Darrien Kinsman '18 - Malabar Farm State Park

Darrien Kinsman

Class Year: 2018 

Major: Biology

Hometown: Mount Vernon, OH

Internship Site: Malabar Farm State Park

Location: Lucas, OH

Internship Responsibilities: Our task was to implement educational programs based on what the park has to offer. The number one priority was the Farm Fun Day in August. The goal was to educate incoming children about what goes on at the farm. The other intern and I worked together to create "The Cheeseburger Activity," where we set up four stations representing the meat, the dairy, the grains, and the vegetables. Each station had its own activity, which we also created, to demonstrate where each part of the cheeseburger comes from. After the children completed each station, they received a cut out of that portion of the cheeseburger to glue to their piece of paper, which would result in a finished (paper) cheeseburger after all four stations. The Cheeseburger Activity was a tremendous hit, and I was very proud of our success. Watching the groups of children come in and be excited to learn was exactly what we were hoping for.

My second goal was to create a program related to the herb garden. The first step I took was constructing a new pamphlet providing information about all of the herbs being grown, including what they are commonly used for and why they are important. The program will consist of providing a weekly or bi-weekly that will be taught by park volunteers, demonstrating how to cook/utilize the herbs. Each class will focus on a different herb, and the finished product (which would typically be food) could be sampled by those who attend. 

What I Learned: My internship at Malabar Farm was such an amazing experience. I worked with inspiring people, learned so many new things, and was able to accomplish my goals. I am very honored to have been selected for this internship opportunity. The experience is sure to help me in my future. I feel as though I have grown into a stronger student as well. I plan to revisit Malabar in the future, and I hope there will be additional opportunities in store there for me.