CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 08/03/21

UGA faculty host Avian Academy for Georgia educators embarking on new Poultry Science Pathway

By Claire Marie Coleman
Harsha Thippareddi
Professor Harsha Thippareddi (center) explains a poultry processing technique to Long Cane Middle School agriculture teacher Kali Callaway (far left), Rutland Middle School agriculture teacher Brandi Grimsley (second from right) and Denise Backus of Rutland Middle School (far right).

Agriculture and science educators from around the state participated in the University of Georgia's 2021 Avian Academy program to learn about the state's No. 1 industry through hands-on labs led by teaching faculty in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).

Hosted by the Department of Poultry Science in late June, the free, three-day program allowed participants to explore various areas of poultry science and the poultry industry through lessons on internal anatomy, embryology, processing, poultry judging and more.

"The approval for the Poultry Science Pathway elevates our connection to agricultural education and STEM teachers and their students. Both the curriculum and our Avian Academy program provide tangible and hands-on ways of learning life science concepts through practical applications," said Todd Applegate, professor and head of the Department of Poultry Science.

"Bridges such as these between our faculty, college and university resources, and our educators throughout the state are key to helping students envision career pathways and opportunities, especially in the approximately 170,000 Georgia jobs that are directly or indirectly connected to the poultry sector," Applegate added.

Islands High School agriculture teacher Elizabeth Miegel gets face-to-face with her subject at the 2021 Avian Academy.

The labs and lessons are designed to be easily replicated by participants in their own classrooms with the goal of introducing middle- and high-school students to the vast array of career opportunities within the poultry sector. In addition, teachers are equipped with the knowledge and hands-on experience to feel more comfortable bringing poultry science into their classrooms during the 2021-2022 school year following the approval in June of Georgia’s first Poultry Science Pathway by the Georgia Department of Education under the Georgia Standards of Excellence.

Kelly Sweeney Clark
Poultry science doctoral candidate Kelly Sweeney Clark gives a tour of the college's facilities during the 2021 Avian Academy. 

Cassidy Samples, a first-time Avian Academy participant, is an agriculture teacher at Pickens County High School, which will be one of the first schools to adopt the Poultry Science Pathway.

“Avian Academy was such an engaging couple of days that really helped kickstart so many ideas I have for this upcoming year,” Samples said. “I am so excited to start the Poultry Science Pathway and see students engage in curriculum that is so relevant to our area of the state. I’m grateful to all those that helped make this new curriculum and pathway happen.”

The new pathway consists of three courses – "Basic Agriculture," "Poultry Science" and "Avian Science and Biotechnology" — and is designed to prepare students for further education and careers in poultry and avian science industries, food science, professional and graduate school studies and more.  

By partnering world-renowned CAES faculty with agricultural educators through programs like Avian Academy and spearheading advancements such as the Poultry Science Pathway, the Department of Poultry Science will continue to broaden the reach and impact of the department’s undergraduate recruitment efforts.

For more information on the Avian Academy, visit poultry.caes.uga.edu, or contact Jessica Fife at jfife@uga.edu.

Claire Marie Coleman is an undergraduate student majoring in agricultural communication in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences' Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication.

Authors:
Claire Marie Coleman
Experts/Sources:
Todd Applegate
HurricaneHeleneGreenhouseDamageCropped CAES News
UGA Extension supports resilience in Georgia farm communities after Hurricane Helene 12/19/24 Emily Cabrera
Hurricane Helene wrought sweeping devastation across Georgia’s agricultural sector in late September, leaving an indelible mark on both the land and the people who tend it, bringing focus to vulnerabilities in Georgia’s farming industry and the need for more robust safety nets. In addition to the physical destruction, the hurricane took an emotional toll on Georgia’s farmers. In response, UGA Extension has prioritized mental health support.
Conner Hall CAES News
CAES welcomes 2024 cohort of Rural Scholars 11/20/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences welcomed its fourth cohort of students chosen for the CAES Rural Scholars Program this fall just weeks after celebrating the program's first graduation. Georgia Orman, one of four inaugural Rural Scholars in CAES, graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education. The new scholars for 2024, all from Georgia, are Ela Ash of Ocilla, Lauren E. Coley of Cochran, Amelia Housley of Canon, and London O’Steen of Ambrose.
Contest-winning concept becomes viable business for alumnus who developed solar-powered, self-propelled chicken coop as a student. CAES News
Poultry in motion 11/14/24 Sean Montgomery
Chris Ayers emerged from his orange and black rough-terrain vehicle with an ear-to-ear grin. “This is Chiktopia,” he said, sweeping his arm wide to indicate the back half of a 3,600-square-foot warehouse on his family’s farm in Ball Ground, Georgia. “This is where I manufacture and assemble the chicken coops. Everything is done entirely from over here.”
Kelvin Awori and Brooke Stefancik, UGA graduate students, attended the 2024 Borlaug Dialogue, a global agriculture conference, through the CAES World Food Prize Travel Award. Todd Applegate, Assistant Dean for International Programs, accompanied the student on the trip. CAES News
CAES students gain global insights at 2024 Borlaug Dialogue 11/11/24 Claire S. Kinnard
Every October, top leaders in food security and agriculture come together for the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, the premier conference on global agriculture. Attendees participate in sessions covering the current state of agriculture around the world, new technologies being deployed in the field, and projects in the works to ensure a safe and sustainable global food supply.
CAES doctoral students Sofia Varriano and Leniha Lagarde follow farmer Clay Brady to the pasture where many of his chickens are kept. CAES News
UGA researchers study how free-range chickens influence farm sustainability 10/31/24 Maria M. Lameiras
Researchers in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are studying how pastured and free-range chickens impact ecosystems on integrated crop-livestock farms. Supported by a $749,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, entomology doctoral student Sofia Varriano and her thesis advisor, agroecologist and systems biology Professor Bill Snyder, are testing the promise of integrated crop-livestock agriculture to increase the sustainability of smaller farms.
Flocking to the classroom CAES News
Flocking to the classroom: UGA's Avian Academy hosts ag and STEM teachers 10/18/24 Maria M. Lameiras
On a Monday morning in late June, just over two dozen middle- and high-school teachers trickled into a classroom at the University of Georgia Poultry Research Center and took their seats in groups of two and three. Hailing from public schools around the state, the teachers were preparing for Avian Academy, a highly popular three-day program for agriculture and STEM teachers hosted annually.