Course Catalog

The Stamford Regional Agriscience and Technology Education Program offers a wide variety of coursework across the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) standards. Students are required to take Agriscience 1 and Agriscience 2. Upper level courses are offered on a rotating basis, and some courses may not be available in a given year.

All of our courses are offered at an Honors level to reflect the rigor of our activities. Most advanced courses are also offered as Integrated STEM/Science credits or Visual & Performing Arts credits.

Agriscience 1: Intro to AFNR Systems - Honors

This course welcomes students to the world of agriculture. Through exploration of a variety of agriculture, food, and natural resource (AFNR) topics and foundational skills-building, students start to familiarize themselves with the pathways in AFNR. Students are also introduced to the components of Agricultural Education in the US, including Supervised Agricultural Experience, and The National FFA Organization and its’ history.

Agriscience 2: Intermediate AFNR Systems - Honors

This course builds off of the learnings from Ag 1, diving deeper into the various pathways within the agriculture, food, and natural resource (AFNR) industry. Student learning is focused on developing practical agricultural skills and knowledge, working independently and collaboratively, public speaking ability, employability skills, and leadership skills.

Agricultural Biotechnology Systems - Honors

This course is designed to give students the introductory skills and knowledge for a career in research science. Students will explore the scientific, legal, and ethical aspects of biotechnology in the agriculture, food, and natural resources (AFNR) industry. Students will also develop their formal scientific writing skills, and learn how to properly conduct scientific research.

Agribusiness Design & Management - Honors

In this course, students will be introduced to the essentials of starting and effectively managing an agribusiness. Students will create a mock business and assist with fundraising for the FFA chapter to gain hands-on experience with product development, marketing, financial analysis, and more. Students will also further develop their professional etiquette, focusing on advanced techniques used in interviewing, public speaking, and networking.

Freshwater Aquaculture Systems & Ecology - Honors

In this course students will develop the knowledge and skills needed for producing freshwater fish, plants, and other aquatic species in freshwater aquaculture systems. Students will manage recirculating freshwater aquaculture systems, and learn about topics such as water quality, aquatic species ecology, natural freshwater fisheries management, the aquaculture industry, harvesting aquatic species, constructing new aquaculture systems, and more.

Floral Design & Floriculture - Honors

Food Science, Products, & Processing - Honors

This course prepares students for a career in developing food products that are safe for human consumption and scientific research (with experimentation). Students will study the methods used to safely process and handle food, and the science that supports it. Students will also learn about topics such as sanitation, nutrition, storage, distribution, food chemistry, and human behavior as applied to food.

Greenhouse Management - Honors

This course examines the science and practice of horticultural plant propagation and culture in an indoor, greenhouse setting. The focus of this course will be on greenhouse crops and indoor, tropical plants. Students will get hands-on experience learning in a working greenhouse. The laboratory-reinforced learning of the basic concepts of plant structure, growth, and function, integrated pest management, the impact of new technology, plant identification, and horticulture’s impact on the environment will be discussed.

Marine Aquaculture Systems & Ecology - Honors

This course is designed to give students the introductory skills and knowledge for a career in marine sciences, be it on the ocean or keeping saltwater tanks. Students will maintain various saltwater tanks ranging from production to breeding to reef aquariums. Topics covered may include production and ornamental species, water chemistry, ocean pollution, coral fragging, marine water parameters, ocean currents, and ocean chemistry.

Nursery Production & Landscape Design – Honors

This course introduces students to the skills necessary for a career in landscape architecture and the cultivation of plants commonly used in landscape design. Students will learn the principles of design as applied to landscape drawing, how to properly prepare a landscape design for a client, safe tool usage, ornamental plant identification, grafting ornamental plants, and more

Livestock Management & Products – Honors

This course will introduce students to the skills needed for a career in livestock animal production. Students will develop the practical skills needed to care for livestock animals such as cattle, swine, poultry, sheep, goats, and more. Topics covered may include livestock handling and behavior, nutrition and disease, designing livestock housing, livestock evaluation, processing, carcass evaluation, meat evaluation, and more.

Animal Behavior & Training - Honors

This course will prepare students for further education and/or a career in the animal behavior industry. Students will understand the basics of normal and abnormal behavior in domestic animals and learn to apply psychological principles to animal management and training. Students will also interpret research results evaluate their applicability to domestic animal management and understand how to apply the principles of ethology to solve animal welfare problems.

Husbandry of Companion Animals - Honors

This course focuses on the conservation of our natural resources and endemic wildlife. Students will understand and appreciate the importance of maintaining the land and ecological systems that enable non-domesticated animals to thrive. We will study how humans and animals may both take advantage of the same land as well as how to gain economic benefits from the land while not degrading its natural resources or depleting plant or animal populations.

Wildlife & Recreational Land Management - Honors

This course will provide students with the opportunity to understand and appreciate the importance of maintaining the land and ecological systems that enable non-domesticated animals to thrive. This course emphasize how humans and animals may both take advantage of the same land or how to gain economic benefits from the land while not degrading its natural resources or depleting plant or animal populations. Students will also learn how to manage wildlife and lands for recreational purposes.

Agriscience Lab Manager/Independent Study

Agriscience Lab Managers and Crewmates are independent students that have the discipline to propel their own learning through work in the agriscience labs. These students are responsible for regular maintenance of a lab space, conducting research, and developing new projects to expand upon the operation.

Independent Studies are for independent students that want to dive deeper into an agricultural topic, with the support of the agriscience program/facilities. In exchange for supplies and equipment for their research, Independent Studies may serve as a Lab Crewmate to “fund” their research projects.