Miller Agriculture Education wins Outstanding Award
Miller FFA Chapter wins that Region IV Outstanding Agriculture Education Program
Region IV of the National Association of Agriculture Educators consists of states in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Michigan.
Outstanding Middle/Secondary Program Awards
Sensational. This is the best way to describe this year’s NAAE Outstanding Middle/Secondary School Agriculture Education Programs, sponsored by the National FFA Alumni Association.
The NAAE Awards these programs for their overall success, growth, and motivation.
Award:
•Lodging and travel costs to NAAE convention in Charlotte North Carolina for the winners and guest
•Registration to NAAE Convention
•$150.00 cash award
•Engraved plaque
•Invitation to a special dinner held in winners’ honor
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Region I |
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Region II |
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Region III |
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Region IV |
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Region V |
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Region VI |
Region IV
Miller High School
Miller, MO
Instructors: Lyle Whittaker and Jay Shepherd
The Miller High School agricultural education program is coordinated by the two teacher team of Lyle Whittaker and Jay Shepherd. While both educators previously taught in other school districts, Whittaker has taught at Miller since 1995 and Shepherd since 2001. With a comprised experience of 29 years of teaching, the duo has about 65 percent of the Miller High School’s enrollment walk through their classroom doors, while teaching every student in the junior high.
The program is run on the philosophy that the curriculum must be organized with the students in mind. Teaching the newest and latest information, combined with an attitude to learn and change your methods are vital keys to student achievement. In an effort to reach that ideal, Miller operates the state’s only school-run, inspected food science laboratory through the Missouri Department of Agriculture Meat Inspection program. With such facilities the instructors are able to market $25,000 of product annually. The program sets the bar for agriculture programs in the state, being designated as a model program of the Missouri School Improvement Program. In addition to the success received from the food science laboratory, the program has received $115,000 in grants over the past years to fund computer stations, agricultural mechanics equipment and a bio-ponics laboratory.
The Miller FFA chapter has a built a strong reputation under the advisement of Whittker and Shepherd. In 2005 Scott Hill, a former Miller agricultural education student, received the National FFA Organization’s American Star Farmer award for an outstanding supervised agricultural experience program. Moreover, the chapter has garnered the three-star rating in the National Chapter Award program, while producing a national proficiency award winner and 27 American FFA Degree recipients. The Miller FFA Chapter has had 5 state champion CDE teams, 2 state champion pubic speakers, and 4 state champion proficiency awards.
“The program offers a diverse secondary curriculum that includes not only the traditional production courses, but also courses in floriculture, landscaping, nursery operations, ag structures, meat science, food science, agriscience and agricultural sales,” said Jim Bellis, agricultural education supervisor for the Missouri Department of Secondary and Elementary Education.
