Recap: Farm Show Ag Ed Recruitment Event

PSU Teach Ag Avenger team, faculty, and professors talking with FFA students 

Penn State Teach Ag started the new year off with a bang at the Pennsylvania in Harrisburg PA! On Monday January 7th the Penn State Teach Ag Avenger team put on a workshop for 15 high-school students interested in teaching the future of agriculture. Throughout this workshop, students had the opportunity to as questions, and learn about what it means to study agricultural and extension education, and what it’s like to be a Penn State student. Students heard from current students, faculty, and professors of the Agricultural and Extension Education program to get an inside look at the opportunities Teach Ag at Penn State has to offer. 

One of the main discussions we had with students was that every single person involved in agricultural education has their own path. Luke Kerstetter, Teach Ag Avenger and current member of #psuaged20 said this about the event "Everyone has a different story behind their interests in Agricultural Education. It may be very diverse, but we all have the same goal in mind”.

This event was also held on the same day as the Pennsylvania FFA Mid-Winter Convention where 409 Keystone Degrees were awarded, and 365 first-year members put on their blue corduroy jackets for the first time. Seeing the impact that FFA and agricultural education has on so many students certainly was moving and truly was an amazing thing to watch.

Students at Mid-Winter Convention putting on their brand new FFA jackets for the first time. 

This was also the first day of student teaching for #psuaged19. Seeing the student teachers in action was such an awesome experience. Jess Barnhart, Teach Ag Avenger, and member of #psuaged20 said “I’d like to shine a light on our student teachers at Mid-Winter Convention. They truly were immersed in all that Ag Ed is really about by having that hands-on experience with their students.”

While speaking at Mid-Winter Convention, Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera said: “today’s FFA members are tomorrow’s industry and community leaders”. Here at Penn State, we are proud to play a role in helping to develop those future leaders within FFA.

Erin Langdale

Communications Team Member

Twitter: @ItsErinLangdale

Agricultural Education Student Teacher 2020

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