Schools in Plant City and throughout Hillsborough County hosted the Great American Teach-In Thursday, Nov. 19. By listening to professionals in different fields, students of all grade levels learned how their current curriculum applies to future jobs.
At Trapnell Elementary School, art teacher Kiley Hingle was in charge of arranging speakers to come to classrooms.
“I think a lot of children grow up with a limited view of what their future could be,” Hingle said. “Anything is possible if they are willing to work for it.”
The goal of the Great American Teach-In is to show kids that they have the potential to pursue any job they want. Over the course of the day at Trapnell, students learned about the jobs of Pasco County firefighters, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department’s SWAT team, Bomb Squad and K-9 Unit. Additionally, students heard from authors, the YMCA and TECO Energy.
Hingle, who took over the event at Trapnell about four years ago, planned for seven to nine speakers. This year, Trapnell had 23 speakers, which included members of Durant High School’s FFA program and members of the Strawberry Queen’s Court from the Florida Strawberry Festival.
“The kids are busy from the first thing in the morning until the afternoon,” Hingle said. “We try to hit a variety of interests. We really do appreciate those people who can come. It’s something kids can aspire and look forward to.”
Cindy Tredway, a second-grade teacher at Trapnell, enjoyed watching the excited looks on her students’ faces as they took turns petting the Durant FFA sheep. Such exposure also promotes students to join extracurricular activities, such as 4-H.
“These kids sometimes don’t get much experience,” Tredway said. “They see what the world is like and what they can do someday.”
The students also learned what they could be doing in their own classroom. Karen Cox brought her children, David and Destiny Cox, to three Plant City schools. Her children, who are both students at Strawberry Crest High School, spoke to younger students about the importance of being dedicated to school work and involved in extracurriculars. The Cox family spoke at Cork, Knights and Lincoln elementary schools and visited a total of about 10 classes.
“They had a full day,” Karen Cox said. “It ranged from 3- and 4-year-olds to the fifth grade.”
Destiny was originally asked to speak at Lincoln as a cheerleader for the Strawberry Crest Chargers. But because teaching and performing a cheer routine wouldn’t take an entire class period, Destiny also decided to talk about her experience as a student.
“The fifth-graders asked questions about middle school,” Destiny said. “We calmed their nerves.”
In addition to teaching students a cheer, she also brought along her fifth-grade science project and bus patrol belt to show students how they could get involved in school at an early age. A former FFA board member, Destiny also spoke about FFA and the opportunities associated with the organization.
David also spoke about his school activities. David is a senior at Strawberry Crest High School and plays on the football team. He wore his football gear and spoke about his dual enrollment at Hillsborough Community College.
Both David and Destiny spoke on the importance of listening to parents and teachers, and encouraged students to try their hardest in school.
“It’s kids relating to kids,” Karen Cox said. “It’s an incentive.”
In the future, Karen Cox hopes that the Great American Teach-In continues to grow, and that more students speak to kids in younger grades about the importance of staying in school and the opportunities that come with having a degree.
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.