ORANGEVALE, Calif. -- "You never know what they're going to ask," Sacramento District water quality specialist J.J. Baum said, laughing. So it came as no surprise when a student raised his hand in the middle of Baum's demonstration of a tube-shaped water quality monitoring device and asked, "Does it ever catch a fish'"
Not usually, as it turns out. But Baum appreciated the curiosity.
"They may not remember who I am or what I do," he said. "But they might remember that the Corps is out there testing water, and that's the kind of thing we're trying to show them," he said.
Baum coordinates the Sacramento District's Adopt-A-School program, which sends Corps employees to requesting local middle schools and high schools to talk about their jobs and what it's like to work for the Corps.
The Pacific Technology School here, where Baum presented to more than 30 students Dec. 10, is the newest of about 15 schools in the Sacramento area taking part in the program, Baum said. The Pacific Technology School is a new, tuition-free public charter school for sixth and seventh grade students with a curriculum focused on math and science.
School principal, Dr. Yavuz Bayam, said Baum's presentation helped inform his students about career opportunities in the sciences. "Hearing about how we manage water quality and jobs that do that, it's a good way for the students to understand the importance of the subjects they're studying," Bayam said.
The Adopt-A-School program's 20 or so volunteer presenters are mostly junior employees and come from various Corps specialty areas. Baum said the program gives new Corps employees a chance to hone their presentation skills and helps them develop relationships with their communities. It's also an opportunity, Baum said, for the community to get to know the Corps.
"It provides a viewpoint on the agency and how it works in their area, that we're working to make their homes and lives safer, and puts a face to their government," Baum said.
But it's the feeling he gets from presenting that keeps Baum volunteering.
"These are new eyes looking at what you do. It reminds you of why you got involved in the first place," he said. "It's rejuvenating."
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