Four UMES students are currently participating in an international service learning project trip to Costa Rica led in part by Dr. Stephan Tubene, associate professor in the UMES Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences.
The purpose of the project is to enhance learning, discovery, and engagement in tropical agriculture and food systems for faculty as well as students. Tuskegee University, Delaware State University, Tennessee State University, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore are working together to train globally competent students while working in partnership with CATIE (the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) and EARTH University, both in Costa Rica.
Activities that were carefully planned for the students involve urban farming, traveling to the farmers market, exposure to farmers using grafting to grow fruit, a chocolate making demonstration, making fertilizer, planting trees, and more.
Tubene began travel on Sunday, July 21, with four students: Tylijah Cephas, senior, animal science/pre-vet major; Miyoung Oh, senior, general agriculture major; Jade Madison, junior, general agriculture major; and Joshua Wilmer, graduate student studying agricultural education.
The UMES contingent plans to return Saturday, August 10.
