What Has i-Trek Been Up To?
The Pilot Trek, June 2014
This has been an especially exciting month for i-Trek. With the completion of our pilot trek in Florida, we have officially transitioned from the vision of our founder, Niaja Farve, to a tangible success, and what a success! Our Trekkers defined their own research project, based on the proposal of fellow Trekker, Gage Light, to develop a cost-effective method of assessing coral health in real time, by anyone in the field. In order to complete their project, our students completed SCUBA certifications, designed the necessary tools for data collection, and analyzed the collected samples. This was, however, only the beginning.
The i-Trek mission is to empower underserved and underrepresented students with the tools to succeed in STEM careers, and that empowerment only begins with the research experience. The experience itself is immersive; we take them away from home to build a research team, one that depends on this experience and grows. We introduce them to professionals in STEM fields, helping them to make connections and begin to build a network. Our Trekkers receive training in professionalism: how to get into graduate school, how to create an abstract and present their research effectively, how to interview on both sides of the table, and how to develop an elevator pitch to succinctly express the content of their research. Lastly, we underscored the importance of benefitting the community beyond the abstract concept that research benefits us all, by involving the students in a butterfly habitat restoration project.
Our pilot Trek was immensely fun, but it was no vacation! We believe our Trekkers have learned to think outside the box, applying their skills in new ways to achieve their evolving goals. Continue to follow our progress as we start preparations for next year, and as we at i-Trek evolve!
By Nicholas Hatch, Marketing Lead
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In The Words Of Our Trekkers:
There were some great comments and suggestions from each of our participants. Overall a success, many of the students gained insight from the challenges presented during the pilot trek. Here are a few highlights from the program in their words:
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On the whole, I believe the whole Trek benefitted myself and my environment, and I see how capable we all are in making a difference in the world we live in today. I hope to stay in touch with the wonderful people I met over this short time span.”
-Ato Howard, Quinsigamond Community College
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"This is actually my first real research experience. It doesn't come, just like that. You have to work really hard to get what you want."
-Ato Howard, Quinsigamond Community College
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 "The highlight of the trip was meeting people from different fields and different experiences, and learning about different cultures, and working together as a team."
-Christine Richardson, Morgan State University
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My Experience With i-Trek
By Christine Richardson
“If you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself. If you want to know the theory and methods of revolution, you must take part in revolution. All genuine knowledge originates in direct experience.“ – Mao Zedong
Throughout life we experience new things every day that can positively influence our inherent knowledge. I have recently learned that the only way to gain “true” knowledge on a subject is for an individual to personally see, touch, smell, and embrace the subject, or else risk having no real feeling or passion for it. This is part of the mission of i-Trek. i-Trek gives students from various colleges and universities the opportunity to conduct hands-on research, as this experience is often not available at underfunded institutions. As a member of the trek pilot program, I was able to experience what that hands-on research is, and be taken into a world that gives the word “experience” a new outlook.
During the first days of the i-Trek program I was scared. I felt as though I had no real knowledge of the topic that was being presented as our trek research challenge. Also, the idea of meeting new people and going to a strange place with them reminded me of a line from a horror movie. Reluctantly, as I approached the rest of the team, I could see the nervous faces seep through behind the smiles, and I knew that everyone was just as nervous about this experience as I was. As I took my first steps out of the airport, with the team that I was going to spend the next two weeks with, I knew that I was about to go through an experience that would not only change my résumé, but my life experience and fundamental knowledge.
As the first day of the i-Trek program began, I met new people with different backgrounds. We gradually got to know one another and bits and pieces of everyone’s major and talents began to show. Eventually, as the program came to a close, we all became a family, and were grateful for the experience and the ability to share our knowledge and talents with others.
...Read More
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 “This experience opened my eyes to the wonders of the world... Not only is the world full of experiences, it’s full of possibilities and opportunities that are just waiting to be taken.”
-Christine Richardson, Morgan State University
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 "This is really different than any other program I saw. With this, you had your own opportunity to create your research project, and conduct it yourself."
-Gage Light, Savannah State University
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“I really enjoyed all of the presentations ...[i-Trek] offered, and I took a lot from those! They made me realize that I should never sit stagnant and keep looking for more opportunities. I thank you guys again for the incredible opportunity to conduct my own research! This is an experience that I will never forget, and I know in a few years that being a trekker will be something that many will envy, as the program expands.”
-Gage Light, Savannah State University
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