MSU Extension associate Vivian Cade could be considered an adventure guide of sorts.
As coordinator of the Body Walk program, each school year she leads numerous expeditions of elementary school children across Mississippi on a journey of discovery through the human body. Using larger-than-life models of the various systems in the body, she leads a team of volunteers in educating students in grades K-5 about the importance of proper diet and fitness.
"They love it," she said of the 40-foot by 40-foot interactive display. "When they first see it, they are amazed by the size of it and are in awe of what they are about to do. It gives them a fun way to learn without them even realizing they are learning."
The traveling exhibit consists of 10 stations where students are given hands-on introductions to the major systems in the human body: the brain, mouth, stomach, intestines, heart, lungs, bones, muscles, and skin. The final "Pathway of Life" station summarizes the experience and helps reinforce what students have learned.