GrowNextGen brings hands-on learning to Pettisville High School

By Joel Penhorwood and Brianna Smith

At Pettisville High School in northwest Ohio, students learn in ways that prepare them for ag-centric post-secondary pathways. Thanks to ag educator Whitney Short and the GrowNextGen program, science, agriculture, and hands-on investigations come together to create a lasting impact, even for students without traditional farming backgrounds.

“None of the students in this class live on production farms,” Short explains. “They may have shown an animal in 4-H or FFA in the past, but they’re not from grain or livestock operations. That’s why building ag literacy is so important.”

Short brings her roots in production agriculture into the classroom. Raised on a sheep farm in the Pettisville district and now living on a grain farm, she studied animal sciences and agricultural education at The Ohio State University. Her goal is to make agriculture real and relevant for every student.

To do that, she relies on the GrowNextGen program, an educational initiative from the Ohio Soybean Council and Soy Checkoff that provides curriculum, labs, and career connections rooted in science and agriculture.… Continue reading