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Agricultural and Environmental Education

Milton Hershey believed students benefit from learning beyond the classroom. Since Milton Hershey School’s founding, agriculture has been a part of its legacy. Today, the program is known as the Agricultural and Environmental Education (AEE) program.

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Fifteen MHS Senior Division students participated in last week’s 101st annual Pennsylvania Farm Show.

Legacy Learning

Every day we see exactly what our students can achieve when given the best opportunities in education. With a focus broader than traditional classroom academics, our students are given even more tools to thrive. See how MHS classroom learning reinforces hands-on AEE instruction.

Elementary DivisionMiddle DivisionSenior Division

Hands-On Field Experience

Agricultural and Environmental Education at MHS is diverse. It engages students of all ages, pre-K through 12th grades, through hands-on learning. In addition to classroom lessons, students can choose to participate in AEE clubs outside of the regular school day.

Milton Hershey School elementary students harvest pumpkins.

More Than Farming

AEE exposes students fully to the industry. They gain environmental and agricultural literacy working with:

  • Crops and orchards
  • Beef cattle and horses
  • Dairy goats and sheep
  • Reptiles
  • Hydroponically-grown plants
  • Other small animals
Milton Hershey School students learn about the business of Agricultural and Environment Education classes.

Learning the Business

Students also are able to see the business side of the industries. Learning emphasizes on agriculture-focused:

  • Production
  • Processing
  • Marketing
  • Distribution
  • Financing
Milton Hershey School students intern in MHS Project Market where they sell products like Spartan Honey.

From Resources to Products

Last, they dig into learning about available resources and work to develop commodities, including:

  • Food and fibers
  • Natural resources
  • Horticulture
  • Other plant and animal products and resources

Agricultural and Environmental Education’s Five Components

The MHS AEE program is staffed with experts. They work closely with our Scholastic and Home Life departments. They also work to integrate STEAM into their programming. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. Their goal? To provide real-world experiences for students and help them decide if they have career interest in the field.

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Components

Learn details about the four components that comprise the MHS Agricultural and Environmental Education program:

Classroom Projects

MHS offers more than 100 projects integrated between AEE and Scholastic. These accommodate all grade levels and content areas.

Internships

MHS provides 50 Senior Division students experiential learning internships. We partner with experts in AEE-related career fields. Internships are tailored toward student interest. MHS also partners with professionals and colleges. These outside partners serve as mentors to students.

See More on Internships

Agriculture & Natural Resources Career Pathway

The Agriculture and Natural Resources career pathway exists for students exploring a career in these fields. It is one of 12 career pathways offered through the MHS Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. Learning is more targeted than general AEE programs and includes a classroom element.

Students are able to work with:

  • Crops
  • Orchards
  • Plants and flowers
  • Beef cattle
  • Milk goats
  • Sheep
  • Small animals
  • Horses
  • Reptiles
  • Hydroponically-grown plants

Students can earn up to 10 industry-recognized certifications while at MHS.

Get Full Info on CTE

Clubs

Club participants can target participation based on interest. Club offerings include 4-H, Future Farmers of America, PA State Farm Show, and more. Available clubs provide learning in the following areas:

  • Industry and show standards
  • Selective breeding and rearing
  • Animal husbandry
  • Raising animals for market
  • Showing animals at various competitions
  • Pre-veterinary fields
  • Equine management / horsemanship
  • Hydroponically-grown plants
  • Soap making

Explore the Animal Center

Drag to see a 360-degree view of the Milton Hershey School Animal Center. Then, click to engage with interactive content.

AEE In Action

Project Market

Project Market is a local produce market open to the community. Student interns and staff pick year-round, fresh produce and sell it at Project Market. They also participate in planting and growing the products.

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Farm Show Participation

Students in our AEE program showcased their hard work during the Pennsylvania Farm Show. During the week-long event, students demonstrated their skills and passion for the industry as they competed with cattle, sheep, and goats.

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Building Leaders

Project Market operates through an authentic, student-run business model. It is a partnership with the school’s AEE and CTE programs. Alumni experts and local business partners provide guidance to students. Interning with Project Market builds collaboration skills and reinforces character and leadership lessons being learned in the classroom and student home.

Students manage all aspect of running the business, including:

  • Marketing
  • Advertising
  • Logo and branding development
  • Profit margin analysis
  • Patron research and analysis
  • Customer service
  • Inventory control and management
  • Shelving and product showcasing strategies
  • Research and design in product development
  • Business management skills
See Other Ways We Teach Leadership

Milton Hershey School does not discriminate in admissions or other programs and services on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religious creed or disability. Read important MHS policies on equal opportunity and diversity, equal employment opportunity, and more.