POSTED MARCH 2024
Agriculture is a massive industry with many career paths, though it may not be something that your average teenager considers while thinking about what they want to be when they grow up.
Kori Heath is looking to change that at Wood Middle School, where students can take Ag classes as a Career & Technical Education (CTE) elective.
“For a lot of them, it’s a world that they don’t know exists, and it really opens their eyes to new opportunities,” said Heath. “So many of them have never handled chickens or seen a lamb up close. It can be a big shocker, in a good way, for probably 90% of these kids.”
Wood is the only North East ISD middle school to offer Ag as an elective. It gives students who dream of attending the Agriscience Magnet Program (AMP) at Madison High School a head start on the curriculum.
Sixth graders spend time learning all about the food science industry, from nutrition to food marketing and more. Seventh graders explore the many career paths available in the agriculture industry and eighth graders take Principles of Ag, which they would normally take as a first-year student at AMP.
“This means that freshman year, when they get to Madison, they can go straight to the greenhouse and the shop for the fun hands-on classes.”
Middle school Ag classes also allows them to join the James Madison FFA, where they become members as eighth graders. They attend weekly meetings and get to know the high school FFA members, which makes the transition from middle school to high school that much smoother.
Before she arrived at Wood, Heath spent years at high school stock shows around the state. She knows firsthand how special the program at AMP is, and she’s excited to grow the program by charting a direct path from Wood to Madison. She also loves getting to know her students and watching them find success in the industry.
“Being able to see them grow up and go on to do these incredibly cool jobs just makes my day. I care that they know they have career options, and I want them to find something they’re passionate about.”
