Students in the Careers in Plant and Animal Sciences program at Dutchess BOCES’ Career and Technical Institute (CTI) are looking forward to upcoming events and field trips. Rebecca Cossa, the teacher for the program, said that she and her students are excited.
“The course is really enhanced by out of school experiences,” said Cossa. “We’re going on field trips constantly throughout the year.”
Last month, both the first year and second year students took a trip to the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill to learn about the college’s offerings. Students saw firsthand what the courses have to offer them once they graduate. Senior students have already begun work on their college applications in class.
“One of my favorite things in this program is having fun exploring new things and challenging yourself,” said Jaden Hanks, a senior in the program. “My favorite part is the floral design,” he said. “You have to try and assess certain diseases on flowers as well as arrange certain flowers to look pretty.”
Cossa said that the junior class will be holding a costume contest in October at CTI, with students wearing costumes related to their chosen career fields.
“Our seniors are going to be holding a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness,” said Cossa. “October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, so we’re going to try and tie that to udders so we can make that connection to plant and animal science. We’ll be handing out pamphlets, selling milkshakes, and there will be games like ‘Pin the Tail on the Cow.’”
The fundraiser will be held October 27 and all proceeds will be donated to Sparrow’s Nest, a charity that provides meals to the families of mothers and caregivers with cancer in the Hudson Valley.