SUNY Cobleskill Ag & Tech in Upstate New York recently hosted 17 agriculture educators from 10 states for the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) Institute’s course in Agricultural Equipment Maintenance & Technology (AEMT). The college has hosted this program multiple times on campus since the summer of 2023.

During the five-day in-person training, participants learned the CASE AEMT curriculum, which they will now implement in their own classrooms. Participants in the program learn in the same lab spaces used by students in the college’s Agricultural Engineering programs.

Following the on-campus portion of the institute, the educators continued their professional development through three additional days of virtual instruction.

AEMT is a capstone course within the CASE Power, Structural, and Technical Systems pathway. The curriculum gives high school students the foundational knowledge and technical skills needed to pursue careers as equipment technicians, building hands-on experience and competencies in equipment diagnostics, maintenance, and repair. Coursework spans diesel engines, hydraulics, electrical systems, powertrains, precision agriculture technologies, and shop safety.

CASE is an initiative of the National Council for Agricultural Education that designs inquiry-based agricultural science curricula for middle and high school classrooms nationwide. The curriculum is recognized by the Associated Equipment Distributors Foundation and aligns with the equipment industry by  connecting participating schools with local equipment dealerships and providing clear career pathways for students to enter this industry.

Having completed the Institute, the 17 educators are fully prepared to implement the AEMT curriculum in their own programs and help develop the next generation of highly skilled agricultural equipment technicians.  

SUNY Cobleskill Ag & Tech is part of the State University of New York system.