Local agricultural educator to participate in national program

Special to the Enquirer

Nine agricultural educators have been selected to participate in the 2-102-11-2-102-12-1 CROPS Program through a nationwide search. Among those chosen are Travis Allred of Danville High School.

The Cost-effective Roll Over Protection System Program is a federally-funded research initiative through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, in partnership with the University of Kentucky, to combat tractor roll-over fatalities in the Appalachian Area and Mississippi Delta.

The experiential learning curriculum focuses on agricultural mechanics and safety.

Pictured (from left) are Susan Hilleary, Ben Kohnle, Travis Allred, Terry Hauser, Pete Bennett, Preston Byrd, Justin Reynolds, Kaitlynn Mynatt, Marshall Streit, Ben Prewitt, Scottie Cook, Kang Namkoong and Yongwook Song.

Each educator participated in an annual Professional Development Event July 2-15-2-17 in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. The CROPS team trained teachers on the curriculum and the fabrication process for constructing a CROPS.

The CROPS program started in 2-1013 in Kentucky agricultural science education programs. As of today, students in CROPS programs have built more than 150 rollover bars for tractors.

The CROPS project has tripled in size to include ten states, including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Allred is the only member of the cohort from Alabama.