- July 31, 2018
- 6:00 PM
- Clendenin Community Center
The next High School Agriculture Education Forum is taking place July 31st at 6:00 p.m. at the Clendenin Community Center. Clendenin Mayor Shana Clendenin is hosting the forum and West Virginia State University Extension Service is assisting with it.
The purpose of this forum is to educate the community on the benefits and successes of high school agriculture programs in the State of West Virginia. Herbert Hoover High principal Mike Kelley and science teacher Richard Parsons are interested in installing an agriculture program at their school. The biggest barriers to this high school obtaining an agriculture program: lack of funding and not having a teacher with a Bachelors (at a minimum) in Agriculture.
The Kanawha County Board of Education has been invited to this event.
At the forum high school, AgEd teachers Craig Canterbury from Ripley High and Danielle Grant from Buffalo High will present on their schools’ agriculture programs and FFAs (formerly Future Farmers of America). The West Virginia Department of Education’s Jason Hughes will discuss various state high school agriculture programs and how they’ve benefited students, the state, the Agriculture Industry, and the communities they serve, and a $100k first year start-up grant his agency oversees available to schools who agree to hire an AgEd teacher on full-time.
Also speaking at the forum is Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt and Deputy Agriculture Commissioner Joe Hatton, Buzz Food Service president Dickinson Gould and Kanawha Farm Bureau president Clay Bailey.
At the June 5th AgEd Forum, Buzz Food Service president Dickinson Gould said he was interested in partnering with Herbert Hoover High on their agriculture program once it gets up and running. Gould would like to purchase more locally grown meat.
Kanawha County Farm Bureau president Clay Bailey said at the aforementioned forum his organization is supporting Herbert Hoover High in their agriculture program endeavor as well. The Kanawha Farm Bureau is active in Kanawha County Schools.
Participants in high school AgEd programs are more likely to graduate high school and pursue higher education compared to those who don’t partake in these programs. AgEd programs and FFAs spawn young AgEntrepreneurs and leaders with great business, debating and public speaking skills.
Having such a technical (9-12) agriculture program will make Kanawha County more commercially marketable and attractive to the Agriculture Industry to help alleviate poverty and keep young people from leaving the county and state. The tax base has been leaving Kanawha County five years in a row. As more people leave, the heavier the tax burden will fall on those who choose to stay.
Who: Town of Clendenin, WVSU Ext. Service, Kanawha Farm Bureau, WV Dept. of Education, WV Dept. of Agriculture, and Buzz Food Service
What: High School Agriculture Education Forum
When: Tuesday, July 31st at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Clendenin Community Center at 4 1st Street in Clendenin
Why: to get Herbert Hoover High an AgEd program
For more information, please contact WVSU Ext. Service AmeriCorps VISTA Jeremy Brannon at brannoja@wvstateu.edu.
