Dalila Rendon, Biologist
My focus for my masters degree was environmental education. Therefore, one of my favorite things is teaching science, inside and outside the classroom. Here are some of my experiences....
Hood River middle school: I have partnered up with the local middle school science teachers. Through school and lab visits, we teach students some of the local science projects happening here, and how they tie in with the concepts they are learning in class.
Small farms workshops (in Spanish): I deliver multiple workshops to Hispanic farmers on entomology and integrated pest management. All these events are coordinated through the Marion county extension service.
Farm field days, Oregon: I have participated in numerous farm field days, for blueberry, cherry and farming for beneficial insects.
CSIRO Scientists in Schools (http://www.scientistsinschools.edu.au/): This volunteer program is a great way to bring together school teachers and scientists. I am currently working in partnership at the North Sydney Demonstration School, developing and implementing simple science experiments that students can do in the classroom.
Cotton Australia: I had a lot of fun teaching the audience at the 2014 Sydney Royal Easter Show. From the farm to the gin, this stand offered a great educational experience about everything that there is to know about cotton production in Australia.
Xerces Society (http://www.xerces.org/): I collaborated with this organization to help compile educational material about conservation of beneficial insects and spiders in farms and gardens, for biological control of pests. This was the first step on building a platform where farmers and agencies can easily access information about this topic.
Department of Environmental Sciences and Management, Portland State University: I worked as a teaching assistant for the undergraduate courses "Water in the environment" and "Natural Science Inquiry". I also volunteered as a tutor for field trips in aquatic entomology.
Audubon Society of Portland (http://audubonportland.org/): I volunteered with the Audubon Society for almost two years, teaching outdoor courses for K-12 students. I also had one of the best summers of my life, working as an instructor in week-long camps on various ecology and geology topics.
Oregon MESA (http://oregonmesa.org/): This is a truly wonderful organization, where I had the privilege to work as a program ambassador for middle and high school students who are underrepresented in STEM fields. I had the experience of designing after-school science activities, and help students develop their own projects.
Department of Biology, Universidad de los Andes (Bogota, Colombia): I had my first experience at undergraduate teaching, when I was still an undergraduate myself. On my last year, I worked as a tutor for "Ecology" and "Animal physiology". That's when my love for teaching started....