they are thinking about as careers," Foltz said.
The workshops also tied in with events traditionally sponsored by student organizations such as FFA, the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America and 4-H during Ag Days.
Workshop topics include:
Inside the Fashion Business: Textiles and apparel comprise the world's second largest industry
Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger: Find ways to help ease hunger locally and globally
The Science of Play: Learn how toys help young children develop
Plant Tissue Culture Lab. See how scientists use cloning and other methods in plant research
What's in Your Food? Track ways microbiologists advance food safety.
In addition to participating in workshops, high school students have the chance to meet college students and stay overnight in the university's Student Recreation Center, which features a 55-foot free-standing climbing pinnacle.
Ag Days was founded in 1959 to invite alumni and friends of the college to return to campus to celebrate fellowship and the university's role as a land-grant university. The celebration includes a barbecue, student-run food fair, recreational competitions and other events. The college also has a block of tickets to the University of Idaho Vandals' home football game against the University of Hawaii.
More information about registering for the high school workshops and Ag Days is available at
www.cals.uidaho.edu/agdays. Registration for the high school workshops and other events is available for $25 to $70, depending on the events chosen.