TriDistrict Caps New Course: Natural Resources, Sustainability, and Food Systems
Natural Resources, Sustainability and Food Systems: Bringing Curiosity Back into Learning
This new interdisciplinary course, offered through the TriDistrict CAPS program and taught on site at Dodge Nature Center’s main property in West St. Paul, explores the intersection of food systems, sustainability, natural resources, and chemistry. Co-taught by Jesse Rock, a South St. Paul Public Schools teacher with 10 years of experience in life science and chemistry, and Tatum Miklasevics, an agricultural education teacher and recent University of Minnesota graduate in Plant Science and Global Studies, the course blends their complementary expertise to create a strong interdisciplinary experience for students.
For the 12 students enrolled in its inaugural year, this means lots of outdoor learning and hands-on interactions with animals, plants, and the environment. Through labs, fieldwork, and real-world projects, students investigate soil, water, and air chemistry, sustainable agriculture, and environmental stewardship. Time spent outside at Dodge Nature Center has quickly become a favorite part of the experience, shares Instructor Jesse Rock. “It honestly just brings a lot of curiosity back into learning. We harvest apples, work in gardens, and learn how bees make their honey hive. We just explore the outdoors and when students are curious, they ask questions. This class is putting curiosity back into education and getting our students connected to nature and understanding where all of our resources come from.” Students also hear from guest speakers, take field trips to the Mississippi River Institute and Clean Energy Innovation Institute. Being on site at Dodge, students have the privilege of working directly with Farm Director Don Oberdorfer and Environmental Educator Director Pete Cleary, making it the perfect space to expose students to the foundational concepts of the course.
In the second semester, students are paired with internships, volunteer work, or service projects with local partners. This is a time for them to explore career options, network, and see how agriculture, chemistry, and the environment connect in the professional world. Internships are offered in areas like food, utilities, and sustainability. With so many options, there really is something for each student regardless of their interests.
Partnerships and Growing the Course
The course has drawn interest from partners including the City of Bloomington, Great River Greening, and Freshwater Society. These collaborations expand opportunities for students and will continue to strengthen this new program through the students internships.
Through a partnership with the Great Plains Institute and its Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs), students will also earn certification as Community Energy Ambassadors. This training prepares them to engage others and support clean energy initiatives in their communities.
What is TriDistrict CAPS?
TriDistrict schools —the districts of South. St. Paul Public Schools, ISD 199 and School District 197— and partners collaborating as never before in order to change the high school experience. Working together to support students in exploring their interests and passions, and immersing them in local business and industries. As students learn on-site at local businesses, they develop and practice both academic and professional skills that will propel then into their future. The four programs include:
- Healthcare Careers & Medicine
- Transportation Business & Technologies
- Business & Entrepreneurship
- Computer Science & Business Technology
Learn more about TriDistrict CAPS here, or connect with CAPS Director Ben Kusch at bkusch@tridistrictce.org
Two RIvers Student Interviews
Mackenzie Woods
Mackenzie — a Two Rivers senior, plans to study Environmental Science at Luther College — is building real-world skills that support her interests through her CAPS internship with Great River Greening.
What lead you to take this course? How does it relate to your future career plans or interest?
I like spending time outdoors and I wanted to get a non-conventional experience before going to college next year for environmental science or ecology, I haven’t decided where yet though.
Was there something that really surprised you that you learned in the course?
I learned about Dodge’s aquaponics system. I’ve always seen it but never knew what it actually was!
Who do you suggest take the course?
Everyone! But especially people who are really into nature, who want to get their hands dirty, and want to gain a new experience!
The class fosters curiosity and when we want to test something, the instructors usually make it happen. There is a great balance of us being able to deep dive into what we’re curious about and also doing what needs to be done.
Lorenzo Blanco
Lorenzo, a Two Rivers senior, discovered his love for working outdoors and animals at Dodge, through Garlough Environmental Magnet School's iNature class and regular visits to the nature center. He continued his journey at Heritage STEM Magnet, and is now coming full circle with a senior-year internship back at Dodge through the new CAPS course. He hopes to be a veterinarian.
Why lead you to take this course? How does it relate to your future career plans or interest?
To be honest, my friend, Henry, recommended that I take the course with him. After hearing what the natural resources course did, that kinda solidified me taking the course. I always liked working outside and with the experience I already had in elementary school, I knew it would be the right fit. I wanna be a vet when I’m older, so having a chance to work outside and with animals, but also just nature in general, I thought it would be a good opportunity to get some more knowledge and experience.
Post secondary Plans?
After High School, I would like to go to college. I’ve already applied to a few and have gotten into around half of them. Like I said in the last question, I want to be a Vet when I’m older. Not a ton of colleges actually have a Veterinarian major, but they do have Pre-Veterinary Medicine, which is just the thing you need before you actually study to be a Vet. Those colleges set you up to complete Pre-Veterinary Medicine and then once you complete that, you transfer to a college that has a Veterinary school, which would most likely be U of M Twin Cities. Hopefully I complete and finish college to finally be a Vet, but anything could happen, and maybe I’ll realize that I want to do something else. But for now, I want to go to college and eventually become a Vet.
Tell me about your internship so far? Out of all the internships though, I want to intern at Dodge. I think being at Dodge for the CAPS class has shown me that I would like to work there and just get to work outside and with animals.
Who do you suggest take the course?
I would suggest this course to anyone who likes being outside or to anyone who wants to learn more about agriculture. We learn about agriculture and chemistry in this course, but the chemistry is more basic and you learn it already from classes you take in school. We learn about agriculture more in depth and learn about a wide spectrum of flowers, plants, ecosystems, etc. I would also suggest taking this course with a friend. It just makes the experience better and gives you someone to talk to before getting to know other people.
