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STEM-it Up²: An Immersive Professional Development Program Helping Agriscience Teachers Bloom
November 18, 2024
Floriculture is a popular course taught in school-based agricultural education (SBAE) programs across the nation. While most teachers associate floriculture with teaching their students how to design beautiful cut flower arrangements and bouquets, there is much more to the course — including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. STEM-it Up², a program funded in part by an American Floral Endowment educational grant, bridges the gap between STEM education and the floriculture industry by helping agriscience teachers learn how to integrate plant science technical concepts into innovative classroom curricula that highlight the benefits and career opportunities associated with the green industry.
The SIU2 program is directed by Dr. Catherine DiBenedetto of Clemson University and Dr. Natalie Ferand of Virginia Tech. DiBenedetto merged 15 years of experience from her extensive work in all areas of the floriculture industry, with seven years as an agriscience teacher and nine years as a teacher educator, to design an innovative professional development program unlike any other in the nation.
SIU2 combines virtual and hands-on professional development with experiential learning opportunities for 16 agriscience teachers from around the nation who are selected through a rigorous application process.
“STEM-it Up² is an immersive program exploring each stage of the fresh-cut flower industry,” DiBenedetto said. “During this program, teachers encountered all aspects of the floral distribution channel and truly immersed themselves in the world of floriculture.”
This Year’s Program
This year, the program took place from July 15-24 and started at Clemson University. While there, Dr. James Faust, a Clemson University professor of floriculture physiology, helped participants conduct STEM laboratory investigations into Botrytis, a fungus that is a widespread problem in the floral industry. They isolated spores using industry protocols led by lab technician Gabriela Calidonio. In addition, the agriscience teachers conducted a lab experiment to determine the effect of vase solutions on cut flower vase life, led by Ana Maria Borda, a Clemson University postdoc researcher. Participants also harvested zinnias and dahlias from the greenhouse and then prepared different treatments to process the harvest and evaluate vase life.
Rustie Robison, a doctoral student at Clemson University, modeled inquiry-based instruction for participants while teaching an entomology laboratory. They created observation stations that investigated ethylene, translocation, and transpiration.
Steven DuBose, a Clemson University alumnus, agriscience teacher at Anderson Institute of Technology, and SIU2 participant, shared his knowledge of environmental sensors (emphasizing the “T” in STEM). He taught participants about data collection and discussed the importance of highlighting technology in the floriculture curricula. The SIU2 agriscience teachers also learned how to operate other technologies. Kyleigh Hilburn, a doctoral student at the University of Florida, trained participants to use cameras, tripods, and mini microphones to incorporate photos and videos into their curriculum.
After these programs, the immersive travel experience continued with tours of FloraLife in Walterboro, South Carolina, Costa Farms and Soroa Orchids in Homestead, Florida, and Jet Fresh Flowers in Miami, Florida. Participants also had the opportunity to work on River Bend Blooms cut flower farm in Scottsville, Kentucky.
Impact and Outcomes
Applying what they learned and experienced, the SIU2 agriscience teachers are now developing innovative learning modules designed to strengthen agricultural literacy, STEM skills, and focus on career exploration in the green industry, specifically floriculture.
The exponential growth of the program will impact other agriscience teachers across the country when the curricula is shared. The goal is to prepare a broadened agriculture STEM workforce for the floriculture/green industry.
DiBenedetto and Ferand and their SIU2 research team, including faculty from Michigan State University (Aaron McKim), Louisiana State University (Richie Roberts), and the University of Florida (Brian Myers), are excited to see how the SIU2 agriscience teachers apply what they learned to exponentially grow the future of the floriculture industry as they share their experience with their students and other secondary agriscience teachers in school-based agricultural education programs throughout the United States.
“We will provide continued support for them while they develop curricula and implement what they learned from the immersive experience in their programs,” Catherine noted.
STEM-it Up² is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and is an extension of DiBenedetto’s STEM it Up program, which is supported by AFE.
The Endowment is dedicated to fostering the future of floriculture. To ensure the ongoing success of our industry, providing support to faculty, researchers, and students is key to keeping the pipeline growing. To learn more about AFE’s educational grant opportunities with fund key education and training opportunities, please click here. Applications are due by June 1 each year.
By Catherine DiBenedetto
