Teac{HERR} Tales: Northern Region PAAE Meeting

I always enjoy being in the presence of seasoned agriculture educators. Not only does it give me an opportunity to be reminded of the power of an expansive professional network, but it reminds me of the reasons why I chose this profession.

I have a strong appreciation for both the National Associations of Agriculture Educators and the Pennsylvania Association of Agriculture Educators and their willingness to accept the pre-service teachers of the profession. Each time I have been given the opportunity to participate in a PAAE or NAAE event, I have grown to appreciate the network of teachers, mentors and friends that I have been able to establish there.

The Midd-West crew caravanned their way to the Northern Region PAAE meeting, to enjoy a meal around the table of fellow teachers and discuss important events and "ag teacher business," if you will. Here were a few fast highlights from the evening meeting...

• Summer Conference

• PAAE executive members shared new information regarding the 2016 PAAE Summer Conference. Midd-West High School will be the host school for this years conference. The tentative agenda is full of some great industry and program tours in the SUN Area and some incredibly relevant professional development workshops. After attending the 2015 PAAE Summer Conference held at Tyrone High School, PAAE members alike should be excited about the opportunities that await in July!
• Industry Certifications 
• PAAE invited a representative from the Center of Dairy Excellence to share with the Northern Region teachers. A new program initiated by the Center is their curriculum to help high school students earn certifications in the area of Dairy Herd Management and Dairy Business Management. How powerful is it for our students to be able to walk out of our classrooms with a certification that allows them to be more competitive on the job market?!  
• State Workforce Development Initiatives
• There have been powerful partnerships forming between various components of the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Education, PAAE and other Agriculture Education categories. Because of these partnerships, heavy attention is being placed on agricultural related careers in the state of Pennsylvania and tools that agriculture educators can use to ensure that they are best preparing their students for careers in need. Mr. Scott Shelly, the Special Assistant for Workforce Development has created this awesome resource for agriculture educators to share with administrators and guidance counselors. Check it out here!

Simply put, there is an immense value in paying dues and being an active participant in professional organizations. In an unique industry like agriculture, it is important to actively seek out these organizations to ensure that we are the most relevant educators possible. 

Simply put, agriculture educators are quite the bunch. I'm proud to be one of them.

Until the next Teac{HERR} tale, K. Janae