Henley High School is starting a food science program next fall and expanding its agriculture science class to a production-based model where students can produce, market, and sell products.
The program will kick off thanks to a $5,000 Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education implementation grant awarded to Gretchen Iversen, agriculture science and technology teacher at Henley. This grant will allow Iversen to participate in a professional development institute and purchase equipment and supplies for Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) courses.
“We had decided that we wanted to change some of the course offerings here at Henley, and food science was one of the courses that I felt would offer many benefits to our agriculture program,” Iversen said. “We hope that adding this hands-on, student-directed, project-based, inquiry-based curriculum will help to grow the agriculture program at Henley.”
Henley’s agriculture science program also secured Measure 98 funds from the Klamath County School District to completely fund the food science class, start another new class called agriculture foods and natural resources and begin raising steers for the school’s Farm to School program. The current Farm to School program raises sheep and chickens, which provide eggs for the cafeteria.
CASE is an instructional system that offers 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). Corteva Agriscience has offered the grant program for the past eight years to public and private schools and universities to assist with the implementation of CASE programs.
Henley is among three high schools in the Klamath County School District that have started or expanded their food science and production programs over the past few years. Mazama High School started a food production pathway for students in fall 2019. That program offers dual high school and college credits through a partnership with Klamath Community College. Lost River Junior/Senior High School also has a robust agriculture science program that raises sheep, steer, and chickens.