Penn State students break down global issues through educational immersions

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Future agricultural science teachers studying in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, at the University of Idaho, and at 1890s land-grant universities, taught in classrooms across the country as part of the fourth cohort of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-supported Global Orientation to Agricultural Learning, or GOALs, program.

Created by the Global Teach Ag Network (GTAN) for future agricultural educators, the GOALs program is a comprehensive professional development program involving two three-credit courses and three immersion experiences. The first immersion is a global professional development event, co-hosted by the World Food Prize Foundation and the Borlaug Dialogues in Des Moines, Iowa, featuring world leaders.

Additionally, educators spend one week in March teaching in an underserved community. The final immersion, an international experience exploring indigenous agricultural and extension education, takes place in Belize in May.

Mary Ribbeck, who is majoring in agricultural and extension education, traveled with her teaching team to Santa Fe South High School in Oklahoma City for their teaching immersion. The team included Fernando Montelongo from the University of Idaho and Jasmine Jones from Alcorn State University.

The trio spent a week teaching high school students at their cooperating center, covering topics such as global citizenship, global agriculture, food security and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Ribbeck said she was excited to take the meaningful conversations from the World Food Prize event and turn them into impactful lessons for the students in Oklahoma.

“It was cool to be teaching in the classroom for the first time,” Ribbeck said. “It was a good challenge that reminded me to be open-minded and empathetic to all students. It also showed me how important cultural differences are and that we should be learning about them in the classroom.”

The early teaching field experience provided GOALs participants with an inside look at their futures as educators while providing mentorship connections from around the country. The Oklahoma City team worked closely with Colby Gregg, the agricultural sciences teacher and FFA adviser for Santa Fe South High School’s new agricultural sciences program.

“Throughout our week there, we saw the comfort of the students we were teaching grow,” said Ribbeck, noting that the most impactful part of the immersion was building rapport with Gregg’s classes.

Ribbeck learned about the GOALs program during an academic advising session with Daniel Foster, associate professor of agricultural and extension education and co-founder of GTAN, who encouraged her to apply for the opportunity. Upon her acceptance to the program, Ribbeck was introduced to other key players in the GTAN community, including those who donate their time to strengthening the program.

“I got the luck of the draw to work with such a rock-star team,” said Ribbeck, reflecting on the GOALs staff. “It’s inspiring to see their dedication. It makes me want to work harder, do more and achieve more.”

One of these individuals is Mia Sullivan, a graduate student at Penn State and the teacher-in-residence for GTAN, who currently supports the delivery of the GOALs program.

“Working with the GOALs cohort has been a highlight of my year,” Sullivan said. “I’ve watched them grow as learners and leaders, leaning into uncomfortable conversations and building meaningful connections across cultures. I hope they’ve gained a stronger sense of who they are as global citizens and feel more prepared to work in diverse teams to tackle agricultural challenges in their future classrooms.”

Following their meaningful experiences in the classroom, the GOALs cohort and corresponding staff spent a week in Belize to understand the weight of indigenous knowledge in agriculture and global sustainability. The cultural immersion included tours of local attractions, agricultural production facilities and agricultural education programs.

“One of the most impactful experiences for me was connecting with all the educators,” Ribbeck said. “No matter where you are in the world, educators are impacting the next generation. As educators, we face some of the same challenges, but also the same rewards. I hope to use the lessons learned from these educators.”

The Penn State participants in the fourth GOALs cohort included agricultural and extension education majors Ribbeck, Grace Bomgardner, Lenka Ohler, Alexis Otstott, Tre Rosa and Mary Walter. The fifth cohort of the GOALs program will begin its experiences at the beginning of the fall semester.

To learn more about global learning in agriculture or other programs, such as GOALs, visit the GTAN website.