Equipping teachers to shape the future of Australian red meat

Fifty agriculture and STEM teachers from across the Scenic Rim and wider Queensland locations recently came together at Boonah State High School to strengthen their knowledge of modern agriculture, ag-tech innovation and career pathways.

Hosted to support teacher professional development the event was a collaboration between Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA) and Boonah State High School, with industry organisations including Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and Hort Innovation participating.

The full-day program equipped attendees with practical insights and tooling to build into their classroom delivery of contemporary on-farm production, innovation and the diverse opportunities available across the agriculture sector with sessions focused on:

• industry-led sessions
• school agriculture program tour
• collaborative learning activities
• networking opportunities.

MLA presenter Doug McNicholl, Group Manager – Value Chain Adoptions said the event demonstrated the importance of bringing real-world industry knowledge into classrooms.

“Australian agriculture is highly innovative, with producers using data and technology to guide on-farm decision making and improve sustainability outcomes,” Doug said.

“Working directly with teachers helps turn what’s happening on farms today into practical, engaging classroom learning – and shows students that agriculture offers modern, skilled and rewarding career pathways.”

During the program, the suite of MLA’s curriculum-aligned educational resources, which are designed to support teachers with up-to-date industry-relevant agriculture content in the classroom, was showcased.

Susan Howe, MLA Schools and Education Manager, also introduced the new Farm Gate to Plate Explorer Kit, a brand-new initiative of MLA’s Australian Good Meat Education school program.

The Explorer kit provides teachers with practical, ready-to-use materials and activities for an enhanced learning experience, helping students better understand the red meat industry, from on-farm production through to sustainability, nutrition and career opportunities.

“Development of the Explorer kit has carefully considered educational value, functionality, and repeated use across multiple year levels ensuring it supports a diverse range of classroom settings,” Susan said.

“As our main gateway to connect students with our industry and spark their ongoing curiosity, it’s vitally important that we support teachers with practical, adaptable and engaging educational tools that help to build student understanding of contextual sustainable Australian red meat production.

“Events like this offer an ideal forum to build teachers’ industry knowledge along with showcasing the depth of resources freely available to support them in bringing food and fibre paddock to plate education to life in the classroom,” she said.

Boonah State High School hosted the event, reinforcing its reputation as a leader in agricultural education and industry collaboration. Dan Marrone, Boonah State High School Principal, said the workshop delivered valuable outcomes for both teachers and students.

“It was fantastic to welcome educators from across the region and provide them with hands-on exposure to modern agriculture and the opportunities it presents,” he said.

“Opportunities like this help teachers feel confident delivering contemporary agriculture in the classroom and inspire students to consider the wide range of careers available in the sector.”