June 6, 2012
K-State Olathe staffer coaches winning Ag Issues team
Micheal Strohschein, director of K-12 science education partnerships at Kansas State University Olathe, will take a K-State Olathe-sponsored team to the national Ag Issues competition this fall.
Strohschein is coach of the Ag Issues team from Spring Hill High School that won the Kansas Ag Issues/FFA competition in Manhattan on May 30. The team will face off against more than 25 other teams at the national level in October in Indianapolis, Ind.
The national-qualifying team is the fifth that Strohschein has taught and/or coached and the third to advance to nationals. He brings 10 years of educational and program management experience to K-State Olathe, having also taught in the Spring Hill school district for six years.
"The K-12 science education programs at K-State Olathe are designed to support the six Johnson County public school districts in collaboratively developing, coordinating and participating in educational programs in animal health and food safety and security," Strohschein said. "This Ag Issues team brought it all together with this competition, working so hard for this well-deserved win."
To win the state event, the team delivered an oral presentation and defense on how immigration policies impact the agriculture industry and work force in the United States. Prior to the state competition, Strohschein said team members spent more than 200 hours preparing their oral presentation and defense, as well as a written presentation. They traveled to Topeka, Lawrence and to several local companies and organizations for nine practice presentations, including at the Kansas Livestock Association and the Kansas Department of Agriculture.
For more information about K-State Olathe K-12 science education partnerships, visit http://olathe.k-state.edu/academic-initiatives/k-12.html or contact Strohschein at 913-307-7342 or mistroh@k-state.edu.