College of Education > News > 2009 > December > College helps launch agriscience leadership program for high school students

College helps launch agriscience leadership program for high school students

December 2009    

In order to cultivate the next generation of leaders in agricultural production, science, education and agribusiness, the College of Education and College of Agriculture are planting possibilities in the minds of high school students.

As a product of its partnership between the two colleges, Auburn University has formed an agriscience education academy that will build student interest in related degree programs at the college level and groom future leaders in the field.

The two-year project, "MATRIX for the Future: Premier Agriscience Education Academy,'' was developed by Drs. Brian Parr, an assistant professor of agriscience education in the College of Education's Department of Curriculum and Teaching, and Don Mulvaney, a professor, animal scientist and leadership coordinator for the College of Agriculture. Their initiative is supported by a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture  .

Mulvaney and Parr developed the academy as a way of building a better future for agriculture regionally and nationally. Declining enrollment in agricultural programs at Auburn and at land-grant colleges nationwide, coupled with a shortage of secondary and postsecondary agricultural educators, spurred Parr and Mulvaney into action.

They will use the agriscience education academy to encourage high school students to pursue college degrees in agricultural disciplines and identify career avenues.

"What we have in mind is using it to build leadership capacity in secondary agriculture students and to also recruit students into our agriscience education program and into the technical ag programs in the College of Agriculture,'' Parr said.

Parr said the initiative consists of three primary components, the first of which brought 80 secondary students to Auburn's campus in November to gain a firsthand understanding of the university's agriscience education and agricultural offerings. There will also be a one-day agricultural leadership workshop with sessions hosted in the North, Central and South regions of the state and a summer academy that will bring students and agriscience education teachers to campus in June 2010.

"We're going to bring them to campus for five days and four nights and give them extensive leadership training and expose them to agriscience education as a profession and as a major here at Auburn,'' Parr said. "They'll go back to their schools and we'll implement programs that will be dual-enrolled.''

Parr and Mulvaney have enlisted the Auburn's Collegiate Future Farmers of America chapter to hold the statewide leadership workshops for FFA chapters. The workshops will enable participates to recognize and develop their leadership potential.

The summer Agricultural Leadership Education Academy will feature advanced leadership instruction, tours of research facilities, preparation for college entrance exams and job interviews and networking opportunities with Auburn faculty and students.

Last Updated: May 16, 2011