KINGSVILLE (June 18, 2026) — The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s Veterinary Science Certificate Program (VSCP) and the Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) Veterinary Technology Program hosted more than 50 animal science educators from 13 different states for the 2026 One Herd Education Symposium’s Hands-On Skills Sessions on June 18 at the TAMUK Vet Tech Facility.
The annual conference was for Ag educators to sharpen their skills, increase their knowledge of veterinary and animal science, and learn about the needs in opportunities in the field specific to rural South Texas, enabling them to better teach their students and
“These teachers are on the front lines for these kids,” VSCP Coordinator Nikki Boutwell said. “They may not always be aware of the opportunities that are available for kids unless they experience it themselves. So, we try to give the teachers an opportunity to experience — in this case — Kingsville, South Texas and what industries are here.
“We also wanted to show the rural aspect, where resources are low when it comes to veterinary community services and professionals,” Boutwell added. “That emulates a lot of what happens in Texas. They live in a small town and go to a small school and don’t have a veterinarian for two hours. How do you give those kids opportunities when their communities don’t even have those opportunities? We want to give them the experience so they can go back and explain to their kids and encourage them to explore other options and areas.”
Symposium participants were able to work with members of the TAMUK Vet Tech Program and industry professionals from the area through multiple stations at the Vet tech facility where they learned about cattle, parasites, surgery, radiology, and animal handling and restraint.
“We’re going through some tips and tricks for the educators because they teach at the high school level and a lot of their students potentially participate in FFA competitions where they have to identify instruments and things like that,” said Christine Hoskinson, Director of Academic Affairs and the TAMUK Vet Tech Program. “We want to help them figure out how they can best teach those skills to their students and give them some background information about why certain steps and processes are important.”
The hands-on skills sessions were the culmination of a three-day symposium where participants participated in group discussions about important topics in the animal science industry and attend short course excursions to off-site locations based on their preferred topic.
Executive Director of the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management director Dr. Rick Machen also gave a keynote address to open the symposium.