Agriculture and Environmental Technology Education
Agriculture Education
Everyone relies on agriculture -- it’s a part of our everyday lives. And here in San Joaquin County, we are immersed in the rich farmland and agriculture industry that surrounds us. That’s why here at the San Joaquin County Office of Education, we’re passionate about empowering the next generation to become environmentally conscious leaders and skilled professionals in the vital field of agriculture.
We recognize the importance of the agricultural industry and its impact on our local economy and we believe that our county’s students must have access to opportunities that expose them to agriculture education and agriculture-centered events and activities. And that is why in 2019, we created a Director of Agriculture and Environmental Technology Education position within our College and Career Readiness department – the first position of its type within our state.
Our Director of Agriculture and Environmental Technology Education collaborates with local partners and supports schools and districts within our region to advance agriculture education. The director also supports educators who aspire to incorporate agriculture into their classrooms. This includes creating agriculture-based lessons, starting a school garden, and promoting agricultural literacy.
Annual Agriculture Student Events
Ag Careers Summit
Organized by the San Joaquin County Office of the Agricultural Commissioner and San Joaquin County Office of Education's College and Career Readiness department and supported by community partners, the San Joaquin County Ag Careers Summit brings nearly 150 high school students from across the county together to explore the wide variety of agricultural careers- ranging from Ag Business to Ag Sales to Animal Science. Along with activities and opportunities to learn, students meet with industry professionals and hear from agricultural professionals who do the work every day. For more information on this event, please email kwipfli@sjcoe.net.
San Joaquin County AgVenture
There’s nothing quite like a day on the farm! San Joaquin County AgVenture is a county-sponsored agriculture and nutrition education program for third graders. AgVenture teaches our youngest consumers about the county’s booming agriculture industry and nutrition education through four strategically located AgVenture field days each school year in Lodi, Manteca, Stockton, and Tracy. The program is comprised of hands-on displays about agriculture and nutrition education. Annually, approximately 10,000 students and hundreds of chaperones benefit from this free program. For more information, please email AgVenture Coordinator Krista McCoon at sjcagventure@yahoo.com.
School Garden Community of Practice
The San Joaquin County Office of Education partners with the Edible Schoolyard Stockton to provide a year-long community of practice for educators who want to learn more about gardening, agriculture, and incorporating healthy eating into their classrooms. For more information, please email kwipfli@sjcoe.net.
Student Organizations
National FFA
FFA is a dynamic youth organization that changes lives and prepares members for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. It is an intracurricular student organization for those interested in agriculture and leadership. It is one of the three components of agricultural education. Members are future farmers, chemists, veterinarians, government officials, entrepreneurs, bankers, international business leaders, teachers, and premier professionals in many career fields. FFA develops the members’ potential and helps them discover their talent through hands-on experiences, which gives members the tools to achieve real-world success. Learn more at https://www.ffa.org.
California FFA and Agriculture Education
The California FFA Association is a high school youth leadership and career development organization that is a state association of the National FFA Organization, a federally chartered corporation under Public Law 105-225. The California FFA Association is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through Agricultural Education.
To join FFA, you must be enrolled in an agriculture course at your school. Contact your school counselor or agriculture teacher to enroll in an agricultural education program and join FFA! If there’s not a chapter in your area, visit https://calaged.org/ffa-leadership to learn how to start one.