MSU 4-H Animal & Veterinary Science Summer Camp

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY – 4-H
ANIMAL & VETERINARY SCIENCE CAMP

For the second consecutive year, WIF was proud to partner with Mindfulness and S.T.E.A.M. Lab—an organization devoted to empowering young minds through the cultivation of self-esteem, mindfulness, and STEAM education—to deliver mindfulness training to high school students attending the 2025 edition of Michigan State University (MSU) – 4-H Animal & Veterinary Science Camp.

Mindfulness is a critical component of mental health for veterinarians, and WIF believes it is just as important to expose Black and Latinx youth interested in veterinary medicine to mindfulness as it is to expose them to role models in the field who look like them.

Thanks to the success of our interactions with the participants of the 2024 camp, we anticipate that this aspect of preparing students for a career in veterinary medicine will become a regular feature of the program.

WIF is honored to continue to contribute to the camp in alignment with the mission and vision of our Youth Veterinarian Initiative (YVI).

DR. TORI ELLIS AND SHALTREECE CHANDLER

Camp Session 1 ran from July 7-8, 2025, and Camp Session 2 ran from July 9-10, 2025. 

Dr. Tori Ellis (Dr. T.) of Mindfulness and S.T.E.A.M. Lab and Shaltreece Chandler, WIF’s Development Volunteer, represented WIF at both sessions.

CAMP ACTIVITIES

Each camp provided students with two full days of presentations, campus tours, and hands-on lab experiences.

Students visited the Teaching and Research Centers for dairy cattle, beef cattle, and horses.

Among their lab activities, they got to practice bandaging as part of a Clinical Skills lab, participate in a wellness clinic where they interacted with live animals, and perform a piglet dissection.

MSU STAFF

Dr. T. and Shal got to reconnect in person with 4-H Livestock and Veterinary Science Educator Autumn Converse and MSU Statewide Program Instructor Jermo Reese as well as meet additional MSU staff during both two-day sessions of the camp.

MINDFULNESS PRACTICE

Each day, Dr. Tori Ellis led the students in a mindfulness practice lab.  After drawing them in with interactive discussions about changes and challenges they were currently facing and having them share their favorite types of music, she introduced the idea of using sound bowls as a means of emotional healing.

She then demonstrated how to use the sound bowls and invited students to come forward and activate them.

INVITATION TO RETURN

WIF has been invited to return to East Lansing to participate in the 2026 MSU 4-H Animal and Veterinary Science Camp.  We anticipate offering our Mindfulness with the Majestics experience at both camps next year.

Thanks to MSU introducing us to the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) organization, we have also been invited to participate in the National MANRRS conference in Dallas, TX in April 2026.

MANRRS’ Pre-College Initiative Program provides opportunities for youth in grades 7-12 to grow in academic, professional, and leadership skills in order to maximize their success in life.

We look forward to continuing to expand the influence and impact of our Youth Veterinarian Initiative through this collaboration!