Learning through service: OHIO Eastern students support conservation, community at Captina Duck Dash

While hundreds of brightly colored rubber ducks floated down Captina Creek during Captina Conservancy's annual Duck Dash fundraiser, Ohio University Eastern students were helping create an equally meaningful experience along the banks of the watershed.

Through hands-on educational activities, community engagement and environmental stewardship, students demonstrated how learning extends far beyond the classroom.

Representing Ohio University Eastern were future educators Ava Jewell, Jae Chance and Trista Regis, members of the OHIO Eastern Rural Teacher Corps, alongside TyLynn Smith, a future social worker completing a summer internship with Captina Conservancy. Together, they engaged children and families through interactive activities that explored local watersheds, conservation and the importance of protecting natural resources while demonstrating how students from different disciplines can work together to strengthen rural communities.

Image

Duck Dash exemplified how Ohio University Eastern students from different academic disciplines are applying their classroom knowledge in meaningful ways through community partnerships. While the Rural Teacher Corps interns engaged children and families through environmental education, Smith's internship with Captina Conservancy focused on outreach, oral history preservation and community engagement.

The Rural Teacher Corps prepares future educators by immersing students in authentic learning experiences throughout the Ohio Valley, allowing them to develop leadership skills while working alongside community partners.

"What I value so much about our partnership with Captina Conservancy is that they have taught our Rural Teacher Corps members the importance of learning through doing," said Dr. Jacqueline Yahn, associate professor of teacher education and director of the Rural Teacher Corps at Ohio University Eastern. "By stepping outside the university walls and collaborating across disciplines to support events like Duck Dash, our interns contribute firsthand to local conservation. Captina has allowed them to assume leadership roles that foster community engagement and strengthen our region."

Image

Smith said her internship has provided a unique perspective on how conservation, storytelling and community engagement intersect.

"Throughout my work with Captina Conservancy, this internship has given me the opportunity to preserve oral histories and the lived experiences of the people who give meaning to the places Captina is devoted to promoting, preserving and protecting," Smith said. "As a social work student, helping to share these stories with the community, who relate to their significance, has been an incredible experiential learning opportunity. By supporting Duck Dash and encouraging community engagement, I've witnessed a social worker's mission of fostering solidarity in real time. This experience has been about more than helping preserve natural spaces; it has also been about honoring the often-unheard voices and shared histories that make those places worth protecting."

Image

Duck Dash brings families together each year to celebrate and support the protection of the Captina Creek watershed through conservation education and community engagement.

For Captina Conservancy, partnerships with Ohio University Eastern create lasting benefits for both students and the communities they serve.

"This partnership has been fantastic. The interns have helped Captina Conservancy tremendously," said Turner Provost, executive director of Captina Conservancy. "The students have done a great deal of promoting, planning and supporting our events. It's inspiring to see students from different disciplines come together to promote the importance of protecting our environment while building a stronger sense of community."

Community members also recognized the enthusiasm and commitment the students brought to the event.

"One of the reasons I attend Captina's conservation events is so that my children have an opportunity to enjoy nature while learning how to respect and protect it," said community member Laurel Lohrey. "Duck Dash was such a fun way to support local conservation efforts. The rain didn't dampen anyone's spirits. The OHIO Eastern students kept smiles on their faces, were friendly, informative and genuinely enjoyed interacting with everyone."

Image

The experience reinforced for the Rural Teacher Corps interns the value of connecting education with community engagement.

"I enjoyed coming to the event and helping alongside the other members of the Rural Teacher Corps and Captina Conservancy," Regis said. "While attending Duck Dash, I had the opportunity to meet amazing families, connect with new people and experience the beauty of the watershed. One of my favorite parts of the event was watching the rubber duck race. Seeing so many ducks floating down the creek and knowing how many had been sold made me proud of everyone who participated. Every duck that was purchased helped support Captina Conservancy's mission of protecting Captina Creek and its watershed. It was wonderful to see the community come together to support such an important cause."

Image

Jewell said experiences like Duck Dash demonstrate how community partnerships create authentic learning opportunities for future educators.

"Duck Dash is such a fun and exciting event, and it brings family and friends together," Jewell said. "As a future teacher, it's important for us to see families out at Captina Conservancy. It's a welcoming event that encourages people of all ages to connect with nature and with one another."

Although the day's activities centered around a rubber duck race, the lasting impact extended far beyond the creek. Families discovered new ways to appreciate and protect the Captina Creek watershed, students gained valuable real-world experience beyond the classroom, and a partnership between Ohio University Eastern and Captina Conservancy continued to demonstrate how education, service and community engagement can strengthen the Ohio Valley.

Through experiences like Duck Dash, future educators and social workers are not only preparing for their professions, they are already making meaningful contributions to the communities they will one day serve.