Reviving Agricultural Education: Building Student Success in Ohio Classrooms

From Farm to Future: Revitalizing Agricultural Education in Ohio

At Unioto High School in Chillicothe, Ohio, agricultural education is making a comeback. After more than four decades without an “ag” program, educator Dirk Dempsey is rebuilding it from the ground up, creating new opportunities using an iCEV curriculum and industry certifications.

An eighth-generation farmer, Dempsey uses iCEV as the foundation for his instruction. “iCEV is my book,” he says, combining structured content with real-world agricultural experience.

From the start, Dempsey prioritized industry certifications to bring rigor and relevance to his courses. By offering certifications hosted on the iCEV Testing Platform like Ducks Unlimited Ecology Conservation & Management, BASF Plant Science, and Elanco Fundamentals of Animal Science, students can earn both advanced science credit and build career-ready skills.

The impact is already clear. In just one year, enrollment grew from 84 to 116 students. As participation increases, students are seeing how classroom learning connects to real opportunities—adding certifications to resumes and gaining an edge for jobs, internships, and scholarships.

“They’re starting to see that what we do in class can have real impact,” Dempsey says.

In the classroom, hands-on, project-based learning drives engagement. Students collaborate on activities and create projects like podcasts on endangered species and agricultural production, building critical thinking, teamwork, and communication skills.

That growth in confidence can be transformative. One memorable moment came when a student who struggled with test anxiety passed a certification exam. “I got the biggest high five and saw the biggest smile,” Dempsey recalls.

iCEV also supports teachers behind the scenes. “The quickest way to save time is to use iCEV,” he says. “Most planning happens in the early morning or evenings, but because I have all of the materials already uploaded and have quizzes online through iCEV, it saves me a lot of time and ensures I have everything I need.”

As Unioto’s program continues to grow, it highlights a key takeaway: with the right tools, educators can create meaningful opportunities that benefit students, teachers themselves, and their communities.