Kirkwood-based resource center highlighted as “change agent” in agricultural education
A creative educational initiative based at Kirkwood Community College has made it to the finalist category in a national competition. The AgrowKnowledge center at Kirkwood is one of ten instructional finalists for the 2009 Bellwether Awards from the Community College Futures Assembly.
The national consortium of colleges and universities draws from the expertise of educators, researchers and business partners alike to build new course materials, teaching methods and innovative instructors to advance improvements in agriculture teaching at the high school, two-year college and university levels.
AgrowKnowledge Director and Co-Principal Investigator Rick Parker says the national consortium is based on shared information and new ideas.
“Kirkwood had the foresight and benefit of widespread support to launch AgrowKnowledge seven years ago. As a group of educators and industry partners, we have learned a lot and had great opportunities since 2001. We appreciate the vote of confidence of the Futures Assembly by choosing us as a finalist from so many good programs and projects in the U.S.,” he said.
Parker also cited the many changes in “the traditional image and approaches” to ag education that AgrowKnowledge seeks to update and improve.
“In ag circles they sometimes refer to traditional production agriculture as ‘cows, plows and sows.’ For those of us looking to the future, we see many wider opportunities. GPS tools, biotechnology and new information processes are some of the many tools the ag professionals of today and tomorrow will use to feed, clothe and support America and the world,” he added.
AgrowKnowledge representatives have been invited to the annual Community College Futures Conference in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 24-27, 2009.
Among the many initiatives explored in the past seven years, AgrowKnowledge is most widely recognized for developing new teaching methods and curriculum in Environment, Natural Resources and Security; Biotechnology; Geospatial Technologies; and Energy for Agriculture. The center continues to provide planning events, workshops, curriculum materials, and Web-based training and information. Partners and center users include a network of community colleges, universities and other interested parties across the nation.
Kirkwood initiatives are no strangers to the Bellwether competitions. The college also had eastern Iowa workforce and economic development projects in the Bellwether top ten nominees in 2001 and 2004.
Since its inception, AgrowKnowledge has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation. More information is available at the center Web site: www.agrowknow.org
The Community Colleges Futures Assembly is a yearly celebration of innovative and productive programs in America’s two-year college community. Each year ten finalists are chosen in the Instructional Programs & Services; Planning, Governance & Finance; and Workforce Development categories. Final awards are made at each year’s assembly.