Kitchka Petrova, Florida

Dr. Kitchka Petrova has taught science at Ponce de Leon Middle Community School in Coral Springs near Miami for four years. She has used her doctorate degree in microbiology to educate her sixth and seventh graders about biotechnology and its important contributions to the agriculture industry.

Dr. Petrova's students have learned how to create plant tissue cultures, and use studies of plant DNA to learn how to develop plants that are more pest- and disease- resistant and cold-tolerant. She supported her classroom project called “Biotechnology and Agriculture” by using teacher grant money from Florida Ag in the Classroom.

She also used Florida Ag in the Classroom curriculum as part of the project, and is a trained facilitator for Florida Ag in the Classroom who holds workshops to train other teachers how to use the Project Food, Land and People and Keeping Florida Green curricula.

Dr. Petrova is the middle school winner and overall statewide winner of Florida Ag in the Classroom's 2007 Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture Award.