Boot Camp and Agronomy Day at NCTA

Dean’s Report by NCTA Dean Larry Gossen, Ph.D.

Teachers are lifelong learners, sometimes right alongside their students. Agricultural education instructors and FFA advisors are in the classroom for a few days at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture.

By week’s end, 10 high school educators from Nebraska and Kansas will gain continuing education credits at an Ag Teachers Boot Camp and Coaches Clinic offered by five NCTA faculty and Chad Schmimels, who teaches at Eustis-Farnam High School.

“We tested the waters last year with a boot camp in agricultural mechanics,” says Doug Smith, NCTA professor in Animal Science and Agricultural Education. “This year we chose to expand it to other subjects for the classroom and aspects of coaching a judging team.”

Subjects taught Monday and Tuesday:

• Ag Mechanics AC Electrical Wiring, DC Electrical Components, Small Engines, Equipment Hydraulics
• Ag Business - Economics, Marketing and Finance lesson plans and resources
• Equine Management – Conformation evaluation and Coat color genetics
• Animal Science – Livestock Evaluation

Subjects on Wednesday and Thursday:

• Animal Science – Meat Harvesting, Fabrication and Quality Grades
• Animal Science – Livestock Management
• Equine Management
• Agronomy Contest Preparation
• Agronomy – Field Crop Practicum

Three evening forums cover Curriculum, Instruction and Supervised Agricultural Experiences for FFA. 

Participants could take all four days, two days, or a mixture. Seven are first-year teachers, and three are seasoned educators (10 years or more).  Scholarships were available through the Nebraska FFA Foundation, and help with expenses for the training, meals and lodging at the campus residence halls.

Having been associated with FFA nearly all of my life, as a teenager, teaching 24 years in agriculture classrooms, and with post-secondary capacities, I know the value of hands-on learning opportunities.

Plus, some of the greatest opportunities for camaraderie and rejuvenation accompany the close-knit FFA family and teaching community.

Welcome teachers to NCTA. We look forward to working with your FFA chapters and programs through the coming years.

Register for Agronomy Day by June 30

Join NCTA and Nebraska Extension at the 6th Annual Agronomy Youth Field Day for ages 9 to 18 on July 6. Parents are invited to attend. Register online at: https://go.unl.edu/agronomy-youth-field-day or call Frontier County Extension at 308-367-4424.

Summer Census

We have 76 students taking an NCTA-credit class this summer. In-person classes started June 13 and conclude August 5. The census report provided by registrar Vicky Luke shows the following:

• 35 in Veterinary Technology courses, live sessions on campus for 8 weeks
• 25 in Animal Science – internship, online class or independent study
• 14 are Agronomy – internship, online class or independent study
• 1 in Agribusiness Management - internship
• Five are degree-seeking, fulltime with 12 credit hours or more
• One part-time. undeclared major
• 48 female, 28 male
• 58 Nebraska residents, 18 non-Nebraskans

High school juniors and seniors can register for dual credit (NCTA and high school) courses for this fall semester. The deadline to register is August 29. See details at:  https://ncta.unl.edu/dual-credit-and-agricultural-academies

Have a relaxing and safe Independence Day Weekend everyone. I’ll touch base with you again in July!

NCTA Events:

June 26-28, 28-30: Ag Teachers Boot Camp and Coaches Clinics, NCTA Campus

July 6: Agronomy Youth Field Day, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., NCTA

July 12: New Student Enrollment, 9 a.m., NCTA Ed Center

July 14:  NCTA at Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute Career Fair, Lincoln

July 26: Crops Field Day, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., NCTA Farm

Part of the University of Nebraska system, the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is a two-year institution with a statewide mission of preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, veterinary technology and related industries. NCTA is known for its affordable tuition, high job-placement rate for its graduates, and for the success of student teams in competitive activities including crops judging, ranch horse events, livestock judging, shotgun sports, stock dog trials, and intercollegiate rodeo. The college is consistently ranked as one of the best two-year schools in the nation.