Moss, Inman Recognized As Top Ag Educators

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The agricultural education program at Henry County High School in Paris,
Tennessee, is one of only six agricultural education programs nationwide to receive the 2019 National Association of Agricultural Educators Outstanding Middle/Secondary Agricultural Education Program Award, given at the NAAE annual convention in Anaheim on December 3-7. The agriculture teachers at Henry County High School are Laura Moss and Ryan Inman.
The agricultural education program at Henry County High School is unique in that the ninth grade class is located on one campus and the 10th-12th grade students attend another campus. Agri-science is offered for the 9th graders and is used as a stepping stone into the two career clusters offered at the high school.
From there, students may choose to enroll in either the Veterinary and Animal Science pathway or the Agribusiness pathway.
These pathways serve the 264 students enrolled in agriculture programming in unique ways. The
Veterinary and Animal Science pathway is designed to give students hands on learning opportunities within the companion and livestock industries. Students work with various labs, become Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certified and prepare to take the Tennessee Specific Industry Certification Exam.
The Henry County High school maintains 100% student participation of a Supervised Agriculture
Experience (SAE), a longstanding goal for the chapter. A SAE is a project, work experience or internship students complete outside of a formal classroom setting focused on a specific area of the agriculture industry. Success in these experiences allow many students to be offered part time employment at the conclusion of their projects or internships. Approximately 65% of students are employed at local farms and agribusinesses while 25% own their enterprises and the remainder participate in Exploratory and agriscience SAEs.
NAAE Officials said, “Dedication to innovation and student success has allowed the Henry County Agriculture Department to grow and flourish. Partnerships throughout the community have created alliances that contribute to chapter success. While Moss and Inman continue to grow professionally through attending conferences, leading workshops and serving as members of various professional organizations. Moss is the current president of the Tennessee Association of Agricultural Educators (TAAE).”
Photo: Laura Moss with NAAE Officials for the presentation; Inman was not present for photo.