UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Community Environment and Development 497: Community-Engaged Learning with Pennsylvania Farmworkers is an out-of-the-classroom, community-engaged course offered by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. This year, the course will include a new farmworker and animal health component.
Led by Kathleen Sexsmith, assistant professor of rural sociology, Noel Habashy, assistant teaching professor of international agriculture, and Adrian Barragan, associate research professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences, the three-credit course offers students a unique opportunity to delve into immigration, local agriculture and labor issues.
Students gain these firsthand insights through a language partnership with Spanish-speaking, migrant farmworkers on local dairy farms. Brandon Bixler, of East Earl, an agricultural and extension education major, said the course helped him gain practical knowledge and insight into the important role these farmworkers play in the local community.
“The challenges facing migrant farmworkers are complex, and this course allowed me to gain perspective about the political, social and economic aspects of these issues,” said Bixler, who is pursuing a minor in international agriculture. “My favorite outcomes included building special relationships with my teachers, classmates and language learning partner, improving my Spanish speaking abilities, and identifying ways my future work may connect to these important topics."
The course’s updated curriculum will incorporate a deeper understanding of worker and animal health. Content will include the risks and threats to farmworker safety and health on dairy farms, access to healthcare issues for immigrant farmworkers, and underscoring the vital connection between farmworker well-being and animal welfare.
The course will be cross-listed with the international agriculture and veterinary and biomedical sciences programs, recognizing its significance as a global learning opportunity for students.
Community Environment and Development 497: Community-Engaged Learning with Pennsylvania Farmworkers, scheduled for the fall semester from 11:15 a.m. to 1:10 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, welcomes students from all disciplines. Spanish language proficiency is not required, making it accessible to many participants. The deadline to register is March 30.
Interested students can contact Habashy at noel@psu.edu, Sexsmith at kjs95@psu.edu or Barragan at axb779@psu.edu for more information.