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2008 Policy Book
First | Previous | Next | Last | 2008 Index | Policy Book Archive#44 AGRISCIENCE AND NATURAL RESOURCES EDUCATION AND THE FFA ORGANIZATION
We encourage the expansion of junior high/middle schools and high school Agriscience and Natural Resources Education Programs (ANRE) and FFA Chapters as vital tools for educating young people, providing career and technical training and development of leaders to work in careers related to Michigan's second largest industry.
Michigan Farm Bureau commends the Michigan Career Development Council (MCDC) on its support and recognition of agriculture as the second largest industry in the State through the creation of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Career Pathway. This career pathway will enable the future leaders of agriculture to obtain foundational knowledge that will help shape their careers and ultimately promote the sustainability of the agriculture industry.
We strongly encourage agriscience and natural resources courses fulfill the criteria and be recognized as a science credit by all high schools, colleges and universities in Michigan.
ANRE and FFA Chapters in the State of Michigan have been supported for years by the local school district, added-cost funding administered by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), and federal Perkins dollars. These appropriations are essential for public school districts to keep ANRE and the FFA as priorities for an incentive to expand programs into other school districts.
Added-cost funding available to ANRE programs has continued to decline with 52 percent of the programs receiving no funding. We encourage the MDE to adequately fund these programs, (e.g., FFA) so as to provide educational and career opportunities in agriculture and natural resources at the high school level.
We support the reporting of all information regarding graduates, or completers, from all Agriscience and Natural Resources programs within the State. This information should help increase the amount of added-cost funding for each student currently enrolled in the program. We also encourage all Agriscience and Natural Resources instructors to engage in an active role in the information gathering and reporting process.
Community support is vital to the survival of high school ANRE programs and FFA Chapters. We encourage county Farm Bureaus and members to assist and become involved with their local FFA Chapters.
We encourage MFB and county Farm Bureaus to assist in state and local FFA alumni activities. We support the Michigan FFA alumni and national alumni associations in their efforts to strengthen agriscience and natural resource education across the state and nation.
Michigan's over 100 agriscience and FFA programs are important to the future success of Michigan agriculture. These programs provide future leadership to the agricultural industry and many programmatic and leadership opportunities for non-farm students to learn about and understand agriculture, natural resources and the environment.
