From February 25-26, CAST EVP/CEO Kent Schescke participated in an Education and Training Program Development course that is a joint effort of the University of Illinois and the University of Missouri. The students attending are assigned to teams to work with partner organizations like CAST on the development of education and training programs. The students assisting CAST include Allie Norton, Ricki Spargo, Mary Watt, Colin Wilburn, and Emmett Zumerchik. Their work will be the development of an interactive student module based upon the 2020 CAST Issue Paper “Ground and Aerial Robots for Agricultural Production: Opportunities and Challenges.” When completed, this module will be a career exploration learning opportunity for middle/high school students interested in opportunities involving robotics, artificial intelligence, and engineering in production agriculture. Once the learning module has been reviewed and approved by the publication’s task force, CAST will host it on its website and distribute it through online teacher resource sites. “This activity will not only help expand CAST’s reach by repurposing our content for teachers, but will also help students explore career opportunities and expand their knowledge of agriculture,” says Schescke. “We had a lot of fun being able to brainstorm and create this program,” says Allie Norton, “and the team and I are very excited to work on it!” The team is also strongly encouraged to join CAST as a Student Individual Member at no cost to continue taking advantage of the available agricultural resources.

University of Missouri Students and Kent Schescke