Academic poster presentations are a critical component of many academic and professional research conferences (Leach, 1998; Rowe, 2017; Khadka et al., 2024). Students and professionals alike are able to disseminate their findings which often leads to improved competency in their discipline (Beamish et al., 2015). Presenters and attendees can engage in one-on-one conversations and view other posters to gain inspiration for future work (Salzl et al., 2008). While poster presentations are often found in graduate and undergraduate curriculums with evidence of successful assessment and formative feedback (Peeters et al., 2025), there is a dearth of evidence for their use in workforce development programs at the community college level as a component of training. Research posters can leverage both critical thinking in a unique population of students and community partnership. Apprentices in the USGA Greenkeeper Apprenticeship Program are tasked with conducting applied scholarship that leads to presentation of findings at a research poster exhibition. The apprentices begin the process with proposals for study at the end of the spring semester that require collaboration with their field-based mentor to craft a research plan. They collect data over the summer,  and conclude the experience with a presentation of findings at the World Golf Hall of Fame. From turf health to cart path construction, the apprentices cover a broad range of topic areas that illustrate both the story of their studies as well as the impact that their work has made back on the agronomic management of the golf course they work at during the program. The exhibition has welcomed on average over 100 members of the local and regional community in the first two years. Students both defend their work as well as engage in critical conversations that build their network and inspire future research to carry on their findings.