Professional Development

Spotlight on a Professional Organization: American Public Health Association

The American Public Health Association, also known as APHA, is an organization
devoted towards promoting health through science, education, and policy. They focus on the
interconnectedness of subjects like Food and Nutrition, Healthy Behavior and Choices,
Neighborhoods, and Education, and wish to inform the American people of current health
research. They also address these issues on a political level
As someone that wants to educate children and families so that they can make healthy
lifestyle choices and nutritional habits, this organization is really appealing to me. The
community aspect of this organization is also necessary to my own code of ethics. No matter the
field I work in, my overall goal is to increase community building through disciplines like Food
and Nutrition and Education.
A summary of APHAs Code of Ethics:
Use scientific research to promote a healthier generation, promote changes in public health
policies, and work towards the goal of the community and individual. Overall, increase the
numbers of healthy people in the world through sharing practices developed from research.
Professional Development Opportunities
Opportunities to expand my professional development skills were abundant at the Land Trust but
here a few mentionable programs and events I had the opportunity to learn and grow from:
Farmer Business Classes

Athens Land Trust hosts business classes for local farmers to assist further their business and to
promote their truly enjoyed speaking to farmers about the state of their business and asking them
what type of resources they really need.
Georgia Organics Conference
Georgia Organics is a non-profit organization that strives to promote community-based food. A
large conference is held every year and Athens was the lucky candidate this 2015 year. Athens
Land Trust hosted some of the events and workshops for farmers, foodies, chefs, locals, and
visitors attending this large event. I had the privilege to increase my communication and public
speaking skills, educating them on Athens Land Trust and the community-urban farms that
Outreach and Tabling Training
I really learned to use my Human Development and Family Science knowledge when I was
forced out of my comfort zone to perform outreach for the Land Trusts workshops. I had to
understand specific populations and consider the most optimal ways to reach them. For example,
I was asked to target low-income populations in the area and learned that the best way to do this
was to make my way into these neighborhoods, knock on doors, and speak to people face-toface.
New Skills
Event Planning
I was shocked at the amount of time and work that planning events take, and how much I
enjoyed this planning! The last few weeks of my internship, I helped to plan for the 2015 market
season of the West Broad Farmers Market. I communicated with school chorus and band

teachers, as well as local bands, to have them perform at the market. I also emailed and called
chefs and Nutrition Science students in Athens for cooking demonstrations. These experiences
forced me to think outside of the box and really recruit people through email and phone language
tailored with each individual in mind.
Reflective Journal Entries
Throughout the semester, I reflected on my experiences during the internship . Here is my journal
from the sixth week of my internship. In this particular journal, I discuss the policies of the Land
Trust that I am learning. The Latter portion is a reflection during the said week.
Reflection Week 16
Weekly Hours: 16

Cumulative Hours: 90

All Athens Land Trust employees are given an Employee Handbook, which discloses
reporting procedures, policies, and separation from the organization. Therefore, every co-worker
of mine is very aware of the standards or at least has no reason to act in a certain way and claim
that they were ill-informed of ALTs policies. In a previous blog, I discussed the importance of
representing the organization in a professional manner. This included remaining cognizant of
what one posts on social media. My co-workers seem to follow policies like this, on a strict
basis. ALT even has more less commonly stated policies in the work environment that my coworkers seem to follow well. For example, the communal kitchen has a list of policies like,
clean up after yourself, and dont put dirty dishes on the clean rack.
Violations of ALTs more critical policies, like disorderly conduct, or violation of the
Drug Free Workplace Act, might result in employee dismissal by the Executive Director and/or
the Executive Committee, as stated by the handbook.

Programs within the Land Trust both belong to organizations and partner with
organizations. The USDA provides grants to many of ALT programs. In addition, the Land Trust
partners with organizations like Extension, Athens Community Council on Aging, and UGA
Horticulture. Athens Land Trusts Boulevard Woods program belongs to The Boulevard
Neighborhood Association. The conservation unit of Athens Land Trust is recognized by the
Land Trust Accreditation Commission, which is a program of the Land Trust Alliance. They
award land trusts across the nation, so I found this to be very cool.
Update
The first half of the week consisted of necessary computer work and farm work. We had a
staff workday out at Williams farm on Tuesday which was a good way to bond and get some
things accomplished on the farm. On Thursday, a few of us(interns and staff) went out to
neighborhoods on West Broad and promoted business classes that ALT is hosting for individuals
that want to start their own business or potentially sell crafts or produce at the West Broad
Market. Friday I helped set up and for a different set of business classes that Athens Land Trust
is hosting for farmers. I truly enjoyed speaking to farmers about the state of their business and
asking them what type of resources they really need. For example, one lady needs help
promoting her handmade goat milk to chefs at local restaurant- the soap is made with coffee and
is particularly useful for removing garlic and onion from hands. Afterwards I attended a training
session for tabling at events, so now Im allowed to speak on Athens Land Trusts behalf about all
of their programs. Im looking forward to this.

Weaknesses and Strengths

I entered my internship with a low amount of confidence in my speaking abilities and I
doubted my creative abilities as well. Upon completion of this internship, I feel confident to
speak in front of small and large groups.
When I first began my internship, I was afraid to connect with coworkers and really ask
them about how I was performing. I also felt too new. I didnt introduce creative opinions.
This being said, I went into the program a little perplexed about my responsibilities, and I
undermined my knowledge on certain subjects. My responsibilities were very broad, and I
mostly helped out where I was needed- sometimes this was in the garden, planning meetings, or
performing outreach. If I could go back and pick a more specific area within ALT, such as
Summer Camp Intern, my responsibilities would have been more defined and my energy have
been utilized my optimally. I began to learn another truth about Athens Land Trust as the weeks
followed: all of the programs are interconnected; therefore interns will eventually get to dabble
in all program aspects that the Land Trust offers. I was afraid to be too specific and confined to
an area that I didnt like, but this would not have been the case.In the future, I can be more
assertive with ideas and also ask many more questions about tasks before delving into them.
One-year goals
My goals for the next year include making more to-do lists and becoming more
intentional with coworkers and projects. Since I will be working as a teacher in Argentina for a
few months after graduating, specifically, I plan to build my Spanish speaking skills and I hope
to do this by completely immersing myself in opportunities to practice the language. I anticipate
opening my eyes and ears to a new culture, so that I can bring novel and innovative educational
tools back to the United States.

Five Year Goals

I really want to travel and gain helpful skills to work with a diverse group of clients. In
five years, I hope to have gained enough experience to start my own garden or farm to feed my
own family. I also wish to either start a garden to benefit a community of an at-risk population,
persons with disabilities, or a community of seniors.