A program at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine is promoting careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); animal health; food supply veterinary medicine; foreign animal disease prevention; food safety; and biosecurity to increase awareness of safe farming practices and encourage students to explore animal agricultural or veterinary-related professions.
With a “teach, test, and thrive” approach, the Swientist program was established in 2015 in response to increasing swine flu cases among young fair attendees and has now expanded to include other livestock species and poultry. This approach involves conducting surveillance for influenza A virus and other infectious diseases while offering educational programs to youth exhibitors on biosecurity.
Partnering with organizations like the Ohio Pork Council, the Ohio Poultry Association, and The Ohio State University’s Extension and 4-H Animal Sciences programs, the Swientist program conducts testing and engages young exhibitors in educational activities. These activities include demonstrations on handwashing and minimizing viral transmission, biosecurity poster contests, and selfie challenges that promote biosecurity practices.
With funds from the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Preparation program, the Swientist program now has a custom biosecurity trailer used at retail agriculture stores during chick days to teach backyard poultry producers about biosecurity and disease prevention in their birds. The focus is on the prevention of highly pathogenic avian influenza, in response to the outbreak that has been ongoing since 2022 resulting in the loss of millions of commercial and backyard birds.
The program’s dedication to improving animal, human, and environmental health embodies The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s ambition to Be The Model for animal agricultural biosecurity and veterinary medicine. Its impact has grown through the development of a specialized curriculum for women and minorities in STEM fields, an online curriculum for middle school agricultural educators created with a grant from the US Department of Agriculture. The curriculum resources have been approved by the National Future Farmers of America Organization and are available to agriculture educators across the country.
The outreach program combats disease and promotes animal agricultural careers to hundreds of young people each year.
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 262, 10; 10.2460/javma.24.07.0461
In addition to these efforts, the Moving from Meows to Moos project within the Swientist program, funded by the US Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Grants Service Program, has developed activities to build awareness of high school students in farm animal veterinary medicine careers. This project uses a 3-pronged approach to introduce youth to careers in farm animal veterinary medicine and help guide them with preparation to reach their end goals. Be a Vet camp will be hosted for the third consecutive year this August with a focus on careers in swine health, an industry that has not previously been a part of Be a Vet camp previously. The program has made a significant impact, reaching thousands of kids each year. Participants learn about biosecurity and infectious diseases and, in turn, share this knowledge with their parents and peers. The Swientist program’s success is attributed to its engaging, hands-on approach, which resonates with young learners. Learn more at go.osu.edu/cvm-swientist.
