News Release
For more information:
Julie Fritsch, NAAE Communications/Marketing Director
Phone: (859) 257-2224
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 2015
Oakland Schools Technical Campus Southwest Agriculture Teacher Selected for Educator Award
NEW ORLEANS – Bailey Garwood, agricultural educator at Oakland Schools Technical Campus Southwest in Wixom, Mich., is one of only six individuals nationwide who received the NAAE Outstanding Young Member Award, presented at the 2015 National Association of Agricultural Educators annual convention in New Orleans on November 18.
The agriculture program at OSTC Southwest ismade up of juniors and seniors from 13 area schools who spend half of their day at the technical campus. Facilities consist of a large science classroom, two greenhouses, and land labs. The program also has two FFA chapters to accommodate for the morning and afternoon students who come through the career technical program.
Garwood’s program runs on a two-year cycle. Seeing the same students for two years brings continuity and allows her students to dig deep into topics in which they have an interest.The first year, students learn about a wide variety of topics, but are able to choose a focus area the second year that best represents their career goals. Classes include animal science, biotechnology, aquaponics, hydroponics and floriculture.
Garwood incorporates labs and projects into her teaching to help students better understand and apply the lessons she teaches. All students are required to complete a severalmonth project where they develop a plan for an agribusiness. The students present their plans to a panel of judges and are evaluated.
“Regardless of what a student believes they are interested in when they enter my class, I explain that even if they learn what they do not want to go into as a career, it is still beneficial to them! On many occasions I like to reiterate that learning about agriculture, regardless of what you are learning, is likely helping you become a more knowledgeable consumer and citizen because agriculture is all around us,” said Garwood.
Each of the 2015 NAAE Outstanding Young Member winners received special recognition at the NAAE convention. John Deere sponsors the Outstanding Young Member program as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.
NAAE is the professional organization in the United States for agricultural educators. It provides its’ nearly 8,000 members with professional networking and development opportunities, professional liability coverage, and extensive awards and recognition programs. The mission of NAAE is “professionals providing agricultural education for the global community through visionary leadership, advocacy and service.” The NAAE headquarters are in Lexington, Ky.
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