Drachen Koester from Missouri has always been interested in agriculture and science.
At age 11, Drachen joined the 4-H VEX Robotics team and began growing in communication and interpersonal skills, but a few years later, when a volunteer encouraged him to apply for 4-H and Bayer’s collaborative program, Science Matters, his world began to change. Through this program, Drachen deepened his interest in science and found positive ways to use science to impact his community, interests that flourished when he applied to be part of the Ag Innovators Experience.
Drachen had always been curious about bees and their importance to the lives of humans, so he was thrilled to be chosen as a State Teen Leaders for the Ag Innovators Experience. As a State Teen Leader, Drachen attended a national training to learn all about bees and to learn new teaching methods. As an aspiring farmer, not only did he appreciate learning about the vitality of bees, he also began to uncover a new passion for teaching and educating.
The training experience opened his eyes—“I learned valuable skills and methods that would help me better understand how to convey knowledge in more accessible ways,” Drachen said.
After completing his own training, Drachen took the tools and skills he learned back to his home state of Missouri to train 17 additional teens about native bees and how to use the new teaching techniques and methods he had learned in their own communities. Drachen and his team of teachers used their newly developed skill set to facilitate 41 educational events throughout the state for young people to learn about native bees. They also helped youth create citizen science projects, wherein they built a nest to take home to act as a native bee habitat.
In addition to working with younger students, Drachen has also shared about native bees at multiple showcases around the state, giving him the opportunity to connect with a wider audience and build understand about the importance of bees. Through his work, Drachen and the teen teachers he trained have taught more than 1,000 youth across Missouri.
“My favorite part about teaching classes is being able to actively see students’ curiosity at work,” Drachen said. “It is truly a great feeling to see them asking questions, absorb knowledge, and then coming to the answers through experiential learning.”
These experiences have given Drachen a newfound purpose and passion that he plans to pursue post-graduation.
“These experience have helped narrow down my interests and what is truly important to me,” Drachen said. “I have been able to deepen my passion for agriculture and explore this new world of becoming an educator. I am very excited to pursue teaching in my future, thanks to 4-H and all the wonderful experiences it has given me.”
