Wilmington, DE (PRWEB) June 18, 2013
DuPont welcomes 48 of the nations finest agricultural science teachers to the 11th annual DuPont National AgriScience Teachers Ambassador Academy this week (NATAA) at the companys Chesapeake Farms in Chestertown, Md.
The NATAA Ag Academy is a professional development institute sponsored by DuPont and is a special project of the National FFA Foundation and the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE). The highly recommended agriscience teachers, who are participating in the first of two sessions (June 16-21 and July 14-19), will engage in inquiry-based activities and learn techniques and exciting new approaches that, when brought back to the classroom, will stimulate students to learn more about agriscience and its role in helping create a healthier, more sustainable future.
Making sure we have enough healthy, nutritious food to feed a rapidly growing global population is one of the greatest challenges that the world faces today, said Rik L. Miller, president, DuPont Crop Protection. The ongoing work of the Ag Academy helps us take a significant step toward meeting that challenge, as it embodies both the professional development required and the enthusiasm necessary to help students flourish in agriscience-related fields.
Ag Academy participants learn innovative teaching concepts in a classroom setting and spend the majority of their training time applying them through real-world, hands-on activities on Chesapeake Farms 3,300-acre working farm. This dual approach is designed to reinvigorate their love of teaching and stimulate teachers to make the learning experience for their students intriguing and fun.
Six previous academy attendees (Ag Ambassadors), who together have 92 years of teaching experience, have been selected to facilitate the week-long academy. LAB-AIDS, Ronkonkoma, NY, developed the training curriculum which will focus on agricultural science, horticulture, veterinary science, natural resources, sustainability, food safety and food security.
The exceptional content of the academies invigorates all who participate and ensures that we have more highly qualified teachers returning to their home schools to put what they learned into practice. As a result, students are energized to explore the many facets of agriscience, from agribusiness to science and math, which enhances student achievement as measured by standardized tests, said Jay Jackman, executive director of NAAE. Over the past decade, we have trained 229 Ag Ambassadors who, in their roles as trainers, have presented workshops to more than 12,000 teachers across the United States including Puerto Rico and Alaska. In all, they have had a direct impact on tens of thousands of students.
This fall, selected teachers from this years Academy will lead seminars and workshops at the Agriscience Institute during the annual National FFA Convention in Louisville, Ky., and the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) convention in Las Vegas, Nev..
The NAAE is a federation of state agricultural educators associations with more than 7,650 members. Currently, NAAE is focusing on advocacy for agricultural education as well as professional development for and recruitment and retention of agricultural educators. NAAE offers a variety of programs and services to support this mission.
DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment. For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit http://www.dupont.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment