ALLENTOWN — New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher recently visited the Stone Bridge Middle School in Allentown where 18 agriculture teachers from five states, including 11 from New Jersey, were attending a 50-hour training course preparing them to teach a new rigorous, academic course on agricultural research in the fall, according to a press release from the state Department of Agriculture.
The Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) Institute was hosted by Rutgers University, the Upper Freehold Regional School District and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Education from July 26-31.
The participants are now certified to field test the “Agricultural Research and Development” course and were provided the curriculum and practical experience to teach the course upon completion of the five-day session. The teachers will report back to CASE on the course; any necessary adjustments will be made and then the course will be offered to all agriculture teachers, according to the press release.
“New Jersey is a leader in agricultural education and we are working to make the challenging CASE courses available to as many students as possible,” Fisher said. “We have not only seen the benefits of CASE in the classroom, but understand that the skills CASE teaches are in demand in the job market. This new class is another tool our teachers will be able to use to maximize student success.”
Agricultural Research and Development is the capstone course designed to culminate students’ experiences in agriculture, based on the pathway of study they pursued, according to the press release. Woven throughout the course are projects and problems based in practical applications and designed to develop and improve employability skills of students. Students will further enhance critical thinking and teamwork skills as they expand on content knowledge from previous CASE courses.
The New Jersey agricultural education teachers who will field test Agricultural Research and Development in the upcoming school year are Nichole Carroll of Cumberland Regional High School; Dan Delcher of Essex County Vocational School; Keely Ditizio of Salem County Vocational Technical School; Denise Emmons of Allentown High School; Erik Fargo of Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School; Clare Kennedy of Bergen County Technical Schools; Lisa Ann Moschera-Chemigovets of Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools; Laura Pinhas of Sussex County Technical School; Sara Cobb of Woodstown High School; Kim Ann Szulecki of Ocean County Vocational Technical School; and Jennifeur Wilson of North Warren Regional High School.
The course was taught by Liz Tinaglia of Minnesota and Aaron Geiman of Maryland. The CASE staff person was Melanie Bloom of Iowa.
There are 22 New Jersey school districts offering one or more CASE courses: Introduction to Agriculture Food and Natural Resources; Principles of Agricultural Science – Plant; Principles of Agricultural Science – Animal; Animal and Plant Biotechnology; Food Science and Safety; Natural Resources and Ecology; Agriculture, Power and Technology; and Agriculture Research and Development.
College credits for CASE courses are being earned from Rutgers University, Delaware Valley College, SUNY Cobleskill and several county colleges, according to the press release.