http://www.quinterschools.org
From the moment I came off that rickety little plane, I knew I was in another sort of world… The community was so strong and loving to one another. The fact I was so accepted by everyone, and everyone was so welcoming was truly heart warming.
– Eleanor Thompson
General Information
Quinter High School is located in a small (population 900) rural town in the heart of the American wheat and cattle industry. Network exchange students come to Quinter to study agriculture and to learn what farmers and ranchers actually do. They can keep up with other subjects while at Quinter, but the focus of their intensive study is agriculture and life in a small town. Network students will be immersed in the student culture, going to QHS ballgames, socializing with other students, and participating in other school activities.
Programs (8th-12th grades)
The activities of farmers and ranchers are seasonal. Depending upon when a student visits, he or she will study soils, crops, planting, and land work; agricultural equipment repair, building and welding; and animal sciences, such as judging, feeding, calving, castrating, and dehorning. Some other topics covered under this immense subject are animal health and nutrition, marketing crops and farm management. Running a large farm or ranch in Quinter is really a business – Students may be amazed to learn how intricate and risky agriculture can be. The following areas of study are available:
Cow-Calf Operation
Work with herds of up to 600 breeding cows, with exposure to embryo implants during breeding season.
Dairy Experience
Assist in the milking of 150 Holsteins, with feeding and milk production computerized through Kansas State University.
Feedlot Experience
Local feedlots range from a family operation to commercial feedlots of 10,000 head.
History of Western Kansas
History studies use the resources of Fort Hays, Sternberg or Fick Fossil Museum, and the Prairie Museum.
Salebarn Operation
Quinter Livestock Commission-buying and selling of cattle.
Horse Breeding Operation
Herds of up to 300 registered quarter horses.
Miniature Horse Breeding and Showing
Students may have the opportunity to work with a breed and shower of miniature horses.
Sheep Farming
Experience birth of lambs and shearing of wool, generally in the spring.
Grain Milling and Marketing
Guided tour of a grain milling and marketing facility
Junior High Students will be able to participate in some of the same activities listed above. Students would also attend Junior High classes, which typically have 10-20 students, and attend Junior High events.
Living Arrangements and Travel
Network students live with host families during their stay. Quinter’s “High Plains” environment is common to the central United States but unfamiliar to most urban and suburban dwellers. Quinter offers a rare opportunity to learn about small-town life and values in rural America. The family unit and the work ethic summarize a visit to Quinter. Administration requests hosting only one student from the same high school at a time, though multiple junior high students will be accepted simultaneously.
The Quinter community is very safe.
Students must fly into Hays, KS where they will be picked up. Air travel for students under age 15 requires special travel arrangements.
Application Procedure
Quinter welcomes students that are willing to learn about agriculture and are not afraid to work. Students in grades 8-12 may apply.
Applicants should complete the Network Student Information form and return it to their Network Advisor.
Dates
Individually arranged from September – April for a period of one to two weeks.
Download this information in PDF format here: QUINTER.pdf
| Advisor Name: | Sandii Ostmeyer |
| Title: | Librarian/English Department |
| Phone: | (785) 754-3660 |
| Email: | sostmeyer@quinterhs.org |