The Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications graduates more science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educators than any other Texas A&M department, and these graduates are responsible for preparing the next generation of educated/skilled professionals, who are currently highly sought after in our workforce. In fact, our graduates reach more than 5,000 new high school students each year, so it is imperative that they have access to modern equipment and facilities.
Currently, our agricultural education teachers are being trained in an 80-year-old WWII commissary building on Riverside Campus, almost 12 miles from the main Texas A&M campus. The condition and location of this space not only limits our teaching instruction, but also our ongoing outreach efforts with agricultural teachers across Texas.
Our department has been given the unique opportunity to build a state-of-the-art, 20,000-square-foot Agricultural STEM Integration Complex. This facility will be located in close proximity to the current AgriLife Complex on West Campus, and will contain educational space to enhance instruction, research and outreach in science, technology, engineering and math.
The Agricultural STEM Complex will serve several purposes, allowing our students opportunities for applied instruction using modern technology and teaching tools; giving our faculty the ability to conduct workshops and offer continuing education courses to teachers and other education and industry professionals; and affording faculty the space and equipment to conduct meaningful scholarship.
Project Goal
The Agricultural STEM Complex will offer our future agricultural education teachers applied skill development and enrichment in workforce education, including welding, thermal cutting (oxy fuel and plasma cutting), CAD modeling, carpentry, hydraulics, tractor and small engine maintenance, livestock equipment and handling, and greenhouse management.
The educational delivery process will infuse STEM principles within hands-on, skills-based learning activities.
Our goal is for our students to more effectively reach both college-minded and trade-minded high school students earlier in their high school education, so that more high school students enter vocational or workforce education programs after graduation better prepared for a career in a specialized professional/skilled trade.
Lab Space
The Agricultural STEM Complex will consist of the following enrichment center and classroom space:
High Impact Flexible Use STEM LabThe High Impact Flexible Use STEM Lab is open lab space for faculty research efforts and agricultural education curriculum applications that include STEM integration learning activities and teacher training activities in agricultural mechanics, horticulture and animal science. Six of the skill enrichment centers will be located in this flexible lab space.
The Welding Technology Enrichment Center will help further welding technology skill development.
The Welding Technology Enrichment Center will help further welding technology skill development.
The Woodworking/Construction/Carpentry Enrichment Center will further woodworking/construction/carpentry skill development.
The Hydraulics Enrichment Center will further hydraulics skill development.
The Plasma Torch & CNC/CAM Enrichment Center will further plasma torch and CNC/CAM skill development.
The Tractors & Equipment/Small Engines & Power Enrichment Center will further tractors, equipment and small engine skill development.
The Livestock Equipment Management Enrichment Center will further livestock equipment skill development.
The Painting Finishing Technology Enrichment Center will further painting finishing skill development.
The Greenhouse Management Enrichment Center will further greenhouse management skill development.
The CAD Lab with Solid Modeling will further CAD Lab skill development.
The Special Presentation Room will be a demonstration room for the latest technological advances in STEM instruction.
The Class/Demo Wet Lab is instructional lab space for floral, vet tech, food technology and related hands-on agricultural science components.
Two smaller Class/Demo Rooms will serve as instruction rooms for teaching.
The Student Collaboration Area is informal space dedicated to student interaction and project collaboration.
Project Materials
Fact Sheet
Naming Opportunities
Project Cost
The Agricultural STEM Laboratory will cost an estimated $3 million. Equipment and staffing is estimated at another $3 million, bringing the total to $6 million.
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Naming Opportunities
For more information on naming opportunities, contact Kelsey Christian, director of development.
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Kelsey Christian ’02 Director of Development College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Texas A&M Foundation 979-458-1207 kchristian@txamfoundation.com |