Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson this week sent a letter to school superintendents across Florida seeking nominations of educators in their district for the 2023-2024 Agriscience Education Leadership Program.
“The Agriscience Education Leadership Program is a unique and exciting opportunity that allows educators to step outside of the walls of the classroom and experience the full breadth of Florida agriculture,” said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. “Agriculture is an important component of the lives of every Floridian, and I’m confident that the participants in this program – and their students – will benefit from understanding how this industry affects their everyday lives and the role it plays in ensuring Florida’s future.”
The Agriscience Education Leadership Program equips and empowers educators with greater agricultural knowledge and leadership experience as they prepare the next generation of Florida’s leaders. The program provides resources and experiences that will bring new knowledge and insight into the classrooms of Florida’s schools. More than 200 teachers have graduated the program since its inception in 2001 and are using the awareness and skill they gained to better prepare their students for the workforce and postsecondary education.
To continue the success of the program, FDACS is asking each school district to nominate one agriscience teacher and one science teacher, each with three or more years teaching experience, and one administrator with direct responsibility for agriscience or science education. The program will provide educators the opportunity to participate in up to four separate agribusiness tours and leadership development sessions throughout the 2023-2024 school year. There is no cost to the participants and the dates of the four programs have been selected to minimize time away from the classroom.
The deadline for nominations is May 5, 2023. Nominations can be submitted online here.
For more information on the program, visit the FDACS Agriscience Education Leadership Program webpage.
For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.
