Omaha Rodeo Gives Children Hands - On learning opportunity

A LEARNING EXPERIENCE áOUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM HAS HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN - EXPERIENCING - AGRICULTURE - AWAY FROM A FARM. MANY TIMES..THEY'RE GETTING UP CLOSE TO FARM ANIMALS - FOR THE FIRST TIME. IT'S JUST ONE PART OF THIS WEEKEND'S RODEO IN TOWN. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN'S ALEX HOFFMAN REPORTS. (NATS: "this is a nice little girl like you.She's got nice curly hair like you doesn't it?") WITH A LITTLEDECARE.. THESE KIDS ARE GETTING UP CLOSE WITH SOME SUPER CUTE PIGLETS.("she don't bite, she's really friendly") THEY'RE TAKING IN SOME OF THE SIGHTS..SOUNDS..(nats piglet) AND SMELLS OF THE FARM - áINSIDE THE CENTURYLINK CENTER. (dennis toalson/ag instructor, southeast community college: "the little kids ask some really neat questions - everything from where do the babies come out of and I've had people ask me what they are. They didn't realize pigs got that big") DENNIS TOALSON IS AN AG INSTRUCTOR WITH SOUTHEAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN BEATRICE. HE'S IN TOWN..MAKING SURE ALL THESE KIDS - LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LIVESTOCK.(lisa abele/parent: "puts a smile on her face haha makes her realize how nice she has to be to animals") 3RD AND 4TH GRADERS FROM ACROSS THE METRO FREE - AHEAD OF THE RODEO'S OPENING.(sheila mcqueen, teacher, our lady of lourdes hands on in learning, so it gives them the experience of touching, they got to touch atmosphere that when we talk about animals, they're really living things as opposed to pictures") ONE OF THE SOW'S JUST DELIVERED NINE- LITTLE PIGGIES. ANOTHER.. IS DUE - WITH AN EVEN BIGGER LITTER.(dennis toalson/ag instructor, southeast community college: "people really understand pigs a little bit more when they have been here and they get to pet a baby pig and feel how soft E they are and warm") THE UP CLOSE EXPERIENCE IS ONE MANY kirchhevel/4th grader, our lady of lourdes school: "they're really big and kinda gross") AND IT'S ONE EVEN ADULTS CAN LEARN FROM.(dennis toalson/ag instructor, southeast community college: "one of our goals is to show people that these crates aren't dangerous, and the sow's don't dislike them (8) they understand that they're there to protect them and their babies") IN OMAHA..