OPEI Sponsors Webinar Series for Ag Educators

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) Sept. 2 announced that it will sponsor a series of Webinars for members of the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

More than 12,000 agricultural educators will be able to sign up for free Webinars addressing topics important for their professional development and classroom curriculums. Webinars will address issues such as global climate change, agricultural policy, turfgrass management and alternative fuels. All Webinar participants can receive continuing education credits for participation.

On September 29 from 3:30to5p.m. EDT, the first topic to kick off the Webinar series will focus on ethanol. Titled “Ethanol at the Pump: How Will it Revolutionize the Industry?” this Webinar will discuss the challenges in transitioning engines used in automobiles, gasoline farm equipment, utility vehicles, chain saws, lawn mowers, ATVs, motorcycles, generators, boats and marine engines, and all other engine equipment to greater amounts of ethanol and other cellulosic fuels in fuel blends.

Webinar presenters will include Kris Kiser, spokesman for the Alliance for a Safe Alternative Fuels Environment (AllSAFE) and vice president, public affairs for OPEI; Bob Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association; and Joan Glickman, team lead, biofuels infrastructure at the U.S. Department of Energy.

“We are very excited to have OPEI direct its knowledge, insight and relationships with key industry representatives towards our educational program,” said Alissa F. Smith, associate executive director, NAAE. “Our members can now receive quality educational programs right in their home or at their office, saving the cost of travel.”

“Our partnership with NAAE as a special project of the National FFA Foundation is a natural fit for OPEI,” said Kiser. “As the boundaries of traditional agricultural land give way to the suburbs, you have a growing urban agricultural community in this country, and now, more than ever, our organizations have common, very important issues to address such as carbon sequestration, water and pesticide use, safety, emissions, to name a few.”

To register for a Webinar or for more information, click here.