Schools across the state have a focus on incorporating Wisconsin agriculture into the classroom, but the Cambridge School District has put their own twist on this mission. Cambridge Elementary School has paired with the Cambridge FFA to offer unique learning opportunities outside of the classroom. Even more, these agricultural education events are organized and led by older students within the district.
Emily Klingbeil, Cambridge FFA advisor, shares about Cambridge FFA’s Agricultural Demonstration (Demo) Day. This event is hosted annually by the Cambridge FFA middle school members for students in grades 3 through 5 at Cambridge Elementary School. The one-day event showcases a variety of livestock, crops, and machinery for the younger students to learn more about.
As Klingbeil says, about half of the students who teach at the event come from farming and agricultural backgrounds. For the middle school students who are not familiar with farming topics, this event also poses an opportunity for them to learn about an agricultural topic they’re interested in and share what they’ve learned with the younger students.
The feedback from the elementary students and teachers is overwhelmingly positive. For many students, this event is the first time they have seen livestock in person and had the opportunity to touch them. The Cambridge School District and Cambridge FFA continue to work to provide hands-on agricultural experiences for their students, and they put student-led events at the center of that goal.
Leave a Reply