New Charter School Focuses on Agriculture

(photo courtesy of our partners at the Daily Journal)

A new online charter school is partnering with a farm in Morgan County to give students hands-on experience in agriculture. The Indiana Agriculture & Technology School, which begins classes in July for students throughout the state, will include tie-in lessons at the 600-acre farm in Morgantown.

Our partners at The Daily Journal report students will do the majority of the traditional coursework online, but will also have the ability to visit the farm for interactive projects. Keith Marsh, the school’s executive director, says the monthly farm visits will not be mandatory or graded, but will include lessons such as studying wetlands, learning how to fly drones and working with new born cattle.

The school covers grades 7-12 and students will be able to graduate with any of Indiana’s three standard high school diplomas, according to the publication. Thomas Sutherlin, director of enrollment, says the school aims to prepare students for a variety of careers beyond farming.

The school is a partnership between the Indiana Virtual Agriculture Academy and Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson Schools, which is sponsoring the school’s charter. Marsh calls the program the first of its kind in Indiana.