PRYDE’s CCE Intern spends the summer facilitating a youth program in Rochester
This summer, Tobie Bertisch ‘25 (Cornell Cooperative Extension [CCE] and PRYDE Intern) spent six weeks in Rochester, helping to facilitate the Cultivating Community program for youth. Organized through CCE Monroe County 4-H, Cultivating Community invites teens to connect with professionals from a variety of fields, work in community gardens, and take part in a number of outdoor activities. The program is designed as a space for youth to develop skills to prepare them for the workplace. In addition to supervising and mentoring 12 students, Tobie facilitated a cooking class for these Rochester teens: Tuesdays with Tobie. Her workshops taught young people about kitchen safety and healthy eating, using an active learning approach that let students work together to test recipes. “It was so great to watch the students try, and even enjoy, new vegetables,” Tobie said in a piece on the summer experience.
Following the summer in Rochester, Tobie – who majors in Human Development on the Pre-med track – returned to Cornell to present a poster at the September 10th 2024 CCE Summer Internship Reception. This presentation summarized data that Tobie collected in Rochester, indicating students’ increase in career-applicable skills, gardening prowess, and preparedness for community service. Tobie also used her presentation and poster to reflect on the impact that program facilitation had on herself, as well. She developed skills navigating the complexities of having a position of authority while also building personal connections with participating teens. This was the second year that PRYDE and CCE Monroe have co-mentored a CCE intern from the College of Human Ecology. Each year, students have supported 4-H programs in Rochester both as program facilitators and as PRYDE translational researchers, conducting evaluation research to explore program impacts.
