Great agricultural education starts with great agricultural educators. As agriculture continues to evolve, providing teachers with opportunities to expand their knowledge, strengthen their curriculum, and bring new ideas into the classroom is more important than ever.
Through a partnership between the Nebraska FFA Foundation and the Nebraska Soybean Board, Nebraska agricultural educators have access to scholarship opportunities to attend CASE Institutes. These professional development experiences help teachers gain the knowledge, resources, and skills needed to bring engaging, hands-on agricultural curriculum to their students.
One teacher who benefited from this opportunity this summer was Ashley Looper of Ashland-Greenwood, who attended the Intro to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) CASE Institute at Oklahoma State University. Through a scholarship provided by the Nebraska FFA Foundation, with funding from the Nebraska Soybean Board, Looper was able to participate in this intensive professional development experience.
For Looper, one of the most valuable parts of the institute was the opportunity to learn alongside other agricultural educators who have experience implementing CASE curriculum.
"As ag teachers, we have a lot of resources available to us, but sometimes it can be overwhelming," Looper shared. "This CASE Institute gave me the chance to work with teachers who have taught this themselves. I also appreciate how much it provides for you to use, but you also have the chance to add in your own lesson and activities."
What Is CASE?
CASE (Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education) provides rigorous, hands-on learning workshops that connect science, mathematics, reading, and writing to real-world agricultural applications. CASE Institutes prepare teachers to implement full-year CASE courses in their classrooms, providing the content knowledge and instructional skills needed to deliver the curriculum effectively.
Depending on the course, CASE sessions range from five to eight days and are offered as in-person, virtual, or hybrid formats. Teachers gain access to curriculum, instructional resources, and practical experiences they can take back to their classrooms.
Looper is already putting her CASE experience to work by developing additional soybean-focused lessons and activities throughout the Intro to AFNR curriculum. Using soybeans as a model, her students will explore their importance in agriculture, learn about their uses and challenges, and discover how soybeans are connected to many familiar everyday products.
This is a great example of how investing in agricultural educators creates opportunities that reach far beyond the teacher. The knowledge and resources gained through CASE professional development can impact countless students as they explore agriculture, develop critical thinking skills, and discover future career opportunities. For proof of this impact, take a look at this article from The Nebraska Soybean Board, "Ten Years. 100 Teachers. Thousands of Students."
The Nebraska FFA Foundation is grateful for its partnership with the Nebraska Soybean Board and its continued investment in Nebraska's agricultural educators. Together, we are helping teachers grow their skills, strengthen agricultural education, and prepare the next generation of agricultural leaders.
