Oregon Teacher Combines Science and Agriculture to Inspire Students

WILMINGTON, Del., March 24, 2014 – Wes Crawford, agriscience teacher, Sutherlin High School, Sutherlin, Ore., has been selected to receive the George Washington Carver AgriSCIENCE Teacher’s Award in recognition of his teaching excellence.  The award recognizes the member of the DuPont National AgriScience Teacher Ambassador Academy (NATAA) who demonstrates and advocates inquiry-based science teaching and inspires students to pursue science excellence.  Crawford will be recognized at the DuPont dinner held during the National Science Teachers Association’s (NSTA) national conference, April 3-6 in Boston, Mass.

“The global population is expected to grow to 9 billion in the next three decades,” said Rik L. Miller, president of DuPont Crop Protection.  “Good teachers are at the heart of the quality education needed to meet the needs of our changing world.  We are pleased to honor Mr. Crawford for his commitment to inspiring today’s youth and using agriscience to teach them the skills they need to provide enough food, energy and protection for the 21^st century.”

Wes Crawford, agriscience teacher, Sutherlin High School, Sutherlin, Ore., has been selected to receive the DuPont 2014 George Washington Carver AgriSCIENCE Teacher’s Award. (High Resolution)

The award honors George Washington Carver (1864 -1943), agricultural scientist, researcher, inventor, teacher and friend and mentor of Henry A. Wallace, founder of DuPont Pioneer.  Crawford, a graduate of Oregon State University holds a master’s degree in Agriculture Education and undergraduate degrees in Animal Science and General Agriculture.  He joined Sutherlin High School in 2007 where he teaches agriscience, and he is a 2010 graduate of NATAA.

“My teaching philosophy is to be challenging and relevant, and to instill application and responsibility,” said Crawford.  “I incorporate science inquiry into Agricultural Biology, Animal Science and Horticultural courses.  Students investigate many factors, find a direct result and apply findings making the inquiry relevant and real.  Taking these skill sets beyond the classroom, inquiry and problem solving are universal.”  Sutherlin is a high school of 420 students with diverse backgrounds located in a primarily suburban area.

Crawford mentors more than 150 students each year in FFA activities as advisor with the Sutherlin FFA Chapter, which is currently rated a Superior Chapter in Oregon, and he is president elect of Oregon Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association (OVATA).  He has received a number of recognitions for teaching excellence.  In 2012, he was named Oregon’s Region I Agriscience Teacher of the Year, and in 2013, he and his spouse, also a teacher, were selected to participate in the Rural Trust Global Fellowship, traveling to New Zealand and Australia with the focus on best practices in agricultural education.

As the 2014 George Washington Carver AgriSCIENCE award winner, Crawford will receive a $2,500 personal award and Sutherlin’s agriscience department will receive a $2,500 grant for classroom resources and equipment.  In addition, he receives expenses paid trips to NSTA and the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) 2014 national conferences held in Boston, Mass., and Nashville, Tenn., respectively.

The NATAA is a professional development institute sponsored by DuPont and is a special project of the National FFA Foundation and the NAAE.  Highly recommended agriscience teachers engage in inquiry-based activities and learn techniques and exciting new approaches that, when brought back to the classroom, will stimulate students to learn more about agriscience and its role in helping create a healthier, more sustainable future.

DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802.  The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment.  For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit http://www.dupont.com.

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3/24/14