June 26- June 30, 2022
The PA Friends of Ag Foundation Educator’s Ag Institute provides a unique learning experience for PreK-12th grade formal educators, pre-service teachers and informal community educators. The Institute provides educational tours at Penn State University as well as local family-run farms where you will learn valuable information from those involved in agriculture including farmers, university professors and agricultural leaders. The learning experience also includes hands-on classroom sessions that cover topics such as plant and animal production, agricultural research, PA state education standards, ag history, and current/future farming trends in the agricultural industry.
Educator’s Ag Institute will provide you with:
- An increased knowledge of agriculture
- First-hand experiences with agriculture on field trips to local farms and agricultural industries
- Lesson plan ideas and activities that are applicable to many subject areas you are teaching on a daily basis in your classroom
- Resources and a network of people to assist you in bringing agriculture to your classroom
- 25–27 Act 48 credits (will need a valid PA PPID)
Educator’s Ag Institute will prepare you to bring agriculture to life in your classroom and across your curriculum. It is a standards-based program that makes real connections. Teachers use the information they’ve received to integrate agriculture and information about the earth’s natural resources into their curriculum. Many educators form lasting bonds with other educators, which extends the idea sharing as they go forth to bring ag into their classrooms!
2022 Schedule Overview
| 1:00 – 2:00 | Registration |
|---|---|
| 2:00 – 3:00 | Welcome and Announcements |
| 3:00 – 3:30 | Load buses & Travel to Ag Arena |
| 3:30 – 3:45 | Joshua E. Rice, Ph.D Asst Director, PSU 4-H Youth Development |
| 3:45 – 5:45 | Meet & Greet with the Farm Animals 4-H Presentations |
| 5:45 – 6:00 | Restrooms, wash up, move to upper level |
| 6:00 – 6:45 | Dinner |
| 6:45 – 7:15 | Load buses; travel to hotel |
| Daily Reflections |
Group A Group B
| 6:30 – 7:30 | Complimentary breakfast on your own |
|---|---|
| 7:30 – 7:45 | Daily Announcements |
| 7:45 – 8:45 | Exploring PA Standards–Tamara Peffer, PA Department of Education |
| 8:45 – 9:30 | Load Buses & Travel to Way Fruit Farm |
| 9:30 – 10:30 | Group A – Way Fruit Farm |
| Group B – Beekeeping | |
| 10:30 – 10:40 | Switch Tours |
| 10:40 – 11:40 | Group A – Beekeeping |
| Group B – Way Fruit Farm | |
| 11:45 – 12:15 | Lunch at Way Fruit Farm |
| 12:15 – 1:00 | Load Buses & Travel to Campus |
| 1:00 – 2:15 | Group A – Teaching Youth about Forestry |
| Group B – Discover Dairy | |
| 2:15 – 2:25 | Break/Switch |
| 2:25 – 3:40 | Group A – Discover Dairy |
| Group B – Teaching Youth about Forestry | |
| 3:40 – 4:10 | Dairy Break-Creamery Visit |
| 4:10 – 5:10 | Group A – Ag Careers |
| Group B – Integrated Pest Management | |
| 5:10 – 5:15 | Break/Switch |
| 5:15 – 6:15 | Group A – Integrated Pest Management |
| Group B – Ag Careers | |
| 6:15 – 6:45 | Load Buses & Travel to Hotel |
| 6:45 | Dinner on Your Own |
| Daily Reflections |
Group A Group B
| 6:30 – 7:30 | Complimentary breakfast on your own |
|---|---|
| 7:30 – 8:30 | Phil Vonada, National Grange and Tara Homan, RULE |
| 8:30 – 9:00 | Load Buses & Travel to Ag Progress Grounds |
| 9:00 – 10:30 | Group A – Pasto Ag Museum |
| Group B – Let’s Talk About the Woods | |
| 10:30 – 10:40 | Switch Tours |
| 10:40 – 12:10 | Group A – Let’s Talk About the Woods |
| Group B – Pasto Ag Museum | |
| 12:15 – 12:45 | Lunch in the Special Events Building |
| 12:45 – 1:15 | Load Buses & Travel to Campus |
| 1:20 – 2:35 | Group A – Water & Ag |
| Group B – Learning about the Berkey Creamery | |
| 2:35 – 2:45 | Switch |
| 2:45 – 4:00 | Group A – Learning about the Berkey Creamery |
| Group B – Water & Ag | |
| 4:00 – 4:30 | Load Buses & Travel to Winery |
| 4:30 – 5:30 | Group A – Vineyard & Winery Tour |
| Group B – Ag Lab Water Lesson | |
| 5:30 – 5:45 | Switch |
| 5:45 – 6:45 | Group A – Ag Lab Water Lesson |
| Group B – Vineyard & Winery Tour | |
| 6:45 – 7:30 | Dinner |
| 7:30 | Load Buses & Travel to Hotel |
| Daily Reflections |
Group A Group B
| 6:30 – 7:30 | Complimentary breakfast on your own |
|---|---|
| 7:30 – 8:15 | TBD |
| 8:15 – 8:30 | Travel to Tour Locations |
| 8:30 – 9:45 | Group A – PSU Dairy Barns |
| Group B – The PSU Arboretum | |
| 9:45 – 10:00 | Switch Tours |
| 10:00 – 11:15 | Group A – The PSU Arboretum |
| Group B – PSU Dairy Barns | |
| 11:15 – 11:45 | Load Buses/ Travel to Lunch |
| 11:45 – 12:30 | Lunch |
| 12:30 – 12:45 | Transition/Load Buses |
| 12:45 – 1:00 | Travel to Tour Locations |
| 1:00 – 2:30 | Group A – Mushroom Facility |
| Group B – Poultry Facility | |
| 2:30 – 2:45 | Switch Groups |
| 2:45 – 4:15 | Group A – Poultry Facility |
| Group B – Mushroom Facility | |
| 4:15 – 4:45 | Load Buses and Travel to Hotel |
| 4:45 – 6:00 | Free Time – Get ready for Banquet |
| 6:00 – 8:00 | Recognition Dinner Banquet |
| Daily Reflections |
Group A Group B
| 6:30 – 7:45 | Complimentary breakfast on your own |
|---|---|
| 7:45 – 8:00 | Announcements |
| 8:00 – 8:45 | Load buses & Travel to Brush Mountain and Windemere Farms |
| 8:45 – 9:45 | Group A – Brush Mountain Farm |
| Group B – Windemere Farm Percherons | |
| 9:45 – 10:00 | Switch Groups |
| 10:00 -11:00 | Group A – Windemere Farms Percherons |
| Group B- Brush Mountain Farm | |
| 11:00 -11:45 | Load buses & Travel to Hotel |
| 11:45 -12:30 | What and awesome week – let’s wrap it up! |