Ohio Rural Educator Program

Connecting agriculture, science teaching, and problem-based learning

The Ohio Rural Educator Program trains teachers to connect existing science lessons to real-world agriculture needs, so that students will begin to make connections between classroom content and future careers in agriculture. The Ohio STEM Learning Network and Education Projects & Partnerships are recruiting for the third and final cohort of the program. Over the 2023-2024 school year, 15 middle school science teachers will join together as a cohort to create new experiences for their students.

The Ohio Rural Educator Program combines problem-based learning (PBL) training with agriculture-specific content knowledge and tools to implement effective and meaningful PBL lessons in the classroom. The program seeks to fully equip teachers with the training, resources, and ongoing support necessary to transition a current classroom lesson into a hands-on, problem-based learning (PBL) lesson with a focus on agriculture. Selected teachers will receive supplies and a stipend to complete their PBL lesson.

Applications for the program close March 24, 2023.

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Program details

Applications close March 24, 2023.

Eligibility

The program is open to middle school science teachers in rural Ohio schools.

Cost

The Ohio Rural Educator Program is generously funded by a three-year grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

Commitments

Participating teachers commit to:

  • Attend all program activities
  • Participate in program evaluation and data collection.

Schedule of required program activities

  • May 18, 2023: Program kickoff (webinar), 3:30-5p
  • Sept 14, 2023: Virtual meeting, 3:30-5p
  • Sept 19 – 20, 2023: Field trip to Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory, Farm Science Review
  • November 16: Virtual meeting, 3:30-5p
  • Jan 9 & 11, 2024: Peer feedback webinars, 3:30-5p
  • Jan 25, 2024: Virtual meeting, 3:30-5p
  • April 11, 2024: Virtual meeting, 3:30-5p
  • April 24, 2024: Wrap up, in Columbus
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