Meeting the challenges of producing a healthy, sustainable food supply requires recruiting and training a skilled and diverse next generation of agriculturists. Researchers and extension specialists at the University of Tennessee’s Institute of Agriculture developed, and are pilot testing, a new high school curriculum to teach food production in controlled environments. This curriculum will link agricultural production with foundational concepts in biology, chemistry, and engineering to enable instruction and recruit a wide range of students. To date, 35 teachers have trained to use the curriculum and the National 4-H Council has approved a modified version for use in informal settings.
NIFA supports this curriculum development through the Secondary Agriculture Education Challenge Grants Program.
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