Western Illinois University Alumna Chosen for Agriculture Mechanics Academy Training This Summer
A Western Illinois University School of Agriculture alumna has been chosen to attend a 10-day training at Texas State University (TSU) to bring more detailed agriculture mechanics skills to her high school students in Chester, IL.
Emily Millburg, a 2019 graduate with a degree in agriculture education, is in her second year as an agriculture teacher at Chester High School 
near St. Louis, MO.
Between July 25-Aug. 5, Millburg will attend the Agriculture Mechanics Academy at TSU, which will include training in small gas engines, electricity and welding.
“The Academy is geared toward providing teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to teach in these areas, with a primary focus being on early career teachers who need assistance,” said Millburg. “Mechanics, in general, is a major industry in the Chester area, where I am teaching. So, while I received a great foundational knowledge of mechanics from the classes I took at WIU and Lincoln Land Community College, it is an area that I want to continue growing my knowledge and skill base in. Quite a few of my students are interested in the mechanics industry, so any opportunity that I can take to grow my own knowledge in the area is a chance for me to help them in their future endeavors.”
Millburg added that she is excited to bring back what she learns from the academy and apply it in her classes.
The grant for the academy was sponsored through the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the AFRI Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy Priority Area, which allowed Texas State to provide the training at no cost to participants.
For more information about the WIU School of Agriculture, visit wiu.edu/ag.
