Marquette-Alger RESA plans agricultural education training

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - Michigan State University (MSU) U.P. Research and Extension Center have teamed up with Marquette-Alger RESA (MARESA) to offer a free K-12 training.

With only 12 spots remaining, MARESA Health and Education Consultant Haley Braiser says the training is available to more than just teachers.

“Anyone that is a high school teacher, administrator, farmer, food service director and a variety of community partners can register,” said Brasier.

The goal of this training is to allow teachers and other community members the opportunity to provide education to students on local food systems and agricultural education in the classroom.

MARESA Health Education Consultant Rachel Bloch says this training could allow teachers to give students the support needed to promote healthy change to their environment.

“Highschoolers have so many brilliant ideas on how to make change in their school to have more local food in the cafeteria and really create environmental changes in their building. So this is an opportunity for teachers to learn how they can support their students to make those changes,” said Bloch.

MSU Extension Community Food Systems Educator Abbey Palmer says with an increase in interest in local food systems, kids are the future of healthy and local agricultural systems in the U.P.

“Food is part of everybody’s daily life and the opportunity for students to see them selves as capable of pushing complex systems of changing things to make it look more like they want their community and their upper peninsula to look. I think that’s the most important thing to take away,” said Palmer.

Abbey also says this hands on training will be fun and relaxing. 12 spots remain and registration ends June 5.

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