#psuaged16 returns: They are CHANGE agents

Our TWELVE 2016 Penn State Agricultural Education Student Teachers (#psuaged16) return from their fifteen week internship in secondary schools across Pennsylvania.

Below is a snapshot of this incredible group of students we are so very proud. You can also see the 2016 Student Showcase at: http://teachagpsu.blogspot.com/2016/03/2016-aee-student-showcase-psuaged16.html.

The 2016 student teachers (#psuaged16):

• Impacted the lives of  1,114 individual students
• Taught 71 different classes to students from 8^th to 12^th grades that are 42 minute periods to 180 minute “block” periods in length.
• Delivered 159 units of instruction on topics from leadership development, agricultural mechanics, environmental sciences, plant sciences, animal sciences and much more!
• Helped cooperating centers earn and implement $22,800 of extramural funding assisted from grants, sponsorships and fundraisers.
• Led students in the completion of 179 community service hours
• Has earned (or will earn) a degrees 4 areas: Agricultural & Extension Education (B.S.); Agricultural & Extension Education (M.Ed.); Livestock Science and Management (B.S., Del Val); Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences (B.S.)
• Obtained 7 Minors/areas of emphasis: Agribusiness Management; Agronomy; Animal Science; Environmental Inquiry; Equine Science; International Agriculture; and Plant Science.
• Participated in Global Learning in 11 countries, including: Austria; Belize; Germany; Haiti; Honduras; Italy; Korea; Netherlands; New Zealand; Nicaragua; Switzerland
• Has 1 Schreyer’s Honor Scholar; Thesis Title:  HISTORICAL PARTICIPATION AND PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATION IN PENNSYLVANIA FFA CAREER DEVELOPMENT EVENTS FOR PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL-BASED SECONDARY AGRICULTURE EDUCATION STUDENTS. 
• Will have members who are Pennsylvania Certified (with reciprocity in more than 40 states) in the following 3 areas: Agriscience K-12; Environmental Science; General Science
• Earned 8 different Additional Certifications/Accreditations/Licensures
• Accredited Parliamentarians from the Society of Agricultural Education Parliamentarians; Artificial Insemination Certification through Select Sires; Beef Quality Assurance; Certified Poultry Technician; First Aid/CPR/AED Certification;  National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Instructors; Project WILD curriculum; Wilderness First Aid
• Involved in 24 professional organizations/clubs .
• Ag Club, Penn State Altoona; Agriculture Student Council, Penn State; Agronomy Club –Penn State; Alpha Tau Alpha, National Agricultural Education Honorary; American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA); American Society of Agronomists (ASA);  Athletic Director’s Leadership Institute, Association of Career & Technical Education; Block & Bridle, Penn State; Coaly Honors Society, Penn State; Collegiate FFA , Penn State;  Collegiate Horseman’s Association at Penn State (CHAPS); Delta Tau Alpha (Del Val);  Delta Theta Sigma; Gamma Sigma Delta; Graduate Student Association, AEE, Penn State; National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE); Omega Phi Alpha Community Service Sorority, ParmiNous; Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators (PAAE); Pennsylvania FFA Alumni; Spirit Lioness;  Teach Ag! Society, Penn State; Varsity Athletics
• Completed THREE Domestic Study Away Programs in Arizona (Multiculturalism in school-based agricultural education) , Colorado (Service Learning Pedagogies with Farm to School Initiatives) and Mississippi (Financial Literacy through agricultural education in Appalachia Areas)
• Gained experience or have been employed with 23 different relevant jobs/Internships: 
• Chasing Rainbows Therapeutic Riding Center; Carbon County Environmental Education Center, Cherish Creamery; CNHi – New Holland; Hoober Inc.- CASE IH Dealership; Hoss’s eating establishments, Local Produce Farm, Local Poultry Operation, National FFA Association; Pennsylvania Farm Bureau;  Pennsylvania FFA Association; PSU – Animal Sciences Department Teaching Assistant; PSU- Biology Department Teaching Assistant; PSU- Center for Undergraduate Excellence English Tutur; PSU -Center for Professional Personnel Development; PSU- Dairy Barn; PSU Extension – Bradford County; PSU Extension – Lancaster County;  PSU Extension – Philadelphia; PSU Extension- Washington County; PSU - Pennsylvania Governors’ School for the Agricultural Sciences, PSU-Poultry Education Research Center (PERC);  V&C Forest Management; Veterinary Clinic of Indiana
• Completed 12 action research projects, including:
• Ag Mechanics I Unit Objectives and Competencies
• Analyzing the results of scores from small group versus large group instruction
• Evaluation Properly Restraining and Handling Small Animals in a Lab Setting
• Evaluation of Mastery and Growth of Student Competencies in Horse Selection and Evaluation 
• How can student involvement in SAE’s be increased through classroom instruction, examples, and implementation?
• How do questions affect my students learning
• How will hands-on instruction compare to in-class instruction while learning the strokes/parts/tools of a 4 stroke engine?
• Integrating online safety testing into an Agricultural Laboratory
• Retention of electrical wiring skills gained in a general agricultural mechanics class
• SAE Implementation in the Classroom
• SAE Improvement
• Student assignment completion comparisons between paper and online platform.
• Completed 12 custom learning projects for their center (DIY Teacher Education), including:
• A guide to FFA Parliamentary Procedure
• Bellwood-Antis Officer Selection Plan
• Connecting agricultural education students from West Perry to Students in Mississippi
• Enhancing Curriculum for Eighth Grade Agriculture Education
• Floral Design Handbook Development
• Introduction to Athens Area High School Agriculture Education Program Parent/Guardian Handbook
• Officer Selection Plan Development
• QR Code Hallway Pass
• Saul Instagram 2.0
• SAEP Manual
• Successfully growing a pumpkin crop.
• Wellsboro Agriscience Department SAE Implementation Guide

Fun Facts about #psuaged16:

• One member will be participating in the United States Marine Corps Reserves
• One member was a varsity athlete with the PSU Field Hockey Team that won  two Big Ten Conference Championships, two Big Ten Tournament Championships, and had 4 NCAA appearances.
• One member owns their own egg carving business.
• One member's students planted over 5,000 plants that include (basil, tomatoes, peas, lettuce, bok choi, kale) at local CSA.
• Experienced blizzard Jonas which dumped 26 inches of snow in Lancaster, PA.
• Some members had zero previous FFA experience beyond PSU Courses.
• Includes a passionate dairy goat enthusiast.

You can learn more about each of their individual professional journey in their student teaching blogs listed here and via Twitter (#psuaged16).

Name	Twitter	Blog	Cooperating Center
Katie Andrews	@klandrews_24	Kickin' it with Katie	Big Spring HS
Post Graduate Plans:  Seeking Opportunity!
Stacia Gouger	@stacia_gouger	S. Creed Speaking	Wellsboro HS
Post Graduate Plans:  Seeking Opportunity!
Kelsey Henry	@Kelsey_Henry13	Turn & Learn	Northern Lebanon HS
Post Graduate Plans:  Seeking Opportunity!
Janae Herr	@kjherr17	The Teach{HERR} Way	Midd-West HS
Post Graduate Plans:  Seeking Opportunity!
Matt Holt	@mholt5595	From the Woods for Classroom	West Perry HS
Post Graduate Plans:  Secondary Agriscience Teacher/FFA Advisor, Brockway HS
Olivia Murphy-Sweet	@OsweetMurph	An Oh So Sweet Mission	W.B. Saul HS
Post Graduate Plans:  Peace Corp in Senegal
Sarabeth Royer	@sb_royer	Clucks and Moos... SB's News!	Athens HS
Post Graduate Plans:  Seeking Opportunity!
Rachel Spicher	@res5340	Reaching Every Student	Penns Manor HS
Post Graduate Plans:  Seeking Opportunity!
Mike Swartwood	@mikeswartwood	Building Futures With Mike	Bellwood-Antis HS
Post Graduate Plans:  Seeking Opportunity!
Mason Tate	@mttate18	Tate Talks of Ag.	Lampeter-Strausberg HS
Post Graduate Plans:  Seeking Opportunity!
Jenna Timmons	@jitimmons	The Farmer's Daughter	Kennard-Dale HS
Post Graduate Plans:  Seeking Opportunity!
Erin Yoest	@eyoest	From Cowgirl Roots to Marine Boots	Mohawk HS
Post Graduate Plans:  United States Marine Corps Reserves Duty