Project Grant 20216703734847

A LACK OF EXPOSURE TO THE AGRICULTURAL CAREER PIPELINE LIMITS STUDENT AWARENESS OF AGRICULTURAL CAREERS LEADING TO OUR CURRENT AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE SHORTAGE. MOREOVER, STUDENTS FROM RURAL AND DISADVANTAGED AREAS ARE LEFT DISCONNECTED FROM MODERN FARMING AND LOCAL INDUSTRY. THE OHIO RURAL EDUCATORS PROGRAM (OREP) WILL PREPARE TEACHERS TO RESPOND TO THIS WORKFORCE GAP BY INTEGRATING AGRICULTURE-BASED LEARNING INTO SCIENCE CLASSROOMS AND CONNECTING RURAL CLASSROOMS TO LOCAL INDUSTRY. FORTY RURAL, OHIO MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES TEACHERS WILL INTEGRATE IMMERSIVE, AGRICULTURE-BASED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING INTO THEIR CLASSROOMS.TEACHERS WILL EXPERIENCE PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING (PBL) THROUGH THE PROGRAM WHILE GAINING AGRICULTURE-SPECIFIC CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS TO IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE AND MEANINGFUL PBL IN THEIR CLASSROOMS AROUND REAL-WORLD AGRICULTURE NEEDS. THROUGH VIRTUAL WEBINARS, SITE VISITS, AND MENTORING, TEACHERS WILL ALSO ENGAGE WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS AND SOCIALIZE LESSON PLANS AND CLASSROOM IDEAS WITH LOCAL INDUSTRY EXPERTS.AS TEACHERS EXPERIENCE AGRICULTURE IN A REAL-WORLD CONTEXT, THEY WILL GAIN A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF MODERN METHODS OF 21STCENTURY FARMING AND THE CHALLENGES TO FEED THE WORLD. THEY WILL EXPLORE THE BREADTH OF WORKFORCE NEEDS AND INCREASE AWARENESS OF AGRICULTURE CAREERS. THIS PROCESS BUILDS CONFIDENCE IN TEACHERS, CULTIVATING A STEM IDENTITY THAT WILL HELP TEACHERS INSPIRE STUDENTS TO DO THE SAME AND EMBARK ON MODERN AGRICULTURAL CAREERS. THIS NEW GENERATION WILL ENSURE THE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY WILL CONTINUETO BE AN ECONOMIC DRIVER ACROSS THE COUNTRY.