Mingla Charoenmuang

Dr. Mingla Charoenmuang is an Extension Associate and serves as the Health, Wellness, and Food Systems Specialist for New York State 4-H Youth Development. In this role, she facilitates community engagement, career exploration, and the design and delivery of programs that help youth understand the interconnectedness of food systems, agriculture, health, wellness, equity, social justice, and community sustainability. Mingla loves teaching and curriculum development, always seeking innovative ways to engage youth and foster deeper learning through experiential learning approach. She incorporates systems thinking within the framework of positive youth development to encourage young people to explore healthy living, agriculture, and food systems in a holistic manner. Her commitment to fostering practical, hands-on learning experiences also fuels her interest in teaching and contributing to higher education settings where interdisciplinary teaching approaches can inspire the next generation of learners. 

Mingla is committed to promoting educational programs that encourage youth to understand the broader connections within food systems from multiple perspectives. Through these programs, she empowers young people to become more responsible consumers and active citizens who contribute to positive change within food systems. She earned her doctorate in Youth Development and Agricultural Education from Purdue University, focusing on food systems education. Her research interests include learner-centered teaching, systems thinking education, and the integration of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) with Agricultural, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) education. Mingla also manages the social media accounts @FoodSystemsThinker on Facebook and Instagram, where she shares resources and facilitates further discussions on food systems and youth engagement. Within Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE), Mingla co-chairs two program work teams: 4-H Food Systems PWT and Healthy Living for Youth and Families PWT. 

She thrives in collaborative environments, working with colleagues to strengthen and expand programmatic impact. Mingla actively supports mindfulness initiatives and promotes wild edibles education for youth programming. Additionally, she participates in the Restoring Relationships with Indigenous Communities initiative, finding ways to weave the indigenous knowledge and perspectives into programming. As part of her commitment to professional development, she regularly delivers presentations to share knowledge with fellow educators, with the hope of inspiring new ideas and approaches in the field.