News Release
For more information:
Julie Fritsch, NAAE Communications/Marketing Director
Phone: (859) 257-2224
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 30, 2016
Treasure Valley Community College Selected for National Award
LAS VEGAS –The Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Ore., is one of only sixprograms nationwide that received the 2016National Association of Agricultural Educators Outstanding Postsecondary/Adult Agricultural Education Program Award. The award was presented at the NAAE annual convention in Las Vegas on November30.
Treasure Valley Community College is located in the heart of beef, dairy, horse, onion and potato country and serves students from eastern Oregon, southwestern Idaho, and northern Nevada. TVCC is one of only three post-secondary 2-year agriculture programs in Oregon and currently has 125 fulltime students, earning Associates degrees in agricultural business, ranch management, horse production, animal, crop, and soil sciences, and general agriculture. Real-life production experience is provided in the campus greenhouse, laboratory center, and livestock processing facilities.
Through consultation with the TVCC agriculture advisory committee, TVCC recognized a need to graduate students who can step into production and see the complete picture. They are working to develop a program that allows students to get classroom and real life experience to best prepare them for post-graduation careers. Students are required to work with a producer for a least one quarter during the school year to add depth to their classroom learning. They get to work with live production animals and laboratory activities often to match current industry expectations and standards.
TVCC supports many strong student organizations such as Ag Ambassadors, Young Farmers and Ranchers, Rodeo, Stock Horse, and Natural Resources clubs. The Ag Ambassadors club is extremely active in promoting agriculture and working with youth. They partner with the Natural Resources cluband Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom to put on a day-long informational fair at which third and fourth graders explore where food comes from and how farmers are environmentally conscious.
Advisory boards and industry partners assist in keeping degree programs aligned with industry needs and provide mentoring opportunities to instructors and students. Volunteers from the community assist in different events and competitions hosted by the agriculture department. Instructors are active in agriculture organizations that also help guide curriculum and program development.
“TVCC agriculture department is an exemplary program that is champion of students; they are by far one of the best programs I have seen in my 35 years of teaching agriculture. What they give to their school, community, and to students goes far and beyond the requirements for the regular program,” said Les Linegar, Ontario agriculture instructor and FFA advisor, and TVCC agriculture advisory board member.
Each of the six regional Outstanding Postsecondary/Adult Program Award winners was recognized at the NAAE convention in Las Vegas. The Outstanding Postsecondary/Adult Program Award is sponsored by Monsanto as a special project of the National FFA Foundation. NAAE is the professional association for agricultural educators. Its mission is “professionals providing agricultural education for the global community through visionary leadership, advocacy and service.” The NAAE office is located in Lexington, Ky.
###