AgriCorps: A new frontier of learning

The Liberian Flag

In America, we are fortunate enough to have food ready when needed. McDonald's, Starbucks, grocery stores, are all in walking and driving distance for most of us. Everything is easily accessible in America. Other countries don’t have the luxury of food being available every day. Over 1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 per day. 70% of those people are living in extreme poverty in rural and agrarian (meaning that they depend on agriculture as its primary means for support and sustenance) areas.  With the world’s population growing, reaching 9 billion people in 2050, food security should be our top priority. Blaze Currie, Executive Director, works with a program similar to the Peace Corps, where students who have a degree in Agriculture, can travel for a year to teach in primary and secondary schools in a developing country about agriculture education. This amazing program is called AgriCorps. 

Ever heard of the saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks?” Agricorps took notice to the fact that over 60% of the world’s population was under 25 years of age, which showed them to focus on young learners.  They hoped by teaching the younger population, that knowledge would trickle upwards to the older population. The goal was to eliminate the outdated farming traditions that have been passed down for generations in these villages.  Next they developed a model of what they wanted to be taught in all of the different counties within each country where AgriCorps was stationed. There had to be a school where instruction would be in a garden or a field, have a home project where the students could plant their own seeds and compare it to their parent’s gardens, and then have 4H/FFA development in the classroom. Ultimately the model looked like this:

Example of the AgriCorps
3 Circle Model

Does that look familiar to one we already have based in the United States for FFA? If you said YES than you are correct! Here in the US, the FFA established their 3 circle model that entails an SAE project, classroom instruction, and FFA leadership club. AgriCorps built upon the existing model and tailored it towards different countries.  

Starting in August of this year, 12 volunteers will be stationed in Liberia for a 1 year commitment. They will each be 30 minutes away from one another so that if they wanted, they could talk to each other about lessons and potentially have competitions in the different counties! 

If you would like to learn more AgriCorp you can go to the following website, http://agricorps.org  and explore this awesome opportunity!

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog!

Olivia Murphy-Sweet
Student Blogger
Teach Ag! Avenger
Twitter Handle @OSweetMurph
2016 Agricultural Education Student Teacher   

#psuaged15 member, Kate Bassett, Completes Mission in Lithuania

After a trip to South Korea with the Penn State Agriculture Education program, Kate Bassett (@klb5684) was begging for another chance to travel abroad. When the Army presented her with the opportunity to travel to Lithuania she had not doubts that she was willing to go. Kate, a 2015 student teacher, worked with an Army program called CULP (Cultural Understanding and Language Program) which sends cadets all over the world to conduct various missions. Kate was paid for her work in Lithuania and got the chance to get her feet wet working with the military branch she hopes to join after graduation.

2015 Student Teacher
Kate Bassett

While abroad, Kate got to put her agriculture education skills to work when she spent a week at the Military Academy of Lithuania teaching senior NCO’s and officers. Along with teaching, she was involved in a field training exercise with Lithuanian and American forces and did many community service activities. One of the projects was a carnival for a local orphanage and another was a camp for at risk children. For two weeks, Kate worked at the US Embassy completing financial records for the entire Lithuanian mission. Through CULP, many different teams were sent to Lithuania and Kate worked on compiling records from all of them as well as shadowing the mission commander.

The greatest take away for Kate was the value of simple face to face communication and constant interaction with the local people.  She stated “I learned so much about the people of Lithuania and their culture because they loved sharing it with me and I got to communicate with them on a daily basis” She also said that it was exciting to see how interested they were in learning. She continued “They were not interested in just sitting in the classroom, I had to use all the skills I had learned through Ag Ed to keep them excited and motivated.”

Kate and another cadet trying 'Kefir' for
the first while on her trip to Lithuania. 

During her two month visit in Lithuania Kate had the opportunity to learn about many things about the people and the agriculture. Due to her interest in agriculture Kate unintentionally but naturally gravitated toward people with similar interests. She spent time talking with farmers and local students about their practices and even agricultural research.

Kate recommends that any student, especially Agriculture Education majors participate whatever type of abroad experience they can get. She said“I believe that everyone should have at least one trip outside of the US. It opens your eyes to new perspectives and new possibilities.”

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog!

Laura Metrick
2015 Student Teacher
@Its_LauraBeth

Checking in with 2012 PSU AEE graduate and Maryland Agriscience Teacher Brittany Arnold!

Mrs. Lenzo (past high school teacher),
Brittany Arnold,
Mr. Harrington (Past Region
 IV Vice President NAAE)

In a previous blog post we introduced Brittany Arnold, a graduate from Penn State in 2012, who won the CTE Outstanding New Teacher Award her very first year teaching at Oakdale High School in Maryland!  With a degree in Agricultural Extension and Education and an emphasis in Dairy Science, she has come a long way but she says she is learning every day! We wanted to see how she has been since we last interviewed her and what she is has been up to in Maryland!

Since her graduation in 2012, teaching for Brittany has been great! She has learned how to develop patience and tough skin to help with her students in all of their tasks every day! In the beginning she states that it was very hard disciplining her students and when they would speak out of frustration and she would have to act calm and keep her head. Right now, she is busy working on helping her students maintain being one of the biggest FFA chapters in Maryland! They have already had a team compete on the national level within the first year of being a chartered school. She has really developed the school to an amazing level but still has a long way to go.

This is Brittany and her students
working at their annual Ag Day! 

Advice never hurt anyone right? Well Brittany wanted to make sure that we received good advice. She says that as a new teacher never settle! What she means by that is that once you settle, you become comfortable with what you and your students are doing you closed a door of opportunity. Challenge yourself and do things you’re not comfortable with. It will pay off. She also states that the NAAE Communities of Practice is a great opportunity to learn new lessons, facts, and subject matter. Her last piece of advice was to listen to Dr. Foster and Dr. Ewing. When times get tough and we question them, we should all know that they are looking out for                                                          our best interests!

Overall, Brittany is doing great things for her school and her chapter. If you want any advice, lessons, or have any questions, feel free to contact her at bna5032@gmail.com. 

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog! 

Olivia Murphy-Sweet

Student Blogger

Teach Ag! Avenger

Twitter Handle @OSweetMurph

2016 Agricultural Education Student Teacher 

Hard Work: On the Field and In the Classroom!

Ever since she became a part of the FFA family at Lancaster Mennonite High School, Katie Andrews (@klandrews_24) realized what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. Along with her childhood love of living and working on her family’s farm, Katie was inspired to become an Ag Ed major by her high school teacher’s passion for agriculture education. As her love for FFA and Ag Ed continued to grow, she soon realized there was something else she enjoyed just as much. After her sophomore year, Katie became just as comfortable playing field hockey as she did in the Ag classrooms at her school.

After excelling in field hockey in high school, Katie Andrews began looking at colleges that gave her the opportunity to be a part of the two things she loved the most. She said “during the recruiting process there are only a few schools that have agriculture as well as being a division one school for field hockey. I am blessed to be a part of my two passions and represent the best university ever, here at Penn State.”

Katie Andrews, 2016 Student Teacher

Having a full schedule of courses can be stressful for any college student but adding a full week of field hockey practice can be an extra challenge. Andrews credits her success to patient teachers, coaches and adviser along with lots of scheduling, organizing and emailing. Katie added that being a division one athlete can take away from being involved in more clubs and organizations and having that extra time to get to know people better. However the love of being involved in both worlds makes it easy to balance them and still enjoy every moment.

Andrews on a Domestic Study Abroad with the
PSU Teach Ag! Society 

Even with the two separate worlds that Katie is a part of, what she takes away from both experiences is very similar. Both field hockey and the Ag Ed major take time, dedication, organization and passion. Andrews said that goal setting, professional development and networking are three aspects that apply to both field hockey and agriculture education. She continued that “The awesome part is that I am continually challenged physically and mentally on a daily basis which only better prepares myself for life after college.”

Katie was part of the 2013
Big Ten Champion
PSU Field Hockey Team

While having a crazy schedule every week can be challenging at times, Katie wouldn't trade it for anything. She stated that the “the best part about being on the field hockey team is my teammates because we win, lose and go through some of the toughest times at college together.” Being a part of the PSU field hockey team has given her the opportunity to dance on stage at THON and to be recognized on the field at Beaver Stadium.

Along with field hockey, Katie is a co-chair of the social committee for Teach Ag Society, a member of Alpha Tau Alpha and has minors in agribusiness management, international agriculture and environmental inquiry. Her future plans are to teach agriculture in a high school, coach a field hockey team, own a corgi and still lend a hand on her family’s farm.

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog!

Laura Metrick

2015 Student Teacher

@Its_LauraBeth