1854-2017 The History of Agriculture Education at Penn State

"WE ARE PENN STATE!" and the Penn State Football team is traditionally how The Pennsylvania State University is recognized in current years. However, the birth of Penn State is far from a chant or a football team. It would surprise many people to find out that the birth of this wonderful university started out as The Farmers' High School in 1855. This is where our story began.

1854-1899
It all began in 1854 when the Pennsylvania State Agriculture Society persuaded the General Assembly of the State Legislature to establish a school dedicated to agriculture education and teaching scientific practices in agriculture. The school was then built in 1855 on 200 acres of land given by James Irvin. Throughout the rest of the 1800's the school underwent a few name changes; 1862 the name was changed to The Agriculture College of Pennsylvania and in 1874 it was changed again to The Pennsylvania State College. Another piece of history that can not be left out is what happened in 1889. This was the year the first creamery was built on campus. This is just a brief overview of the beginning history of Penn State, and in no way the complete story.

1900-1949
Agriculture Education in high schools in the state of Pennsylvania began in 1910-1911 when the General Assembly of the Pennsylvania Legislature mandated that one year of agriculture must be taught in every rural high school. Interesting to mention that in 1910 the first agriculture course was taught. This  influenced The Pennsylvania State College, at that time, to create a four year baccalaureate degree major in the area of agriculture education which began in 1911-1912. Interestingly, Penn State had conferred their first Master of Agriculture Education in 1914 when the first bachelors degree had not been conferred. The first two bachelors degrees in agriculture education were conferred in 1915, and between 1912-1918 there were 23 students who had received their bachelors degrees in agriculture education. In 1917 federal legislation known as the Smith-Hughes Act was passed to allow vocational education to be taught in public schools. In 1935 the agriculture educators of Pennsylvania created a professional organization called The Pennsylvania Vocational Agriculture Teachers' Association which was later changed to The Pennsylvania Association of Agriculture Educators (PAAE). By the late 1940's the practice of student teaching with a faculty member supervising had become a part of the curriculum. The early stages of agriculture education were busy, and not all the information included is the full version.


1950-1999
Throughout this span of 50 years the agriculture education program at Penn State advanced in becoming more diverse and expanding their coverage of opportunities. The program had started offering international opportunities to students both coming from different countries and students traveling abroad from Penn State. Also in the 1950's, the agriculture programs in high schools were advancing their opportunities to prepare students for college instead of just educating them for a job right our of high school. In the 1960's there was a movement to provide ornamental horticulture programs in area vocational technical schools as well as creating environmental education learning at high schools. In 1967 the beginning teacher program at Penn State was developed which this program is now called The Center for Professional Personnel Development. Throughout the 1970's the program became more inclusive with the first two women receiving their degrees in agriculture education and becoming teachers in 1970 and 1972. Throughout the 1980's there was several changes of names with one of them being The Department of Agriculture Education changing to The Department of Agriculture and Extension Education.

2000-Present
Over the course of the past 17 years Penn State Agriculture and Extension Education has become more advanced in bring the best knowledge to students in major as well as training educators with the best resources. The opportunities for the students to get involved have advanced including the Penn State Teach Ag Society, studying abroad in different areas of the world, etc. The rich history of the Agriculture and Extension Education department has certainly made an impact on many lives and will continue to do so.

References
The History of The Department of Agricultural and Extension Education at The Pennsylvania State University, Summer 2005.

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

February 2017 Student of the Month: Angela Becker (@BeckerAngelaM)

Every month, we like to highlight students that have gone above and beyond in the Agriculture Education department! We are proud to announce that Angela Becker was selected as the February Student of the Month! Lets learn about her story and accomplishments so far.

Angela is a Junior in the Agriculture and Extension Education major. She plans to minor in Animal Science as well. Her goal after she graduates in the spring of 2018 is to immediately attend graduate school to work towards her master's degree in Agriculture and Extension Education. Angela became passionate about majoring in Agriculture and Extension Education because her lifelong passion for agriculture. She is excited to share that passion with her future students. When ask how she keeps herself motivated towards school and major requirements, Angela answered, "I use my love for education and agriculture to motivate me. I also know that if it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you so I am glad that this is a challenge. It means that it is worth it!"

Outside the classroom Angela is also active in several organizations on Penn State's campus. Her roles in each are as follows: Vice President of Collegiate Cattlemen, member of Block and Bridle, the professional chair for Delta Theta Sigma Fraternity, and a member of TeachAg! Society.

Want to learn more about Angela here are some fun facts!
Hometown: East Millsboro, PA
Birthday: July 6th
Favorite Place to Hang out on campus: Berkey Creamery
Favorite PSU Class: Animal Science 426
Favorite Place to Eat: Happy Valley Brewery (Especially when her parents come to town)

Congratulations, Angela! We sure are excited to see where you will complete your student teaching experience and following along through your journey!

If you would like to learn more about Angela Becker follow her on twitter @BeckerAngelaM

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 Agricultural Education Student Teacher

February 2017 Program of the Month: Columbia Montour AVTS

All across the great state of Pennsylvania there are 145 school districts that have Agriculture Education courses and the FFA program. Each month we like to highlight a chapter that has stood out from the rest of the chapters. February's program of the month goes to Columbia Montour Area Vocational-Technical School or otherwise know as the Columbia Montour A.V.T.S. Chapter!

Background Knowledge
Columbia Montour A.V.T.S has a single teacher Agriculture Program located in Bloomsburg, PA. The first agriculture program was started in 1969 at the inception of the CTC. Two teachers had taught the program prior to Miss Appleman. John McAllister was the first teacher of the program then Tim Mauk took over the program and retired in 2014. This is Miss Appleman's third year teaching the program at Columbia Montour A.V.T.S.

Class Instruction

The school is a comprehensive career and technical center which means, after the students initial freshman year they select a vocational program and commit their last three years to that specific program. The CTC offers seventeen vocational training programs, in addition to the comprehensive academic course load.  Students attend Columbia Montour A.V.T.S. from seven sending school districts. Miss Appleman's agriculture program operates on the Applied Horticulture CIP code but she also educates the students in the following areas: Advanced Botany, Advanced Soil Science, Plant Propagation Methods, Safe Tractor and Machinery Operations, Landscape Drafting and Design, Masonry and Hardscape, Small Gas Engines, Introduction to Plumbing and Electricity, Greenhouse Productions Sustainable Technologies (Aquaponics and Hydroponics), Integrated Pest Management, Turfgrass Science, and Introduction to Leadership and Public Speaking. The learning labs consist of two greenhouses, an aquaponics system, a regulation sized putting green, a small forested area, ag mechanics shop, computer drafting room, and raised garden beds. The program has an annual fish fry with Tilapia from their aquaponics system to culminate the year. They also have a winter sale in December to sell the 1000+ poinsettias they grow, in addition to the wreaths and other greenery items the students make. Columbia Montour A.V.T.S. holds an annual spring bedding sale in May to sell the 10,000+ plants the students raise in the two greenhouses.

Supervised Agriculture Experiences (SAE's)

All of Miss Appleman's students are FFA members with an active AET account, and all students by the end of their sophomore year have a SAE, and a minimum of 15 hours of community service. The school also offers a SAE course for students who have a passion for agriculture and the FFA, but are in different vocational training programs such as welding and carpentry. Her juniors and seniors annually engage in a two week internship in March which they all keep records on an Exploratory SAE, and most of the students maintain a Paid Placement SAE. The school often encourages the students to go out on Co-Op the last semester of their junior year and throughout their senior year, if they are eligible. Miss Appleman's students work at local greenhouses, nurseries, landscape companies, and floral ships during their Co-Op which feeds right into their SAE programs. 

FFA Program

This year Miss Appleman had one Keystone Degree recipient and seven FFA Jacket scholarship recipients at Mid-Winter Convention. Last year she had ten students receive their Keystone Degree. The chapter always attends Fall Leadership Conference (FLC), Farm Show, and State Activities Week. The students are also involved in competing at the Bloomsburg Fair every year. They are also very active in the community, helping maintain the Bloomsburg Fountain and the Columbia County Veteran's Memorial Park. The chapter also buys a pig from the county fair annually, and donates the meat to families in need around the schools community. Some recent successes of the Columbia Montour A.V.T.S chapter include: first place in the area Horse Evaluation CDE, first and second place in the area Agriculture Sales CDE.  This past year, a student also qualified for State Activities Week at Penn State University for the Creed Speaking LDE.

Sounds like Miss Appleman keeps herself busy investing in the future of agriculture at Columbia Montour A.V.T.S.  Congratulations on being named Program of the Month for February!

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 Agricultural Education Student Teacher 

"Magnificent 7" Student Showcase #studentsuccess

The "Magnificent 7" Student Showcase has finally arrived! We are so proud of our 2017 candidates!

Within the Student Showcase, you can learn more about what makes each student teacher candidate unique.  There are endorsements from administrators, Penn State Agriculture and Extension Education graduates, students in high school agriculture education classes, and from Team Ag Ed.

Lets meet our 2017 Student Teacher Candidates! #psuaged17

Luke Kerstetter

Student Blogger

Twitter Handle: @lmkerstetter96

2020 Agricultural Education Student Teacher

January 2017 Program of the Month: Central PA Institute of Science and Technology

All across the great state of Pennsylvania there are 145 school districts that have Agriculture Education courses and the FFA program. Each month we like to highlight a chapter that has stood out from the rest of the chapters. January's program of the month goes to Central PA Institute of Science and Technology or otherwise know as the Central PA Institute FFA Chapter!

Background Knowledge of CPI The agriculture program at Central PA Institute was first introduced in 1969. This program features one course that pertains to a certain area or aspect of agriculture. Throughout the decades the program has changed. When it first opened it was a Natural Resources Management course then it was changed to Horticulture, Floriculture after that, and today it is a Horticulture and Landscaping course. The current Agriculture Educator at CPI is Mr. Joe Luther, and this is his eighth year teaching at CPI.

SAE Projects and FFA Mr. Luther encourages his students to create a Supervised Agricultural Experience project in the category of exploratory. Some examples he gives students are job shadowing, working with contractors, exploring personal interests, co-op, and one student of his had raised and trained two Seeing Eye dogs through her local 4H program. The students at CPI have became heavily involved with the FFA program over the past two years. Their main area is in the Nursery/Landscaping CDE and Floriculture CDE at State Activities week. In the fall of 2015, CPI's Nursery/Landscaping team placed second at The Big E competition. In the fall of 2016 they also placed second at The Big E for landscape design. This past year several students competed in the Junior and Senior Prepared Public Speaking LDE. Each student that had competed moved on to the regional level.  From the regional event one moved on to the state level. 
Throughout the past several years Mr. Luther has had his class participate in the HeroScape Program which provides new additions of landscaping to war veterans homes at no cost. The students love getting the opportunity to give back to the community in this way because it goes to those who have served our country.

Pennsylvania Farm Show 
Every year, CPI competes at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in several different events including Landscape Design, to small competitions like the hanging basket competition. Over the past three years CPI has won the Landscape Design competition. Mr. Luther was surprised by the results. "Our success this year was a huge surprise to myself and everyone in our class. We expected some very strong competition, which we received, and when we came out on top, we were ecstatic. My students continue to innovate our class by bringing new ideas from their individual minds and imaginations." Since all of his students come from different areas they each have different ideas and interpretations to a design. Some of these range from modern to classical styles; which is drawn from the areas where they live. Many of his students have came into class only knowing basic knowledge and ideas about landscaping designs. After their two or three years in the class they have created a natural talent and eye for designing landscapes and other projects. They also learn how to focus on small details and final touches, which leads to big results.


Collaboration of CPI and Penn State
Dr. John Ewing teaches AEE 349; Shop Processes for Agricultural Educators, at CPI. There are many benefits to this course being held at CPI including the state of the art facilities that all the course work can be offered in one location. This relationship benefits the students in the Horticulture and Landscaping class because they are able to see college level courses happening in their own shop. It also provides an opportunity for the perspective student teachers to get observation hours, and teach  Mr. Luther's students mini lessons before they start their student teaching experiences.

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 Agricultural Education Student Teacher 

January 2017 Student of the Month: Hunter Kauffman (@kaufhu)

Every month, we like to highlight students that have gone above and beyond in the Agriculture Education department! We are proud to announce that Hunter Kauffman was selected as the January Student of the Month! Lets learn about his story and accomplishments so far.

Hunter is a Sophomore majoring in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. Hunter became passionate about wildlife from his job at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park; a zoo in central Pennsylvania. He has worked for Lake Tobias for the past 5 years as a tour guide, as well as a member of their reptile and exotic wildlife shows. Being a part of the these shows is what helped Hunter develop an interest in education. After he graduates from Penn State he plans to become a non-formal educator, "I want to give back to this world more than I take, and through non-formal education, I found a way to do that. I can combine my love for wild and exotic animals, and nature, with the power of education. I want to give people the knowledge and the skills necessary to help preserve this Earth for future generations and work towards making it sustainable."

Hunter has also dedicated his time to several organizations over the past year and half he has been at Penn State University. He is a member of Penn State Collegiate FFA, TeachAg! Society, Wildlife for Everyone Endowment Foundation, and Service Vice President of Penn State Habitat for Humanity.

Want to know more about Hunter here are some fun facts about him!
Hometown: Berrysburg, PA
Birthday: July 16, 1997
Favorite PSU Class: Biology 220W
Favorite place to eat: Baby's Burgers and Shakes
Favorite place to hang out on campus: The Forest Resources Building
Other Fun Facts:  Hunter is a triplet. His brother attends Bloomsburg University and his sister went to Empire.

If you would like to read more about Hunter follow him on Twitter @kaufhu and Instagram Kauffman_hunter

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 Agricultural Education Student Teacher