New course excites students

Only a few weeks of school remain before summer holidays begin for prairie youngsters. How many kids in high school will be able to say they thoroughly enjoyed their classes this year?
Last week students from Evan Hardy Collegiate Institute, a high school in Saskatoon, told a gathering of ag industry people about their enjoyment of a new class called Bioresource Management 20. They abbreviate it as BRM, which to many of us in the ag industry stands for Business Risk Management. In this context, however, it’s the abbreviation for a class that seems to excite students.
The BRM course was a new offering for the school this year and teachers Karen Peterson and Tina Rioux said the results are encouraging. Of the 18 people who took the class, 15 also plan to take BRM 30 next year, and additional 21 students have signed up for next semester. For some, it was or will be their first direct exposure to hands-on agricultural topics.

“Looking forward to a school class was something new to me,” said Sergej Klobucar. “It was an absolutely spectacular class and I definitely learned what I want to be in the future.”
He wants to be involved in the agriculture industry, as do many of the students who spoke last week. It’s encouraging that there are young people excited about ag prospects.
The course employs problem-based learning, which involves presenting students with a problem and giving them some latitude as they seek solutions. In BRM 20 this year, students looked at three problems: crop rotations and monocultures; keeping cougars out of cities; and chronic wasting disease in deer. Each problem involved opportunities to discuss causes and solutions with experts, and field trips to get direct information.
Group work was emphasized, which was an attraction for some students.

“We learned from each other. It’s like a pyramid. If you’re missing a few blocks of the pyramid, it can’t stand,” said student Michael Gallenger.

Niall Cubbon called it “the most memorable class I’ve taken in high school so far.” A work placement related to the course caused him to consider engineering as a career. The BRM course is paired with either a communications or a work experience segment, depending on student interest.
Teachers Petersen and Rioux organized the gathering with ag industry people last week because they want support for the course — partners, as they termed it. They’re looking for expert speakers to supplement research, work experience placements, sponsorship for community experts, transportation cost subsidies and donations to help with computer purchases. Those who can offer any of that can reach Peterson at petersonk@spsd.sk.ca or Rioux at riouxt@spsd.sk.ca.