Voices In the Field
“Voices in the Field” is a project led by Whiting High School (Albany County School
District #1) Principal Malinda Garcia. Malinda started the project during her time
as a teacher up at Wind River High school and has led it since 2020 with support from
the Wyoming School-University Partnership. In this capstone course, students learn
about the research process by establishing a hypothesis, conducting the review of
research & necessary investigatory ethics guidelines, and presenting the research
once completed.
During October in each academic year, the seniors in the capstone meet with professionals
in various fields to learn about what education and skills are needed. In this way,
there is a focus on professional leadership and personal development that is a key
distinction between “Voices in the Field” and many job fairs. The professionals are
lending their voices and the students are an audience willing to ask the needed questions
to gain deep insight. Some of the professionals present include community college
personnel, professors (agriculture, health, humanities, engineering, etc.), vocational
occupations, and workers in various community and government roles.
During April in each academic year, the seniors visit the University of Wyoming campus
for a few days to present their research and to undergo tours around the WyoTech and
UW campuses. At this time, professors are invited to be present and ask questions
for the students. In addition, the students learn about resources on campus including
the Native American Education, Research, and Cultural Center, the UW Planetarium,
UW Geology Museum, and informational sessions around financial aid and scholarships.
Projects such as these are key to developing the necessary skills for our Wyoming
students and it is of great benefit that we have teachers leading this front. If you
are interested in assisting as a professional mentor or learning more about how to
partner with this capstone course, please contact Malinda Garcia at
mgarcia@acsd1.org. If you are interested in learning how WSUP can work with you to enhance your projects
with students or how the Partnership can help support you, please contact
partnership@uwyo.edu.