CHAMBERSBURG – Beginning in January 2026, the Franklin County Career and Technology Center will open the doors to a brand-new Animal Science Program, a hands-on career pathway that is designed to prepare students for the growing opportunities in agriculture, veterinary medicine and animal management.
According to Lesli Shuman, Ed.D., administrative director of Franklin County center, the new program was carefully designed to fill a local need while complementing existing offerings at the school.
“The new animal science program is really focused on large animals,” Shuman explained. “We’re looking at livestock management, veterinary medicine, animal nutrition and husbandry. It will drive students into career pathways in any of those areas and even into research.”
The career center already runs 25 career and technical programs, including a highly popular Veterinary Assisting Program. However, as Shuman pointed out, demand for that program has consistently exceeded space.
“One of our most popular programs with a significant waitlist is our Veterinary Assisting Program,” she said. “Students in that program are dealing with household pets and pocket pets, and they get certified as vet assistants. But if we had doubled the enrollment, we would be producing too many vet assistants or vet technicians for the local workforce. Instead, this program is very complementary and will interest the same population of students and take some off that waitlist, while also answering a Franklin County need for livestock management and animal research.”
Franklin County’s strong agricultural base was a deciding factor. “We are a large agricultural community,” Shuman said. “The livestock management, animal nutrition, and animal research pieces are very grounded here in Franklin County.”
The new program is open to students from six Franklin County sending districts: Chambersburg, Shippensburg, Greencastle, Waynesboro, Tuscarora and Fannett-Metal. Students may apply in ninth grade to begin during their sophomore year.
“Each program is designed so that students are with us for a semester, doing all of their career and technical program work, and then they return to their sending school for academics,” Shuman explained. “Ideally, they’ll spend three semesters with us, once each in 10th, 11th and 12th grade.”
Applications opened Sept. 1 and will remain open through the holiday season. After that, CTC staff visit sending schools to conduct interviews in February. “We look at attendance, grades and discipline for every applicant, and then every student gets an interview,” Shuman noted.
While the program is new, Franklin County CTC is working with community partners to ensure students gain meaningful hands-on experiences.
“For the first semester, we’ll be relying on a lot of local industry partners and postsecondary institutions such as Wilson College,” Shuman said. “That means field trips, visits and getting students out into the community. Eventually, we’d like to have outbuildings on the property where local partners may let us house goats or other animals for a week, so students can care for and study them.”
As students progress, the opportunities will expand to include cooperative education placements. “Ultimately, our goal is that senior year students get a capstone co-op experience,” Shuman explained. “That means they’re out working during the school day in a paid position directly tied to their CTE program. It’s not just job shadowing – it’s real workforce experience.”
The curriculum itself is rigorous and state-approved. “The program is based on a state-approved task list from the Bureau of Career and Tech Ed,” Shuman said. “Students will complete a competency list, earn industry certifications and take the NOCTI exam, which has both a written and practical portion. They can also earn college credits, which helps them decide whether to go directly into the workforce or continue on to postsecondary education.”
Perhaps one of the most inspiring parts of the program is its new instructor, who brings both professional and personal investment in agriculture.
“Our newly hired instructor for the Animal Science Program is a graduate of our Veterinary Assisting Program,” Shuman shared. “She’s a Franklin County native whose family owns a large agriculture and seed company. She’s really invested in local agriculture, the fairs and programs. She’s passionate about bringing young people into agriculture education, which makes her a great success story for our community.”
With strong community support, a clear connection to the local workforce and a passionate new leader, the Animal Science Program is set to give Franklin County students an exciting opportunity to pursue careers in agriculture, veterinary medicine and beyond.
