Twenty educators from rural Ohio districts had the opportunity to experience several new science lessons as part of the Ohio Rural Educators Program (OREP). This project is funded by a three-year, $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support the agriculture workforce development pipeline.
Teachers gathered at the Ohio State University’s Waterman Farms for a tour, then participated in several hands-on labs on topics including water quality and soil and sustainability. The group also toured the OSU dairy complex and learned about the work being done there.
OREP, developed by Ohio STEM Learning Network and educationprojects.org, provides an opportunity for teachers to experience problem-based learning (PBL) training while gaining agriculture-specific content knowledge and tools to implement effective and meaningful PBL in their classrooms around real-world agriculture needs. They heard about the challenges farmers face and the research and technology involved in feeding a growing population.
Miami East Junior High science teacher Jamie Brown is part of this special program and talked about her experiences. “I’d never really grasped some of the components of GMOs. For example, I found Bt-traited corn to be incredible. The plant has been modified to create a toxin that kills caterpillars in their larval stage—how cool! It’s amazing how research and technology has really changed the world of ag over the past 5–6 decades,” Brown said.
“Additionally, it was amazing to see how many career opportunities are out there for my students - everything from vet technicians to software developers. Overall, through this program, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of agriculture and the problems farmers are facing. With that understanding, I hope to provide my students with the opportunity to discuss and dive into those problems while also exploring innovative solutions.”