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The Western Illinois University School of Agriculture hosted a two-day professional development event for middle school agriculture educators.
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WIU Agriculture Hosts Agriscience Professional Development Event

June 3, 2026

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MACOMB, IL - - The Western Illinois University School of Agriculture recently hosted the AgXplore BriefCASE Institute, a two-day professional development event for middle school agriculture educators. Participants traveled from across Illinois to participate in this excellent opportunity for intense professional development.

The program was put together by Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) 4 Learning, providing a full year of curriculum for the AgXplore program. CASE 4 Learning is an initiative of the National Council for Agricultural Education.

"The AgXplore BriefCASE Institute benefitted teachers from across the state who are planning to implement this curriculum into middle school agriculture programs," Dusti Ingles, WIU Agricultural Education professor said. "The number of middle school programs in Illinois is growing and the CASE curriculum offers a strong classroom foundation. We were excited to be able to offer this professional development opportunity to teachers with the support of the Illinois Facilitating Coordination in Agricultural Education (FCAE) project."

CASE 4 Learning is committed to designing an inquiry-based agricultural curriculum that meets the current demands of teachers, students and industry. CASE 4 Learning provides comprehensive professional development and workshops for new and seasoned teachers to achieve lifetime certification, learn new coursework and build a community of support. Upon certification, all CASE 4 Learning teachers have access to course updates, training and support for the remainder of their career. The curriculum is designed to spiral and scaffold course concepts, incorporate APP (Activity, Project, or Problem) modalities and meet core standards to equip teachers and schools to help students become lifelong learners and prepare them for college or careers.

Ingles served as coordinator for the BriefCASE and worked closely with CASE staff, CASE Lead Teachers and participating teachers to help make the event successful. While at the BriefCASE Institute, participants experienced every lesson in the curriculum and learned how to deliver lessons using inquiry-based learning, shifting focus from teacher-led to student-directed learning.

For more information about CASE 4 Learning, visit case4learning.org.

To learn more about WIU's School of Agriculture, visit wiu.edu/ag.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing