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Tecumseh Middle School expands Ag‑STEM semester; students and FFA officers highlight hands‑on projects
Summary
The Tecumseh Local Board heard a presentation on an 18‑week 8th‑grade Ag/STEM course that gives every student project‑based exposure to woodworking, food labs, power systems and FFA opportunities, and which district staff say creates a CTE pathway toward a 12‑point credential.
Brook Barger, the Tecumseh Middle School eighth‑grade Ag/STEM teacher and FFA advisor, told the board Dec. 10 that the semester course exposes every 8th grader to 18 weeks of hands‑on agricultural and applied‑science instruction designed to spark career interest and provide a pathway to graduation.
Barger described a rapid sequence of one‑week projects that include woodworking (students made lathe pens), food labs tied to basic bioscience, power systems and basic electricity units, plant science and supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs). She said the classroom emphasizes employability expectations and team roles, and that students practice business‑style tasks such as pitching a student‑developed fertilizer in a mock business meeting.
Students who take the class may join the school’s FFA club; Barger said the club and classroom experiences connect pupils to competitions, camps and leadership development. "FFA is student‑run," she told the board, adding that members compete in events from public speaking and livestock judging to wildlife contests. Barger also mentioned a new Tecumseh FFA website and a student podcast intended to showcase program work.
Three students addressed the board to describe their experiences. Chasity Allen, a Tecumseh High freshman who began in 8th grade, credited Barger for encouragement that led to Creed speaking and livestock judging. "I want to go into agriculture and do something with that for the rest of my life," Allen said. Tenth‑grader Madilynn Clevenger said she took first place in the class science fair and plans to continue agricultural studies; eighth‑grader Jaxson Clevenger described job‑interview practice, farm events and being an honorary eighth‑grade officer who relays information to middle‑school members.
Board member Matt Mills asked whether the 'power systems' unit included instruction beyond power tools; Barger said the section teaches basic power tools and foundational mechanical skills and confirmed that the course is classified as a CTE course with an appropriate pathway to the high school.
The board praised the presentation. No formal action was required; administrators said the program remains part of the district’s CTE pathway planning and that student work and event participation will continue to be supported.
