Feb. 27 to March 3 has been designated Green Career Week, a nationwide effort led by local horticulture, agriculture and floriculture businesses and organizations around the country designed to expose high school students to outstanding career opportunities in these fields.
“People have experienced the power of plants and flowers in recent years, and Green Career Week shows how they can not only enjoy these products on a personal level but also build an entire career around them,” said Jazmin Albarran, executive director of Seed Your Future, the organization that’s spearheading the effort.
Seed Your Future is a movement to promote horticulture and inspire people to pursue careers working with plants. Seed Your Future created Green Career Week to help reach the next generation of professionals.
“People may not realize the huge number of career opportunities that are possible with a green background,” Kim Todd said. “Nearly every person has a landscape whether that’s a houseplant, a tiny urban space, a deck with a planter, a home, an acreage or a farmstead.”
Todd, a professor and extension horticulture specialist in agronomy and horticulture, says learning about plants, soils and landscapes can lead to engineering — think hydroponics or a deck that won’t collapse, human health and nutrition, the development of mobile apps or creative outlets.
“The connection between people and the land is timeless and essential, and infinite creativity can be fueled by engaging all senses and limbs in traveling a green career path,” she said.
During Green Career Week, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture will participate and connect with local groups to showcase the various career paths.
“By working together this week, we can give the industry a louder voice,” Tyler Quick, a recruitment specialist in agronomy and horticulture, said.
Quick, along with Darrel King, CASNR community engagement and experiential learning coordinator, and Brytany Gama, a senior agricultural education major and president of the UNL chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences, will be visiting the Jr MANNRS and FEWS2 Clubs at Lincoln Northeast High School.
The Jr MANNRS Club was created to help minority students build a community around and in pursuit of careers in agricultural sciences and related fields. The FEWS2 Club is a joint effort by LNE and CASNR to offer Northeast students hands-on, immersive experiences and early college pathways in Food, Energy, Water and Societal Systems.
CASNR and Agronomy and Horticulture also plan to participate through social media. When posting on social media, please use #UNLSYF and #GreenCareerWeek.
