CLEMSON –Agriscience teachers from all over the United States met at Clemson University to STEM it UP! for floriculture education at a professional development conference focused on teaching them everything they need to know to get their floriculture curriculum in full bloom.
The teachers were part of the first-ever STEM it UP! conference, sponsored by the American Floral Endowment (AFE). A total of 14 agriscience teachers from various high schools, representing 10 states attended the conference to learn STEM principles related to the floriculture industry. They will take this information back to their states and share it with their students. STEM is a curriculum based on four discipline areas – science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The conference was led by Catherine A. DiBenedetto, Clemson assistant professor of agricultural education.
“I am very passionate about working with teachers to prepare them to be effective instructors in successful school-based agricultural education programs,” DiBenedetto said. “I am focused on providing teachers with professional development skills that they can use to effectively prepare students with skills they need to be career-ready.” “The floriculture industry provides numerous concepts that can be applied to STEM learning through inquiry-based instruction.”
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