The meeting will be held at the home of Mrs. Karen Wendel in Lugoff SC. The Lugoff Garden Club meets Monday at the home of Mrs. Karen Wendel in Lugoff. Social hour starts at 6:30 p.m. and the featured presentation starts at 7 p.m.
The speaker for Monday’s meeting is Katie Gilson. She is from Greer, SC where she lived on a small peach farm. Gilson graduated from Blue Ridge High School and received a Bachelor of Science in Veterinary and Animal Sciences and a Masters degree in Agricultural Education both from Clemson University.
Gilson has been the agriculture teacher at Applied Technology Education Campus since 2011 when the program started. Through partnerships she has developed with local agribusinesses, Gilson’s students receive on-the-job training at internships and job shadowing experiences. She also uses guest speakers, including the chief law enforcement officer of the S.C. Forestry Commission, John Deere technicians, and local farmers to provide her students with insight on different agriculture job opportunities. These guest speakers give Gilson’s students ideas for the out-of-class projects they each must complete, called Supervised Agricultural Experiences.
Gilson is one of 40 individuals nationwide who received the Teachers Turn the Key Award, presented at the National Association of Agricultural Educators annual convention in Las Vegas. NAAE is the professional organization in the United States for agricultural educators. It provides its nearly 8,000 members with professional networking and development opportunities, professional liability coverage, and extensive awards and recognition programs. Headquartered in Lexington, Ky,, the mission of NAAE is “professionals providing agricultural education for the global community through visionary leadership, advocacy and service.”
The Teachers Turn the Key award program brings together agricultural educators with four or fewer years of experience and immerses them in three days of professional development that addresses issues specific to the early years of a teaching career. Participants also have the opportunity to become involved in NAAE leadership and network with other NAAE convention attendees.
