Agricultural Education provides students with the opportunity to participate in coordinated group and individual instructional activities that are focused on preparation for future careers in agriculture. The agricultural education program is designed to develop technical, leadership, and management expertise needed by middle and high school students preparing for careers in agricultural occupations and to further education in an agriculturally related field.

Agriculture encompasses various elements of the food, fiber, and natural resource systems. Agricultural employment is broadly defined to include careers that require agricultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed in producing, managing, processing, marketing, distributing, regulating, or protecting any of the renewable resources. Formal instruction may also be provided for out-of-school youth and adults who wish to upgrade their agricultural skills and knowledge.
 

Design

The agricultural education program is built on the three core areas of classroom/laboratory instruction, supervised agricultural experience programs, and FFA student organization activities/opportunities. The agricultural education program is designed for delivery through these three core educational strategies: 

Classroom/Laboratory Instruction—quality instruction in and about agriculture that utilizes a "learning by doing" philosophy. 
Supervised Agricultural Experience Programs (work-based learning experiences)—all students are expected to have an agriculturally-related work-based learning experience while enrolled in agricultural education courses. 
FFA Student Organization activities/opportunities—FFA activities are an integral part of the agricultural education program that all agricultural education students should participate in if they are to fully benefit from their agricultural education enrollment (opportunities for the development of life skills necessary for career success are provided through FFA membership and involvement). 
A quality agricultural education program has a balanced utilization of these three core educational strategies.

The National Strategic Plan for Agricultural Education (1995) states that the mission of agricultural education is to prepare and support individuals for careers, build awareness, and develop leadership for the food, fiber, and natural resources systems. In 1996, a National Agricultural Biotechnology Standards sponsored by the United States Department of Education indicated that employment in this burgeoning new field will be plentiful beyond the year 2000. This national mission and employment outlook provide the framework upon which the North Carolina agricultural education program's curriculum is built.

Instructors	Dennis Martin Luke Beam
Address	Burns High School 307 East Stagecoach Trial Lawndale, NC 28090
Phone	(704) 538-7403
Fax	(704) 538-3895