Techniques Feb 2013 - 23

At-risk Students

four indicators of college and career readiness—PSAT/SAT/ACT participation,
being on-track to graduation and having a
low drop-out rate.
Students from across Philadelphia undergo a competitive application process to
attend W.B. Saul, agree to attend a challenging summer orientation program as
freshmen and make their way across town
in school-subsidized public transportation
to attend classes.
“We have a magnetism here,” said Jessica McAtamney, a teacher at W.B. Saul.
“It’s a safe place, the teachers are passionate, it’s hands-on learning; there are
high expectations for the students. It’s a
different model of education than students
could get at a regular high school. It’s
challenging.”
Currently W.B. Saul, which has 15
agriculture teachers, has four educational
tracks students can choose to pursue—
food science, small animal science, large
animal science and natural resource management. Students spend their freshman
year exploring each of the four tracks,
then choose one to follow through the rest
of their high school career.
No matter which track students choose
to pursue, the hands-on component of agricultural education adds a new dimension
to their educational experience.
“Often our students have never been
asked to physically perform before,” said
McAtamney. “They’ve never mucked a
stall or pulled an acre of weeds.”
And then there’s the science. “It’s a real
turning point for a lot of students when
they understand just how much science is
involved in these classes,” she said. “It’s
experiential education at its finest,” notes
McAtamney. “We learn about it, and then
we do it. We’re going out on Monday to
plant the strawberries. You couldn’t do
that at just any school.”
For McAtamney, Ernest and Davies,
and agriculture teachers like them, urban
agriculture programs aren’t just one way
to reach students who may be disadvantaged or struggling. It’s the best way.
www.acteonline.org

“My ag students are better behaved, are
achieving more academically, are more
outgoing, and have been able to problemsolve better than the rest of my students,”
said Davies. “In addition, students who
had problems speaking out in front of their
peers are now speaking in front of each
other and are able to present to the class
when at first they could not.”

Julie Fritsch is the communications/marketing
coordinator at the National Association of
Agricultural Educators. She can be reached
at jfritsch.naae@uky.edu.
Urban agriculture
also has important
ramifications for
resource sustainability. Visit www.
acteonline.org/sustainability to
learn more.

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February 2013  Techniques  
23
Techniques Feb 2013

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