UGA brings poultry science to public K-12 classrooms

Dec. 20—ATHENS — Poultry has grown to become the top commodity in Georgia's No. 1 industry, agriculture. Acquainting school-aged students with potential career paths in avian science is critical to staffing the state's poultry sector.

Building on the foundation set by Avian Academy, the popular continuing education course for teachers offered annually by the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the Georgia Department of Education worked with CAES to create middle and high school poultry science curricula. Now in its third year of use in Georgia public schools, the courses have been adopted by schools across the country.

kAmy6DD:42 u:76[ E96 @FEC6249 4@@C5:?2E@C 7@C E96 rpt$ s6A2CE>6?E @7 !@F=ECJ $4:6?46[ H@CA[ E96 4FCC:4F=F> 2?5 E649?@=@8J 5:C64E@C 7@C E96 v6@C8:2 p8C:4F=EFC2= t5F42E:@? AC@8C2>[ 2?5 rpt$ 724F=EJ E@ 56D:8? 2 A@F=ECJ D4:6?46 A2E9H2J E92E :?4=F56D 2 ?6H A@F=ECJ D4:6?46 4@FCD6 2?5 2G:2? D4:6?46 2?5 3:@E649?@=@8J 4@FCD6 7@C E96 DE2E6'D AF3=:4 D49@@=D]k^Am

kAm$E2CE:?8 H:E9 E96 >2E6C:2=D 56G6=@A65 7@C pG:2? p4256>J[ $E6:?A H@C>:EE66 :?4=F5:?8 28C:4F=EFC2= 65F42E:@? E62496CD 2?5 DE2 :?5FDECJ 2?5 @E96C :?DE:EFE:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 rpt$ s6A2CE>6?E @7 p8C:4F=EFC2= {6256CD9:A[ t5F42E:@? 2?5 r@>>F?:42E:@?[ &?:G6CD:EJ @7 }@CE9 v6@C8:2 2?5 pE96?D %649?:42= r@==686[ 2D H6== 2D :?5FDECJ C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D :?4=F5:?8 E96 &]$] !@F=ECJ 2?5 t88 pDD@4:2E:@? 2?5 %JD@? u@@5D]k^Am

kAm"%96 4@>>:EE66 42>6 E@ 2 4@?D6?DFD E92E E9:D H2D 2 =@E @7 4@?E6?E 7@C @?6 4@FCD6[ D@ H6 564:565 :E H@F=5 36 EH@ 4@FCD6D[" D2:5 $E6:?A[ 2 'hhh rpt$ 28C:3FD:?6DD 8C25F2E6] "~?46 E9@D6 DE2?52C5D H6C6 2AAC@G65 E9C@F89 E96 v6@C8:2 s6A2CE>6?E @7 t5F42E:@?[ y6DD:42 56G6=@A65 255:E:@?2= >2E6C:2=D 7@C E9@D6 DE2?52C5D E@ AC@G:56 DFAA@CE 7@C E62496CD H9@ H2?E E@ :?4@CA@C2E6 E9:D :?E@ E96:C E6249:?8]"k^Am

kAm%96 v6@C8:2 s6A2CE>6?E @7 t5F42E:@? 2AAC@G65 E96 A@F=ECJ D4:6?46 4@FCD6 E@ 4@F?E 2D 2 7@FCE9 D4:6?46 @AE:@? 368:??:?8 :? E96 a_aa\ab D49@@= J62C] qJ 4@>A=6E:?8 E96 C6BF:C65 E9C66\4=2DD 4@FCD6H@C7@C E96 A2E9H2J[ DEF56?ED H:== 36 C64@8?:K65 2D 4@>A=6E:?8 E96 !@F=ECJ $4:6?46 A2E9H2J :? E96 p8C:4F=EFC6[ u@@5 2?5 }2EFC2= #6D@FC46D A2E9H2J F?56C E96 v6@C8:2 s6A2CE>6?E @7 t5F42E:@?'D r2C66C[ %649?:42=[ 2?5 p8C:4F=EFC2= t5F42E:@? 7C2>6H@C[ H6 4C62E65 E96 7F== 4FCC:4F=F> 7@C E92E 7:CDE A@F=ECJ D4:6?46 4=2DD[" u:76 D2:5] "(6 3C@6=:?6D[ 24E:G:E:6D[ =6DD@?D[ :562D 7@C 6IEC2\4FCC:4F=2C 24E:G:E:6D[ 2?5 @E96C C6D@FC46D E62496CD 42? FE:=:K6]"k^Am

kAmpD 3@E9 E96 A@F=ECJ D4:6?46 A2E9H2J 2?5 4FCC:4F=F> H6C6 2AAC@G65 7@C FD6 368:??:?8 :? 72== a_a'[ E96 ?F>36C @7 D49@@=D 2?5 E62496CD 25@AE:?8 E96 4@FCD6D :D DE:== 8C@H:?8[ 3FE $E6:?A D66D E96 4FCC:4F=F> 2?5 C6D@FC46D 56G6=@A65 H:E9 &vp 2D 2 D:8?:7:42?E 25G2?E286 E@ :?4C62D:?8 F49 @? E96:C A=2E6D[ :7 E96J 5:5?'E 92G6 E9@D6 4FCC:4F=F> >2E6C:2=D[ :E H@F=5 36 92C56C 7@C E96> E@ :?4@CA@C2E6 E96D6 =6DD@?D[" D96 D2:5] "%96D6 >2E6C:2=D >2@C6 252AE23=6 7@C FD6 :? E96 4=2DDC@@>D 3@E9 :? 32D:4 28C:4F=EFC6 4=2DD6D 2?5 :? E96 A@F=ECJ D4:6?46 2?5 2G:2? 3:@=@8J 4@FCD6D]"k^Am

kAm%96 4=2DD6D 2C6 56D:8?65 7@C 2 9:89 D49@@= =6G6=[ 3FE :?DECF4E:@?2= C6D@FC46D 2C6 2=D@ 2G2:=23=6 7@C >:55=6 D49@@= 28C:4F=EFC6 E62496CD[ D2:5 u:76[ H9@ 5@6D 3@E9 :?\A6CD@? 2?5 G:CEF2= G:D:ED 2E D49@@=D :? v6@C8:2 2?5 24C@DD E96 ?2E:@?] x? v6@C8:2[ ?62C=J b__ DEF56?ED 92G6 E2 :? r2=:7@C?:2[ |:49:82?[ pC@FE9 >2J 244@F?E 7@C E96 C6249 E96 4FCC:4F=F> 92D 6?;@J65[ u:76 D2:5 v@@8=:?8 "9:89\D49@@= A@F=ECJ =6DD@?D" :D ;FDE 2D =:6 @7 E96 25@AE:@?[ 2D &vp'D 4FCC:4F=F> E@AD E96 D62C49 C6DF=ED]k^Am

kAm"%96C6 H2D ?@E 2 =@E @7 A@F=ECJ 4@?E6?E @FE E96C6 7@C 65F42E@CD 2?5 2 =@E E92E :D @FE E96C6 :D @FE52E65 @C 92D 2 G6CJ 4=:?:42= 4@?E6?E 56D:8?[" D96 D2:5] "p== @7 @FC C6D@FC46D 2C6 2=D@ 3C2?565 E@ E96 4@==686 2?5 E96 56A2CE>6?E[ D@ E62496CD 42? 42== FD E@ D6E FA D49@@= G:D:ED[ 72C> E@FCD 2?5 4@??64E:@?D 7@C :?5FDECJ A2CE?6CD9:AD]"k^Am

kAmx?5FDECJ DFAA@CE 7@C E96 4C62E:@? @7 E96 A@F=ECJ D4:6?46 4FCC:4F=F> 92D 366? @G6CH96=>:?8=J A@D:E:G6 2?5 92D :?4=F565 DFAA@CE 7@C 28C:4F=EFC2= 65F42E:@? AC@8C2>D :? E@A A@F=ECJ\AC@5F4:?8 4@F?E:6D]k^Am

kAm%@ =62C? >@C6 23@FE @FEC6249 2?5 65F42E:@? 677@CED :? E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 !@F=ECJ $4:6?46[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^A@F=ECJ]426D]F82]65F^4@>>F?:EJ\@FEC6249QmA@F=ECJ]426D]F82]65F^4@>>F?:EJ\@FEC6249k^2m]k^Am