UW–Madison CALS recently partnered with Nourish the Future, a national education initiative, to host a two-day workshop for middle and high school science teachers from across Wisconsin. “Feeding and Fueling the World” brought 28 teachers to the UW–Madison campus for a unique professional development experience that equipped them with tools to introduce their students to life science, environmental science and chemistry through the context of agriculture.

The workshop featured hands-on science lessons that explored data analysis, fermentation, biofuels, soil and water quality testing, genetic engineering and more. Participants learned from a curriculum developed by Nourish the Future as well as CALS-led lab visits, where faculty provided ideas for experiments that teachers could take back to their classrooms. Participants also attended a networking dinner where they talked with industry experts and learned more about modern agriculture.

“We’re building bridges between our research and Wisconsin’s educators,” says Jane Duffstein, assistant dean for student recruitment and outreach. “When teachers see the innovation happening here, they can inspire students who might become the next generation of scientists in agriculture.”

Duffstein and Kara Henderlight, student outreach coordinator, helped bring the workshop to campus and led teachers on two field trips to the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences. There, they visited the labs of Shawn Conley and Steven Hall, both CALS faculty and extension specialists, where teachers got a peek at what it could look like for their students to do research on soybeans and water and soil quality.

The Nourish the Future initiative was established to address the issue that many current middle and high school have little knowledge about the science behind food production and 90% do not take agriculture classes.

“Coming here has really opened up my eyes in terms of how much science really goes into agriculture, and how much you really need to know in order to be successful in the agricultural industry. That was pretty amazing for me,” says Zachary Dray of Hillsboro, Wisconsin, a high school chemistry and math teacher.

The networking dinner, which brought together the teachers and agriculture industry professionals, took place at Henry Farms, run by CALS alumna Liz Henry and her husband Joe. Natalia de Leon, professor of plant and agroecosystem sciences, served as a keynote speaker along with Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture Randy Romanski. They shared with teachers the significance of agriculture and the science behind breeding procedures used to produce corn hybrids.

Hosting this initiative positions CALS as a key resource for Wisconsin’s K-12 science educators while strengthening the pipeline for the state’s $104 billion agricultural sector.

About Nourish the Future:

Nourish the Future is a national STEM initiative connecting students to modern agriculture. The initiative’s mission is to help teachers – through free learning resources, teacher training and leadership development – to inspire their students to learn science, solve problems, and see the career possibilities in the agriculture industry. The program is sponsored by National Corn Growers Association and the United Soybean Board and was brought to Wisconsin through support from Wisconsin Corn and the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board. For more information, visit nourishthefuture.org.