Young adults seeking adventures in the past and present can enjoy immersive experiences and gain skills for the future as part of the Youth Apprentice Program at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Georgia Museum of Agriculture (GMA).
Sara Hand, GMA Assistant Director, said, “The program is designed to offer youth an opportunity to learn about the past, gain hands-on experience for the modern professional environment, and prepare them to take an active role in volunteering. Along the way apprentices make new friends, discover new skills, and have countless fun memories.”
Interested youth and parents can attend a drop-in information session on April 24 any time from 10 a.m. to noon in the Peanut Museum, located behind the GMA Country Store. This provides an opportunity for interested young adults and their parents to learn more about the program, meet current apprentices, and ask questions. Light refreshments will be provided.
First year apprentice Daniela Gomez noted her experience as being “mind-blowing and perspective changing.
“I have been given the opportunity to try new things and learn history about our town that I would have never known if I hadn’t volunteered here,” Gomez said.
Kiley Stephens is a seasoned apprentice who has volunteered at the GMA since 2018. She affectionately described her time at the museum stating, “I love volunteering at the GMA. It’s like I’ve stepped right into an old timey movie, and then made a million friends in the movie. I love sharing it with the guests.
“I used to see volunteer hours as a box on a checklist, but now when I think about volunteering, all of the great memories I’ve made at the GMA flood my mind.”
Youth apprentices volunteer a minimum of 30 hours during the summer and another 30 hours during the school year to assist with interpretation and special events. Many of the students enjoy working well beyond the minimum required hours with several fun events hosted by the GMA and plentiful options for interpretation.
“Students who are interested in acting, agriculture, history, natural resources and/or communication are great candidates,” Hand said. “However, the program is available to any student seeking to learn new skills and opportunities for new experiences.”
The summer portion of the apprentice program begins on June 1 and continues through the end of July. The summer schedule for youth apprentices usually includes activities on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in June and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in July; however, the program is flexible enough to fit most schedules so that apprentices can participate in other summer activities such as family vacations or attend a camp.
For more information on the Youth Apprentice Program, interested persons can contact Hand at (229) 391-5208 or at sfhand@abac.edu.