Posted by USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young in Research and Science
This month, nearly 200,000 K-12 students from across Philadelphia head back to school, filling classrooms and lunchrooms across the city with excitement for the new year ahead.
Growing up in a more urban environment, many students may not have had the opportunity to directly see where their food comes from. Like many, most haven't seen firsthand the prodigious work of our nation's farmers and producers to provide the food, energy, and fiber that fuels their new school year.
This is something that the School District of Philadelphia is staunchly committed to fixing. They are bringing agricultural education to Philadelphia communities, so students can experience the science, art, and fulfillment of growing their own fresh, nutritious foods.
On a recent trip to the city, I had the opportunity to engage with students and educators from Walter B. Saul High School for Agricultural Sciences, The U School, Lankenau Environmental Science Magnet High School, the Pennsylvania School for Excellence in the Agricultural Sciences, and Fox Chase Farm.
The U School is educating young people to become "urban designers" who solve real-world problems in their communities. One student described her research on crops from Ukraine, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. With this knowledge, she and her classmates are helping design a demonstration garden at the Fox Chase Farm to show where crops originate and how they've traveled around the world.
The Fox Chase Farm is owned by the City of Philadelphia and managed by the Philadelphia School District. This agriculture education facility hosts more than 30,000 visitors each year! Students from the Fox Chase Farm spoke about gaining the practical experience of running a farm-based business and their work extending the reach of agriculture in the local community.
Several Lankenau Environmental Science Magnet High School students described how the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources pathway led them to pursue environmental majors at colleges across the country, and how they have received substantial scholarships toward their higher education. Lankenau facilitates an environmentally focused college preparatory curriculum, where 100% of students apply for and get accepted to college or have an established post-secondary plan -- helping to set students up for success.
This engagement was held at the Walter B. Saul High School for Agricultural Sciences, which is one of the largest agricultural high schools in the Nation. They provide hands-on opportunities rooted in an urban setting for students to address modern environmental and agricultural challenges. Their 130-acre campus includes a farm, small animal laboratory, nursery, pasture, greenhouses, and more. During the event, we learned about several of the students' involvement in the Philadelphia Junior chapter of the Minorities in Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) and Future Farmers of America (FFA) Coalition. This coalition gives Philadelphia students membership into two of our nation's leading agricultural student development programs, giving them the unique opportunity to be involved in both nationwide networks of ag and environmental leaders.
Personally, I was inspired by the passion and dedication of the students, their educators, administrators, and staff. These Philadelphia agricultural education programs are supporting the next generation of agriculturalists, environmentalists, and problem solvers. They are opening a world of opportunity for young people, regardless of zip code, to harness the power of agriculture and environmental science to create a better world. Well done Philadelphia schools!