Jodi Koterba

"Electric City Agriculture Academy," the winning program by Koterba, will benefit more than 200 ninth through 12th-grade students at C.M. Russell High School. The program is designed to provide an alternative delivery method of instruction in and about agriculture where students will experience hands-on activities that will simulate those performed in related careers. This will allow students to see the necessity and application of math, science and language arts skills they learn in school. Depending on the student's interest, they may perform veterinary technician applications such as health checks or vaccine administration. They may analyze soil, water and air quality samples, practice surveying or implement crop harvesting techniques. The students will also go on relevant field trips in the community and have the opportunity to talk to and interact with guest speakers in the agricultural field. By connecting academics to real-world applications, students will be able to see that schooling and education are lifelong pursuits that do not stop with graduation. Koterba lives in Great Falls.