(Photos Credit: Hopkins County Schools/Facebook)
Madisonville-North Hopkins and Hopkins County Central high schools are celebrating the first state-wide Agriculture Education Week from March 17-21.
According to school officials, the agriculture program at Madisonville North Hopkins High School provides career pathways in Ag-Power, Animal Science, and Horticulture.
They explained that each of these pathways aims to offer hands-on experiences, enabling students to apply their knowledge in meaningful ways. For instance, in Ag-Power, students acquire skills ranging from welding to house construction, with one project involving framing a home for Habitat for Humanity. In Animal Science, students learn about proper animal handling and food safety standards such as inspecting chickens in a manner similar to the United States Department of Agriculture. The Plant Science pathway emphasizes business skills, with students managing a greenhouse and cultivating plants in a cut flower garden. They also contribute to horticulture therapy by providing cut flowers to a local nursing home.
At Hopkins County Central High School, officials said the Agriculture Department offers various pathways designed to educate students about the agriculture industry and prepare them for life beyond high school. They shared that the diverse classes available in Animal Science, Agriculture Power Machinery, Environmental Science, and Horticulture provide hands-on learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom.
Officials stated that their goal is to educate students to become informed consumers and advocates for the agriculture industry. They noted that throughout their high school journey, students enrolled in agriculture education classes have the opportunity to participate in FFA. They said FFA members can apply their classroom knowledge in competitions and engage in their own Supervised Agriculture Experience, gaining firsthand experience and potentially earning some money in the process.
To view more pictures from Agriculture Education Week celebrated by Hopkins County students, visit the Hopkins County Schools’ Facebook page.
