GLASTONBURY, Conn. — A free agriscience program at Glastonbury High School is available for students across nine Connecticut towns interested in pursuing careers in engineering, robotics and manufacturing.
Educators said it's also a great introduction to skilled trade jobs, at a time when the cost of college has become unaffordable for many American families.
“I find it fun, just working with my hands,” Ryan Jackson, a GHS senior, said. “Hands-on learning is where a lot of people shine.”
Jackson doesn’t know exactly what’s next for him, but a career in the trades is on the table.
“It’s a smart option and we don’t have many people doing trades now,” Jackson said. “With not many people in the field, you can pick your hours and how much you want to be paid.”
Jobs like welding or mechanics are just some of the many practical skills students are learning in more than 70 agriscience courses offered at GHS.
The program is not limited by gender.
“I grew up on a farm with my dad and brother who work on a lot of engines,” Natalie Horton, a junior at GHS, said. "Some girls probably think it’s difficult to pick up on. They might think it’s a hard job or too afraid to get dirty, but they should try it."
Horton’s taking an equipment systems repair course to build her vocational knowledge, to land future jobs and fix future problems.
“For instance, the car you drive,” she said, “some girls probably don’t know how to change their oil or a tire and if they’re alone will have to call somebody.”
Educators said with the cost of college on the rise and the need for more skilled labor, exposure to agriscience might be the perfect match for those getting ready to enter the workforce.
“We need people who know how to do things,” Logan Tyler, agriscience teacher at GHS, said. “We’re at a point in society where the doers are aging out and this will hopefully create a new generation of doers who know how to do things and aren’t afraid to try.”
The equipment systems repair course is just one of dozens of STEAM courses being taught in Glastonbury.
In an applied robotics and engineering course, students were practicing hands-on learning of a different kind. They navigated a prosthetic hand with a remote control and used the tool to communicate in sign language.
The students said it’s a useful exercise in problem solving and critical thinking.
GHS is currently recruiting for its fall 2025 class.
The educational opportunity is paid for by the local Board of Education.
For more on how to apply, visit here.
Bridgette Bjorlo is an anchor/reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at bbjorlo@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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