Randi Krieg, agriscience educator at Goldendale, Wash., Middle School, recently attended the field test professional development event for the new Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) course AgXplore, a 9-week course designed for middle school students.

Mrs. Krieg was one of the first 16 educators nationwide to receive this certification through a two-day training event that occurred during the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Convention held Nov. 28-Dec. 3 in New Orleans.

CASE is an instructional system that is changing the culture of agriculture programs in the United States through intense teacher professional development; inquiry-based, student-focused lessons; assessment; and certification. CASE equips teachers to elevate student experiences in the agriculture classroom and prepares students for success in college and careers emphasizing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

In 2009, schools began implementing CASE into their programs. More than 2,000 teachers from 45 states, plus the Virgin Islands, hold close to 3,000 certifications and use them each day in their agriculture classrooms.

During the BriefCASE, Randi spent more than 10 hours working through lessons in the hands-on curriculum and learning how to deliver lessons in an inquiry-based way that will shift focus in the classroom from teacher-led to student-directed learning.

“Teachers who participate in our field tests are critical in finalizing new courses like AgX,” says Tiffany Zweygardt, CASE Curriculum Coordinator who helped develop content for AgXplore. “The time spent with these educators gives us the proper perspective to finalize and roll out the course to the public. We can’t thank these teachers enough for their expertise and feedback.”

AgXplore will be available starting July 1, 2022. And, Washington state is planning to host two sessions to certify other educators.

CASE is an initiative of the National Council for Agricultural Education and managed by NAAE.

For more information about CASE, visit www.case4learning.org.