Columbus - IvyMac: The Ivy Tech Mobile Agriculture Classroom

Ivy Tech Community College Columbus is seeking funding for a mobile agriculture laboratory and classroom.

IvyMac, the Mobile Agriculture Classroom, will increase partnerships between Ivy Tech and agriculture-related business, increase enrollment and interest in agriculture education, and provide mobile job training for regional agriculture employers and the workforce.

What is a Mobile Agriculture Classroom?

IvyMac will be a self-contained mobile classroom with interactive workstations for students, community members and employer partners to conduct activities related to agriculture. The mobile classroom is 28-feet long on the working floor with an overall length of 36 feet. The unit has heat and air conditioning and can be ran completely self-contained with a built-in generator. The classroom is towed with a truck.

Key Focus Areas

This project has three main focus areas:

Recruit students. The use of this trailer at events such as the Farm Bureau Conventions, Indiana State Fair, Indiana FFA and National FFA conventions as a walk-through and interactive exhibit will help Ivy Tech Columbus recruit students to meet the ever-growing demand for a well-trained agricultural workforce across the state.

Advance high school ag programs. Many high school ag programs have less experienced ag teachers who may not have every skill that employers are demanding in the ag-related workplace. Through the use of the mobile classroom Ivy Tech Columbus would have the opportunity to supply instruction to students to help them learn the necessary skills to meet high-demand ag-related careers. Those skills include such things as electrical wiring, food science, soil testing, and other ag mechanization skills.  

Provide employers with continuing education and compliance opportunities. OSHA compliance for ag employers has become more burdensome. This project will enable Ivy Tech Columbus to offer cost effective training to employees in areas such as OSHA 10, Skid Steer Certification and Forklift Certification. Ivy Tech has the ability to custom design training and instructional courses to prepare the workforce to meet meet employers' demands.  

Additional Benefits

• Increase learning opportunities to meet current and future job demand
• Allow current agriculture education transfer students the opportunity to facilitate classes
• Provide ag education opportunities to regional high schools that do not have an ag program
• Help promote regional higher education opportunities in agriculture related academic programs
• Showcase Ivy Tech’s ag program at statewide events
• Demonstrate various transfer pathways to four-year institutions
• Assist regional employers cross train employees and compliance regulations for employee training

We greatly appreciate your generous contributions to IvyMac! 

Incentive gifts are limited and will be mailed after this fundraising project ends. Thank you for your support and understanding.