#GLAG17: The World at Your Doorstep

Agriculture Education is not just in the United States, but also across the entire globe concerning every country on the Earth. Throughout this week Penn State Global Teach Ag is hosting #GLAG17.

What is #GLAG17? It is a dynamic online learning experience consisting of asynchronous presentations being shared, starting Monday January 23rd, and synchronous presentation featuring two sessions, special presentations, and a keynote speaker. This learning experience is bringing together over 100 education institutional representatives from 30 different states and 5 different countries.

The asynchronous presentations starting Monday include the following:

• SmartFarm Learning Hub (Australia) w/ Amy Cosby University of New England, Armidale, Australia  
• Agricorps: An Innovative Global Immersion Option for American Agriculture Graduates w/ Haley Clement and Jon Velez, Oregon State University
• Implementing Student Centered Teaching Approaches in Ghana w/ Haley Clement and Jon Velez, Oregon State University
• Global Food Security Resources w/ Jane Hunt and Melinda Lloyd GrowNextGen.org and Columbus Council on World Affairs
• Creating a Cultural Responsive Classroom w/ Jeremy Elliott-Engel and Donna Westfall-Rudd, Virginia Tech
• Independent Undergraduate Research Abroad: Lessons Learned at the University of New Hampshire w/ Andrew Conroy
• University of New Hampshire
• Outback Wildcat: Capstone Semester International Immersion w/ Kendall Wright and Stacy Vincent, University of Kentucky
• Let Peace Corps Take the Mic in Your Classroom w/ Olivia Murphy-Sweet, Peace Corp

The synchronous presentations that are Friday January 27th from 1pm - 5pm include:

• Session- Globalizing Ag Ed at Home and Abroad
• Bringing the World Home: Lessons from Turkey, Nepal, and Kenya w/ Jeremy Elliott-Engel and Donna Westfall-Rudd, Virginia Tech
• Global Ag: New Tools for the K-12 Classroom w/ Heather Singmaster, Asia Society and Jennifer Manise, Longview Foundation
• Internationalizing Course Content w/ Jill Woerner and Celya Glowacki, Indiana Department of Education
• Session- Creating a Network of Global Connections in Agricultural Education
• Global Agriculture Immersion for All w/ Brad Kinsinger, Hawkeye Community College
• Contextualizing Agriculture Education in Uganda w/ Ben Meyer, National FFA
• Special Presentations

• World Food Prize w/ Makena Schultz, Michigan State University Extension and Keegan Kautzky, World Food Prize
• Where can GLAG Take You w/ Sasha Diederich, Penn State Extension
• Keynote
• Dr. Richard Slimbach, Author of Becoming World Wise, "Global Learning Upon a Generous Earth"

The partners that made this phenomenal learning experience possible include:

• Asia Society: Center for Global Education
• C.E.L.A. Belize
• Explorations by Thor
• Hawkeye Community College Global Agriculture Learning Center
• The National FFA Organization
• Purdue Youth Development and Agricultural Education
• Penn State Teaching and Learning with Technology
• Penn State, College of Agricultural Sciences, Office of International Programs 
• Penn State, Center for Professional Personnel Development in Agricultural Education
• Texas A&M Agricultural Leadership Education and Communication
• We! and Me: Collaboration
• The World Food Prize

Thank you for your support of this program.

Social Media Tags

PSU Global Teach Ag! Initiative: @GlobalTeachAg

Event Hashtag: #GLAG17

Platforms: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Additional Hyperlinks

Conference Website

Keynote Speaker 90 Second Video

Why GLAG Video

Global Teach Ag Website

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.    

Luke Kerstetter

Student Blogger

Twitter Handle: @lmkerstetter96

2020 Agriculture Education Student Teacher

Bright New Doors Open to 467 First Year FFA Members

Bright new doors open to 467 first year FFA members from all across the state of Pennsylvania! As thousands of people gathered in the New Holland Arena at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex on Monday January 9th, 2017 to watch the Pennsylvania FFA Mid-Winter Convention, they had the opportunity to witness 467 lives become inspired to Activate- Purpose, Passion, and Potential.

First year FFA members were asked earlier in the school year to fill out an application to receive a free FFA Jacket through the Pennsylvania FFA Alumni, and if they are selected to receive the jacket they will be a part of the FFA Jacket Ceremony during Mid-Winter Convention. There were over 800 students who had applied to receive this award with 88 chapters from across Pennsylvania participating in the program. This program is rewarding to all the students who participate because the FFA Jacket can open doors to so many new experiences and opportunities within the FFA Organization.

When asked how do you think the jacket campaign went, Krista Pontius Agricultural Educator at Greenwood High School, had responded "Watching the first year members zip up their jackets for the first time is such a rewarding experience for everyone involved in the alumni organization. The months of hard work that goes into the process of the jacket campaign all becomes worth it watching the New Holland Arena flooded with a sea of National Blue and Corn Gold corduroy jackets!"

The opportunity for growth within the jacket campaign is huge, but the growth depends upon the amount of money that can be raised to buy more jackets for deserving first year members. Overall it was a wonderful success in Harrisburg, PA.

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the live 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.

Luke Kerstetter

Student Blogger

Twitter Handle: @lmkerstetter96

2020 Agriculture Education Student Teacher

Student Success Across Pennsylvania Recognized

On January 9th at the 101st Pennsylvania Farm Show, Pennsylvania FFA held their 88th Mid-Winter Convention. During this convention there were guest speakers which included Pennsylvania Governor Tom wolf, Secretary of Agriculture Russel Reading, Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera, and a presentation from Now Holland Vice President Bret Lieberman.

The next order of business at convention was the awarding of State Stars which come from the four categories of Agribuisness, Agriscience, Ag Placement, and Ag Production. To be selected as a State Star these students had to become the Regional Star in their category, and then go throw interviews during the morning before Mid-Winter Convention. This years State Stars were Nate Guldin from Oley Valley in the area of Agribuisness, Kassandra Nulton from West Perry in the area Agriscience, Alyssa Yoder from Central Columbia in the area of Ag Placement, and William Horning from Grassland FFA in the area of Ag Production. These students have worked hard throughout their years in the FFA Organization, and were well deserving of this award. Congratulations to each one that competed.

The highest award Pennsylvania FFA can bestow upon its members is the golden Keystone Degree symbolizing their achievements, hard work, and dedication to the FFA Organization made throughout their FFA career in high school. This year there were 357 Keystone Degrees awarded. This degree opens up the doors for each of them to apply for the coveted golden key of the American Degree, which is the highest award a member can receive from the National FFA Organization for all of their hard work and dedication to the FFA organization and agriculture.

Pennsylvania FFA State President Libby Baker-Mikesell was asked about her opinions on Mid-Winter Convention and she had said, "Mid-Winter is very humbling and makes me cherish the full circle of the FFA experience. Seeing so many members put on their jackets for the first time, and also so many seniors receive their Keystone Degree who may have gotten their jackets a few years ago brings around the full circle of hard work and determination. That to me is indescribable." 

Pennsylvania FFA State Treasurer was asked the same question and she replied, "When I stepped out on that stage to a crowd of 5,000 people it hit me that this is my purpose. I am here to honor and recognize our members for all their hard work, and I am so incredibly proud of them and all the great things they are accomplishing."

Without Agriculture Educators across this great Nation we could not provide these great opportunities to students not just in Pennsylvania, but across the United States of America. Penn State Teach Ag provides not only quality educators and professional personal development, but also the mentors, the inspirations to students, and the opportunity to change lives of many students across the United States.

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.

Luke Kerstetter

Student Blogger

Twitter Handle: @lmkerstetter96

2020 Agriculture Education Student Teacher