Welcome to the Agricultural Education Panel Discussion!
The Introduction
Five well-rounded volunteers are participating, bringing a wealth of knowledge, information, and encouragement to the world of Agricultural Education and its importance in educational curriculums.
There are five topics that the panel discusses. Before beginning our discussion that will span the next few weeks, let’s introduce the panel…each hand-picked to represent a variety of educators and a variety of learning environments.
Ryan, Debra, and Karlee are teachers that work closely with students, developing anddelivering comprehensive lessons in the traditional setting. Melissa is a
homeschool educator, managing lesson plans while creating and tailoring the best educational environment for her children. Katie is an educator for a an urban-based community youth group which focuses on bringing agriculture close-to-home for kids that do not have agricultural education within their schools.
Below, is an in-depth introduction of each of the educators participating in our panel discussion.
[[Click below to jump to the first discussion topic: Should Agricultural Education be implemented in formal curriculums?]]
Ryan
Ryan is a Middle School science teacher in a rural school district in Central Ohio. With a background in Landscape Architecture, Ryan brings creative and engaging lessons to his students about various science topics such as the atmosphere and weather, energy transfers, the periodic table, and food webs, all while relating the content to sustainable and environmental practices. While Ryan wants students to become well-rounded science students, he also wants them to become responsible stewards to the world around them.
Follow Ryan’s suggestion for continual learning for students…https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/
“I use this website as a means of keeping my students up to date on ‘science things’. Science is never stagnant so I want students (and adults) to stay up-to-date on the world around them.”
Debra
Debra was raised on a beef farm in rural Ohio. She pursued her passion and gained her degree in Production Agriculture and Secondary Education. She is in her 19th year as an Agricultural Educator in a school district that emphasizes agricultural education and is known as the “Home to the FFA Jacket”.
Continue to learn more about Ohio’s FFA program at https://ohioffa.org/
Karlee
Karlee is a Spanish Teacher in a Suburban/highly populated school district in Central Ohio. She is an active co-advisor to the International and Spanish Clubs which seek to promote inclusivity and education through events through several community-based organizations.
Melissa
Melissa is a homeschool teacher, teaching formal and informal educational curriculums tailored specific to her children. A graduate of The Ohio State University and a multi-faceted entrepreneur, to include professional photography and professional philanthropy endeavors; Melissa brings a wide variety of topics and skills to her education plans.
Find Melissa’s current project here: http://simplyonelife.org/about-us/
Melissa and her husband Brad are developing and initiating their non-profit, School of Kingdom Writers.
Find more of the organization and how to donate here: https://sokw.org/
Katie
Katie is the lead educator at Highland Youth Garden.
Find more about Highland Youth Garden: https://www.highlandyouthgarden.org/
Read below for more from Katie and this innovative community endeavor.
Highland Youth Garden is a non-profit urban agriculture project founded in 2009 in the Hilltop, located on the westside of Columbus, OH. The garden spans nearly half an acre on three plots of land, is home to a large high tunnel, and produces nearly 4000 pounds of food yearly. Highland Youth Garden ’s mission is to enhance the Hilltop through growing food and educating children and neighbors through regular garden classes, summer programs, special events, volunteer engagement, and more.
During the school year, around 375 students from two nearby elementary schools spend time in garden classes. These classes support their normal classroom curriculum, learning about topics like gardening, nutrition, cooking, and environmental science. Students also may join the Garden Club, a weekly, 2-hour after school program where students can dive deeper into gardening, cooking, and activities at the garden.
In addition to educational programming for children, Highland Youth Garden also hosts an 8-week summer Green Teens program in which local teens spend nearly 130 hours in the Garden earning money doing gardening projects & maintenance, cooking, and learning essential job & life skills. During the summer months, groups of children from local summer camps and summer schools also join us in the garden weekly.
Highland Youth Garden also hosts weekly volunteer days, participates in the Westgate Farmer’s Market twice a month, and throws monthly Community Celebrations that provide healthy, garden-inspired meals for children and neighbors and a place for the community to gather. Children and teens help plan, set up, and run these special events, offering more opportunities for these students to engage in experiential learning and be leaders in their community.
The first topic to discuss is whether Agricultural Education should be a encouraged within curriculums.
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