Kansas Governor Sam Brownback recently proclaimed Sept. 24, 2015, as Kansas Teach Ag Day in recognition of the more than 13,000 Kansas students enrolled in agriculture education and the 210 educators in 179 schools teaching agriculture courses.
Kansas Teach Ag Day, in conjunction with National Teach Ag Day, celebrates agriculture teachers and encourages students to focus on the opportunities and potential of agriculture education as a highly rewarding and extremely valuable career choice. According to a study jointly conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Purdue University, between 2015 and 2020, it is projected that there will be nearly 58,000 average annual openings for graduates with expertise in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources or the environment, with a projected average of 35,400 new U.S. graduates with degrees in those areas.
Agriculture education programs serve approximately one million students nationwide. Realistic, hands-on classroom experience, opportunity for membership and participation in the National FFA Organization, and supervised agriculture experiences help prepare high school students to pursue higher education and career opportunities in the high-demand agriculture-related fields.
“Pursuing agriculture education as a field of study and professional career is highly rewarding for both the teacher and students,” said Kurt Dillon, Kansas State Department of Education Agriculture Education Program Consultant and Kansas FFA Advisor. “We need and encourage passionate and dedicated teachers to prepare today’s youth to work in the highly technical and continually evolving agriculture industry.”
The Kansas Department of Agriculture advocates for and promotes the agriculture industry in Kansas in part by supporting education and training programs to help prepare and strengthen the agricultural workforce. Through agricultural education programs, Kansas students receive essential knowledge and skills that prepare them for future careers serving the state’s largest industry and economic driver.
For more information about agriculture education in Kansas, please visit www.agriculture.ks.gov/ageducation.
