OC School of Education hosts Oklahoma farm-to-school coordinator

Cheri Long presents on Ag in the Classroom resources.

March 17, 2021

The School of Education at Oklahoma Christian University offers a variety of teaching degrees, and part of their success comes from inviting notable people within the teaching field to speak in classes. The Coordinator of the Oklahoma Farm to School program, Cheri Long, spoke to Early Childhood and Elementary Education majors on Feb. 22 on how “Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom” materials can be used in future classrooms.

Formerly the coordinator of a different program, Agriculture in the Classroom at the Oklahoma State Department of Agriculture, Long worked with teachers and students to educate them on the importance of Oklahoman agriculture in their daily lives. Additionally, she worked to create programs to help promote agricultural literacy across the state, including working with the department to create "Specialty Crop-opoly," a Monopoly-style game based on Oklahoman agriculture.

Kelli Dudley, OC’s associate professor of education, has known Long personally since they worked together in Moore Public Schools.

“Cheri and I have been friends for many years,” Dudley said. “Although she has been promoted to Coordinator of the Oklahoma Farm to School Coordinator, she continues to present to OC students as a favor to me.”

Long presented in the Elementary Science Class; the course discusses the uses of inductive and deductive strategies that consist of observations, scientific investigations, interpretation of findings and communication of results. 

“The main focus of this course is to emphasize hands-on instruction in the elementary classroom,” Dudley said.

OC Program Chair of Education Darin Martin discussed how grateful he is to have visitors like Long speak in class.

“By knowing about resources like Agriculture in the Classroom, our teacher candidates can build their professional toolbox as they prepare to be effective teachers,” he said.

To read more online about OC’s education program or OK Ag in the Classroom.