MUSCATINE, Iowa — The future of farming is starting in the classroom. Agriscience courses at Muscatine High School are getting students college credit and setting them up to modernize the industry.
"The big difference is that our students will be able to come out with industry recognized certification." said Joshua Day, Agriscience teacher at Muscatine High School.
Day was one of 16 teachers selected to attend a week-long training of Technical Applications in Agriculture. It's a new course funded through the National Science Foundation, AgCentric, Northern Center of Agriculture Excellence, Ridgewater College and Curriculum for Agriculture Science Education (CASE).
The course is designed to give students dual enrollment. Allowing the student to receive high school and college credit for successfully completing the course.
The skills-based course gives students hands on learning. Showing students what local farmers are experiencing and they even help to trouble shoot real-life problems, thanks to a new partnership between the school district and a local John Deere Dealer. It gets the latest farming technology into the hands of students.
The Muscatine School District has already started implementing certain aspects of the new curriculum. The school board would need to vote to at this new program for future semesters as a standalone course.
Day also says they will look to start conversations with local community colleges like Muscatine Community College and Eastern Iowa Community College to find a way to accept these credits for higher education.
