UNL profs discuss their project in D.C.

Two UNL professors recently presented about their Food and Agriculture Research Experience for Teachers program during a National C-FAR “Lunch~N~Learn” Hill Seminar.

Jon Pedersen, College of Education and Human Sciences, and Tiffany Heng-Moss, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, presented last month in Washington, D.C., about the program on which they collaborate.


“Teachers gain significant knowledge about the nature of science and soybeans and how to use soybeans as a relevant model organism for the teaching science and take practical lessons to use with students back to their classrooms,” Pedersen said of the program.

“Using cross-disciplinary systems thinking and inquiry, teachers can help their students appreciate the role of science and agriculture in their lives and the world around them,” said Heng-Moss.

“This presentation provides an excellent example of the value of federally funded food and agricultural research in producing the scientific outcomes and outreach needed to meet 21st century challenges and opportunities,” says Chuck Conner, president of the National Coalition for Food & Agricultural Research (National C-FAR).

The goal of the Food and Agriculture RET program is to provide teachers the tools and knowledge necessary to communicate and educate the youth of Nebraska on the role of science and agriculture (using soybeans) in their lives, the lives of their families and the impact of science and agriculture on the state, region and nation.

Key messages of the program are:

--systems-thinking and inquiry is a model for improving science and food/agriculture literacy;
-- science and agriculture, in general, and soy production specifically are critical to the economy of Nebraska and the U.S.;
-- a strong science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) foundation is essential for continuing America’s competitiveness in a global economy;
-- scientific research is key to increasingly profitable soybean production and to increased demand for soybeans;
-- there are many opportunities for careers in scientific and agricultural research;
-- soy production is environmentally sustainable, a nutritious source of protein for animals, and a sustainable feedstock for bio-based products; and
-- food and agriculture can be used as a vehicle for understanding many concepts in science.

Teachers gain significant knowledge about the nature of science and soybeans and how to use soybeans as a relevant model organism for the teaching science and take practical lessons to use with students back to their classrooms.