Intern update: Abigail Petersen

Posted August 19th, 2016 in Internships, Program, Sustainable Community Planning
Abigail Petersen

Abigail Petersen spent the summer as a community sustainability intern with IISG Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist Kara Salazar at Purdue Extension. Abigail graduated in May from the University of Illinois in natural resources and environmental sciences. She will be pursuing a Master’s degree in this fall in agriculture education at the University of Illinois.

Throughout the summer, I was able to see community development programs from the very beginning stages of curriculum development all the way through the final stages of implementation and training.

I had the opportunity to learn Purdue Extension’s processes and duties through observation and through being involved in the process, and I think the experience will contribute to my success in the future. This was truly an invaluable summer of experiences that has provided me with opportunities that have helped me shape my future career and also inform my future coursework.

One of the most prominent experiences I’ve had this summer was participating in the creation of the curriculum for the Health and Wellness and Enhancing the Built Environment Program. This program takes the Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces curriculum a step further by specifically focusing on improving health and wellness as a goal of enhancing public spaces through community input.

I attended two planning meetings where the team designed the curriculum and made major decisions about the direction of the program regarding the topics, theoretical frameworks, and resources. Sitting in on this process as well as making some minor contributions was a wonderful experience that will definitely help me in my future graduate school work and career path.

When returning to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to begin my Master’s in agriculture education, I will take these experiences with me and use the skills and knowledge I’ve gained to make informed decisions about curriculum design and development to make positive impacts in communities.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a part of University of Illinois Extension and Purdue Extension.

IISG Instagram

Happy Juneteenth from all of us at Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant!

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Happy Juneteenth from all of us at Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant!

Got a research idea for southern Lake Michigan?

IISG’s 2026 Seed Grant Research Competition is open. Up to $150,000 total funding for pilot studies that could become your next big project.

💵 $10,000 to $50,000 per project
⏰ Applications due August 17, 2026

Two info webinars coming up: July 2 and July 21.

🔗 Full details at the link in bio.

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Got a research idea for southern Lake Michigan? IISG’s 2026 Seed Grant Research Competition is open. Up to $150,000 total funding for pilot studies that could become your next big project.💵 $10,000 to $50,000 per project⏰ Applications due August 17, 2026Two info webinars coming up: July 2 and July 21.🔗 Full details at the link in bio.

Add a Great Lakes twist to your summer reading! Discover stories inspired by our region with Great Lakes Great Reads. Check out reading lists perfect for beach days or quiet evenings.
https://greatlakesgreatread.org/

#BeachReads

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Add a Great Lakes twist to your summer reading! Discover stories inspired by our region with Great Lakes Great Reads. Check out reading lists perfect for beach days or quiet evenings.https://greatlakesgreatread.org/#BeachReads

Real-time coastlines, real-world insights. Check out the LIVE feed of Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes State Park Beach – supporting recreationalists, researchers, and the broader public at the link in bio.

This work is in partnership between Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (@secoora_org), the Great Lakes Observing System (@greatlakesobservingsystem), Indiana Dunes State Park (@indianadunessp), Indiana Department of Natural Resources (@indianadnr), and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant with support from Surfline (@surfline).

Check out IISG’s website for more information on this collaborative project at the link in bio.

Also featured on Seagull and Indiana Coastal Atlas.

Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources
University of Illinois Extension
Southern Lake Michigan Water Safety Task Force
US National Weather Service Chicago Illinois
Save the Dunes
Shirley Heinze Land Trust
Indiana Dunes National Park
Indiana Dunes
Friends of Indiana Dunes, Inc.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18101106293323952
Real-time coastlines, real-world insights. Check out the LIVE feed of Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes State Park Beach – supporting recreationalists, researchers, and the broader public at the link in bio.This work is in partnership between Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (@secoora_org), the Great Lakes Observing System (@greatlakesobservingsystem), Indiana Dunes State Park (@indianadunessp), Indiana Department of Natural Resources (@indianadnr), and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant with support from Surfline (@surfline).Check out IISG’s website for more information on this collaborative project at the link in bio. Also featured on Seagull and Indiana Coastal Atlas.Purdue Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Illinois ExtensionSouthern Lake Michigan Water Safety Task ForceUS National Weather Service Chicago IllinoisSave the DunesShirley Heinze Land TrustIndiana Dunes National ParkIndiana DunesFriends of Indiana Dunes, Inc.