entities or private or nonpublic kindergartens, elementary or
secondary schools in this Commonwealth materials on agricultural
education. Such materials may include instruction on issues
related to agriculture, including, but not limited to, food
safety, forestry, pesticides, farmland preservation, waste
management, wetlands, nutrient management, food production and
food processing, animal health and statutory and regulatory
protections of the right to farm.
(3) Identify, recognize and establish, in conjunction with
the Department of Agriculture, awards for exemplary agricultural
education curricula developed in Commonwealth schools.
(4) Use local school district occupational advisory
committees, as well as the facilities and equipment of the
Department of Agriculture, to serve as the conduit to bring
youth and adult education programs into communities and schools,
focusing on agricultural industry issues of importance to this
Commonwealth.
(5) Maintain, in conjunction with the Department of
Agriculture, an inventory of agricultural education materials,
programs and resources available in Commonwealth agencies.
[(c) The secretary shall prepare and submit, in conjunction
with the Department of Agriculture, an annual report to the
Governor and the General Assembly on the status of agricultural
education in this Commonwealth. The report shall outline
agricultural education programs and achievements, highlight new
initiatives and recommend future program needs.
(d) (1) The Secretary of Education shall consult, at least
annually, with the Secretary of Agriculture and a cross section
of the agriculture and education communities to:
(i) Assess the trends and needs in agricultural education.
(ii) Consider the manner in which any funds are used to
support agricultural education activities.
(iii) Make recommendations to the Governor and the General
Assembly regarding legislative or regulatory changes to improve
agricultural education, pursuant to the preparation and
submittal of the report required by subsection (c).
(2) When consulting with a cross section of the agriculture
and education communities, the secretary shall consider seeking
comments from individuals named in lists submitted by the State
Council on Farm Organizations, the Agricultural Awareness
Foundation and the Pennsylvania Vocational-Agricultural Teachers
Association. Such lists may include, but not be limited to:
(i) Farmers.
(ii) Representatives of the agricultural processing and
agricultural marketing industries.
(iii) Faculty members of the College of Agricultural
Sciences of the Commonwealth's land-grant university.
(iv) Faculty members from a State System of Higher Education
institution, each of whom shall have background in or knowledge
of agricultural education.
(v) A teacher of vocational agriculture.
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