PVHS Ag Is Among Top Programs In U.S.

At the end of November 2022, Pequea Valley High School (PVHS) agricultural educators Doug Masser and Jasmine VanSant traveled to Las Vegas to accept an award from the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE). The program the teachers oversee at PVHS and Pequea Valley Intermediate School was recognized as the top program in the northeast region - one of six outstanding programs in the country to receive the award.

Rather than taking full credit for the achievement, Masser said he and VanSant prefer to think that everyone involved in the program is a winner. "Jasmine says, 'It's not just recognition of us as teachers,'" relayed Masser. "(She says), 'It's the students and the administration (too). It's all of us.'"

Masser noted that the Pequea Valley School District (PVSD) situation is unique because students live amongst farms, but they do not live on those farms. To acquaint students with agricultural subjects, the teachers have taken a two-pronged strategy, with a seventh-grade introductory course and a required 10th-grade class about bio-studies in agriculture. "That's based on the PVSD belief that values the hands-on approach we use," said Masser.

Beyond required courses, students are offered a selection of single-semester electives. "Courses are available in animal science, plant science, food science, agricultural mechanics, and a bit of environmental science," said Masser, who explained that students take advantage of the variety by exploring both topics that they have strong interest in and those they simply want to learn more about. The result is that many students go into ag-related fields such as biomedical research, environmental science, and wildlife biology. Masser mentioned that courses offered in welding, small engines, electricity, and plumbing are related to agriculture. "We are sometimes the spark that gets them excited about those careers," said Masser.

The program was first nominated for the Pennsylvania Association of Agriculture Educators award, which the district won in July of 2022. Upon receiving the state award, Masser and VanSant gathered information about the program to submit for consideration at the regional level, which Masser said spans from Virginia to Maine. Based on that submission, the program was selected as the winner. Masser and VanSant were invited to receive the award at the NAAE Convention from Nov. 29 through Dec. 3, 2022, which also included professional development opportunities. "It was cool to celebrate with our kids (when we returned)," commented Masser.

Readers who would like to learn more about PVSD may visit http://www.pequeavalley.org.