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From staff reports.

Lexington – Students from across the state gathered together at the Kentucky FFA State Convention on June 12 to sign letters of intent to become agriculture teachers with their respective universities.

Kyley Shinall, of Nicholasville, was one of the students that signed to teach agriculture.

When asked why she wanted to become an agriculture educator, Shinall stated, “I want to become an Agricultural Educator so that I can show others the true meaning of agriculture and share my passion of it.”

Agricultural education teaches students about agriculture, food and natural resources. Through these subjects, agricultural educators teach students a wide variety of skills, including science, math, communications, leadership, management and technology.

Agricultural Education uses a three-circle model of instruction: classroom and laboratory instruction, leadership development and experiential learning. The successful integration of each of these three components results in a strong program that produces well rounded individuals who are prepared to be leaders in agriculture, business and industry.

Officials say it is estimated that there will be hundreds of unfilled positions across the United States this year, simply because not enough students are choosing to be agricultural educators.

This Teach Ag Signing Day event is a component of the National Teach Ag Campaign, an initiative of the National Council for Agricultural Education, led by the National Association of Agricultural Educators. It is funded by the CHS Foundation, DuPont Pioneer, and Growth Energy as a special project of the National FFA Foundation. The National Teach Ag Campaign raises awareness of the need to recruit and retain quality and diverse agriculture teachers, encourages others to consider a career in teaching agriculture, and celebrates the positive contributions that agriculture teachers make in their schools and communities.

For more information about the National Teach Ag Campaign, please visit www.naae.org/teachag.