Kelse Brown, of Edgerton, Ohio, was recently selected as a National Teach Ag Ambassador, an outreach program of the National Council for Agricultural Education, led by the National Association of Agricultural Educators to promote the agricultural education profession. Brown is a 2016 graduate of Ohio State ATI, with an Associate of Science degree in agriscience education.
Over the next year, Brown will be one of 12 future agriculture teachers from across the nation who will serve as National Teach Ag Ambassadors. The selected students were chosen from a nationwide pool of applicants. The primary goal for the ambassadors is to encourage others to consider a career as an agriculture teacher, by sharing their passion and enthusiasm with others. Specifically, Brown and his fellow ambassadors will represent the National Teach Ag Campaign at the 2017 National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. October 25-28. The ambassadors will also work with local and state leaders in agricultural education to encourage students to pursue a major in agricultural education throughout their year of service.
“I am excited to see Kelse selected to promote the agricultural education profession not only in Ohio, but to audiences across the nation,” said Dr. Tracy Kitchel, professor and chair of the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership at The Ohio State University. “Ohio State has been cultivating future educators for more than 100 years. Kelse will be a great representation of our agriscience education program to others who have a passion for educating youth about the agriculture industry.”
The Teach Ag Ambassadors will also develop a cohort of future and current agriculture teachers who will inspire the next generation of leaders, problem solvers, entrepreneurs and agriculturalists while at National FFA Convention and throughout the year. The ambassadors will promote the National Teach Ag Campaign through emails, social media, presentations and other various outlets.
The demand for agriculture teachers remains high due to retirements, current program growth, new programs opening, and current teachers leaving to explore other opportunities. The 12 selected ambassadors will share their passion for teaching agriculture in an effort to address the perennial demand. They will also have the opportunity to build their own professional network and develop leadership and communication skills they will need in their future careers as agriculture teachers.
Brown will return to Ohio State in August to continue his degree in agriscience education. He is the son of Christopher and Christine Brown and a graduate of Edgerton High School.
The agriscience education major at Ohio State prepares its students you to acquire a license to teach agricultural science in secondary high schools in Ohio and across the country, with extensive training in agricultural science, educational psychology, instructional methods, and youth development. For additional information on the agriscience education major, visit acel.osu.edu or call 614.247.6358.
The National Teach Ag Campaign is funded by the CHS Foundation, DuPont Pioneer, Growth Energy, and BASF as a special project of the National FFA Foundation. The campaign is designed to raise an awareness of the career opportunities in agricultural education, encourage others to consider a career as an agriculture teacher and celebrate the positive contributions that agriculture teachers make in their schools and communities. For more information about the National Teach Ag Campaign, visit http://www.naae.org/teachag.