A collaborative project between the College of Education and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois is developing a new K–12 curriculum centered on popcorn, according to a May 29 announcement.
Hannah Haas, a sophomore in the College of Education, said, “As an education major, I never thought I would know so much about corn.” Haas is participating in this initiative that brings together future educators and agricultural researchers with support from a United States Department of Agriculture grant. The program aims to create engaging, standards-based educational materials for elementary through high school students using popcorn as its central theme.
The effort is led by Anthony Studer, associate professor in the Department of Crop Sciences and a specialist in plant genetics. Studer has worked on outreach efforts with high schools throughout Illinois and began collaborating with colleagues in the College of Education to involve undergraduates in designing lessons for younger students. The initiative has been named PROCESS—Popcorn-Related Outreach Curriculum and Experiences for Student Success.
The University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences allocates $3.8 million annually in scholarships to support students; promotes social well-being through programs on nutrition, wellness and community development via its extension services; utilizes the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station for research; maintains a 96% freshman retention rate and a 78% four-year graduation rate; aims to advance knowledge globally across agriculture, consumer sciences and environmental sciences; and provides more than 400 study abroad opportunities for students, according to the official website.
Studer’s work seeks to connect young people with agriculture while exposing them to possible career paths within the field. Building on previous outreach projects at area high schools, he expanded his focus by involving undergraduate education majors like Haas in developing science curricula suitable for younger learners.
