[Freeport, Ill.] — Highland Community College (HCC) Agriculture is hosting 6th and 7th grade AVID students from Freeport Middle School on Wednesday, May 6. Over sixty students will get a hands-on experience of what HCC has to offer in its agriculture program and explore career pathways. Students will rotate through interactive activities within three specialties: Horticulture, Animal Science, and Agriculture degrees and careers.
- Horticulture – Students can choose to try herbal tea making, a greenhouse and garden scavenger hunt, learn about plant identification, careers in horticulture, plant pests, diseases and nutrient deficiencies, and participate in a plant and soil systems coloring lab.
- Animal Science – Students will engage in hands-on activities related to animal health topics such as pet nail trimming, wound care and cleaning, and livestock wound bandaging.
- Agriculture Degrees and Careers – Students will learn about Highland Agriculture certificates, degrees, and pathways. They will take a career quiz that will assess their interests and match them with potential agriculture careers. Then, they will explore local employer profiles and consider what agriculture pathway they might study in order to be hired with various employers.
“As an elective course, AVID helps to support students’ postsecondary pathway toward college or career. A key part of supporting students’ dreams is providing the academic structures and supports to build successful student outcomes in organization, planning, and academic strategies. However, AVID is also about walking alongside our students’ dreams and accelerating them toward a bright future,” said AVID District Director for Freeport School District 145, Beth Summers, Ed.D. “HCC’s hands-on agriculture field trip for our 6th and 7th grade students helps them to experience the wide range of agricultural careers and the pathways available right here at HCC, their home community college!”
Highland’s agriculture programs prepare students for careers that matter now and in the future. As populations grow and systems change, agriculture professionals play a critical role in building resilient food systems, healthy environments, and strong communities.
With a campus greenhouse, agriscience labs, research fields, and strong regional connections, students learn in environments that reflect today’s agriculture, and tomorrow’s opportunities.
To learn more about the agriculture programs at Highland, visit https://highland.edu/academics/agriculture/.