PAAE Outstanding Program Award Recipient Elizabethtown Area High School

Agriculture is a rich part of American culture, carrying great importance in our country's history and future. By continuing to establish outstanding agriculture programs in our communities, we are not only allowing our students to engage in agriculture on a local level, but also helping them to make connections with this American tradition while creating solutions for future challenges in the agriculture industry. In recognition of unique programs that facilitate the growth of future agriculturists, the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators (PAAE) chooses one program each year who exemplifies the importance of this industry to future generations. The 2020 PAAE Outstanding Program Award recipient is Elizabethtown Area High School.

Elizabethtown's Agricultural Education program was founded in 1958 and is currently run by Mr. Mark Anderson and Mr. Stephen Geib. This pair of educators maintains a diverse program that offers an array of agriculture courses including Introduction to Agriculture, Animal Science, Agriculture Mechanics, Veterinary Science, Greenhouse Management, Equine Science, Aquatic Resources, and Wildlife. Students at Elizabethtown Area High School also have the opportunity to engage in hands on learning in two classrooms, a greenhouse, an aquatics laboratory, an agriculture mechanics shop, and an animal science laboratory. Additionally, Elizabethtown is home to an active FFA chapter who has produced, since the start of Mr. Anderson's career at Elizabethtown in 2005, five State FFA Officers multiple state winning teams in the areas of Horse Evaluation, Agriculture Sales, Milk Products Evaluation, and Market Plan, two state proficiency winners, many Keystone State Degree winners, and quite a few American Degree winners. The Elizabethtown FFA has also recently created a Greenhand Bootcamp where new members can learn about the opportunities that the organization has to offer on a local, state, and national level.

The agriculture program at Elizabethtown Area High School remains a vital part of the local community. In 1985, the program was named the Eastern Region BOAC Award Winner for their community service with the Elizabethtown Fair. Today, the program continues to engage with the community through a variety of events. Each year, Elizabethtown agriculture students and FFA members plan a day of workshops for local fourth graders so that they may learn more about agriculture and their environment at an event appropriately named Ag and Environmental Day. The program also hosts a Pig Roast during National FFA Week where they serve Elizabethtown Area High School faculty and staff, recognizing the community of support that helps the program remain successful in educating it's students. Elizabethtown FFA members can also be found at the annual Elizabethtown Fair offering a Farmer for a Day experience to children in the community interested in learning about the vast nature of the agriculture industry.

While Elizabethtown strives to provide each student with the opportunity to learn, lead, and grow, the program does face a few challenges with fluctuations in enrollment and seniors being unable to participate in the program when they engage in the local Career and Technical Center.  Despite these challenges however, this program continues to work towards providing more opportunities for their students and adapting to a student body increasingly dependent on technology. 

The Elizabethtown Agricultural Education program welcomes all students interested in learning about agriculture, the environment, science, and mechanics. Strong student leaders and passionate Agricultural Educators continue to drive this program towards success by offering students opportunities to take part in experiential learning, personal growth, community service, and leadership. "Being a graduate of the agriculture program at Elizabethtown, I have seen first hand the hard work that both the educators and the students put into it. Mr. Anderson and Mr. Geib teach their students to embrace challenges, and it truly shows in the difference this program makes in the community and the growth of the students it serves". The 2020 PAAE Outstanding Program Award is a testament to the fantastic opportunities being offered to the students of Elizabethtown Area High School and the positive difference it is making in preparing future agriculturists for professional careers in the industry. Be sure to congratulate Mr. Anderson and Mr. Geib on the success of their program and the contributions it continues to make to the agriculture industry.

Taylor Halbleib

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2022