Leah Bishop looks forward to attending Careers in Animal and Plant Sciences at Dutchess BOCES’ Career & Technical Institute because the program offers so much to students.
“It’s been really enjoyable,” the Franklin D. Roosevelt High School junior said after reading and planting seeds with students at Salt Point Center on March 21. “We do a lot of activities. Every day you come in and it’s like going on a field trip. It’s exciting. I’m excited to go.” 
There are many more activities planned before the end of the school year for the students in the class taught by Rebecca Cossa.
“As the year is closing, our activity amps up,” said Cossa.
The class has a spring that includes a camping trip and a trip to an aquarium as well as opening the bee hives on campus, and making boutonnieres and corsages for proms.
In April, students attended the Dutchess County Agriculture Breakfast, where they met and interacted with local politicians, farmers and business people to learn about careers options.
The activities will be capped off by a trip to Buffalo for the 98th annual New York State Future Farmers of America (FFA) Convention, May 18-20.
“These juniors are great,” said Cossa. “They’re motivated and interested. I think they’re going to have a lot of fun and potentially do well.
“The research projects, the kids have been working hard all year and every year that we’ve participated we’ve placed first second and third in their categories. I’m confident we’ll come home with some medals.”
Bishop’s group is planning to do aquaculture where they’ll answer multiple choice questions and identify fish species by picture.
“We’re excited to compete and do what we do best,” she said. “A lot of us are excited to use the skills we’re best at.”
