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CHS基金会庆祝75年回馈农业

一群FFA学生和老师在一个领域

CHS基金会支持所有年龄段学生的领导组织. FFA招收7至12年级的学生, 而AFA则为大学生提供领导力发展机会.

2022年12月13日

Cassandra Valdez was unsure about her future when she joined the Leader Fellowship program through Agriculture Future of America (AFA). 

“我在2020年开始了这个项目, 当我绝望无助时,默塞德社区学院和加州州立大学说, 弗雷斯诺的学生. “大流行刚刚开始, 我需要一些东西来帮助我继续在职业上成长,因为我们都在家里停滞不前, 但我不知道该怎么做. 作为一个农业专业的学生, 我真的不知道我想做什么, but I knew I wanted to get involved in the industry side while still being connected to my ag 教育 roots.”

通过奖学金项目,瓦尔迪兹开始看到农业方面的其他职业机会. “我在大学里只知道有一条教室路线, 因此,我很感激通过AFA奖学金接触到其他选择,她说。.

支持瓦尔迪兹和其他新兴农业领袖是CHS基金会的使命, which was established in 1947 by the founding members of CHS to support rural communities and the future of agriculture. 从那时起, the CHS基金会 has been devoted to developing the next generation of ag leaders through cooperative 教育, 大学伙伴关系和农业领导项目. 

提供的机会

在CHS基金会的头75年里, strong partnerships have emerged to give all young people the opportunity to become leaders in agriculture and further their ag 教育.

从20年前开始, the CHS基金会 and AFA have shared a goal of educating the next generation of agricultural leaders. 自2004年以来, CHS基金会一直是AFA最大的支持者, 资金的编程, 鼓励AFA董事会成员并提供会议空间.

由CHS基金会资助, the AFA Leader Fellowship program pairs AFA student teachers like Valdez with trained industry professionals to coach them through personal development and career exploration. 

“通过奖学金项目, I chose a mentor who would guide me in this two-year journey of developing a series of leadership competencies,瓦尔迪兹说。. “They helped me see areas of growth where I could develop as a young professional and agriculturalist and create a development plan that would commit me to my goals.”

The CHS基金会 also partners with organizations focused on cultivating learning and career opportunities that value diverse thinking, 声音和背景. That commitment was the driving force behind the Foundation’s relationship with Minorities in Agriculture, 自然澳门皇冠赌场平台, 和相关科学(MANRRS),始于2010年.

“对学生来说,在农业领域看到多种职业道路是有益的,Ebony Webber说, MANRRS首席运营官. “能够去参加一个全国性的会议是一种变革. Having the financial support to go to college and major in these careers is equally transformative.” 

作为初级MANRRS黄金计划的主要支持者, CHS基金会为Going for Gold奖学金提供资金, 支持计划学习农业相关或STEM(科学)的高中生, 技术, 工程和数学)研究领域.

建设农业的未来

FFA和4-H是农业未来的代名词, CHS基金会为这两个组织提供了近60年的支持.

目前,明尼苏达州40%的FFA学生来自经济困难的家庭. 在CHS基金会的财政支持下, Minnesota FFA has been able to offer more scholarships to create opportunities for these students, 包括帮助他们参加明尼苏达州FFA大会. 每年, 大会主办了超过5个,000名学生, 来自全州各地的教师和支持者. 

 

三名学生穿着写着“安全是我的超级力量”的T恤,与奶牛合影.
参与4-H和FFA的年轻人正在对当地社区产生重大影响, 向年轻学习者讲授动物安全和其他与年龄有关的主题.

 

“与CHS基金会合作, 这远不止是经济上的支持,瓦尔·阿斯沃尔德说, 明尼苏达州FFA基金会的执行董事. “这是澳门皇冠赌场平台社区和农业需要什么的对话, 然后围绕这些目标和需求建立我们的项目.”

The CHS基金会 brings the same mission of providing equal opportunity into its partnership with 4-H, 它每年为600万青年服务, 其中青年参与5项.600万个STEM项目.每年100万个农业项目. “Those are huge numbers of young people who are finding their spark and pursuing that all the way through their 4-H career,希瑟·艾略特说, 国家4-H委员会首席发展官. “它为具备团队合作等技能的年轻人建立了一条劳动力储备管道, 沟通与领导.”

The CHS基金会 has committed $1 million to the National 4-H Council to support the 4-H True Leaders in Equity Program and What I Wish People Knew (WIWPK) storytelling platform. 4-H真正的公平领袖项目将创造超过1个,在当地社区开展了000个由青年领导的公平和包容项目. The WIWPK platform empowers youth to lift their voices and share their stories and passion for diversity, 公平与包容. 

推动创新

在全国各地的大学里, students and educators are engaging with new technologies and practices that will impact the future of agriculture. “The CHS基金会 supports this important work because new thinking will be the engine that drives agriculture forward,Nanci Lilja说, CHS基金会主席.

南达科他州立大学一位老师在农业机械前对学生讲话.
CHS基金会自1952年以来一直支持学院和大学的创新项目. 如今,SDSU的学生正在为未来开发精准农业技术.

 

在其他高等教育支持中,CHS基金会有:

  • Helped North Dakota State University establish the Center for Trading and Risk Management to prepare students for the complex world of agricultural commodity trading
  • 支持南达科他州立大学瑞文精密农业中心, 第一所提供B级的大学.S. 精准农业学位
  • 与明尼苏达大学合作创建明尼苏达模式项目, 帮助K-12农业教育现代化 

“我们正在帮助学生了解,如果他们对技术感兴趣, 教育, 农业或粮食生产, 这是一个允许他们使用技术的领域,Steven corkerry说, 明尼苏达大学企业参与中心的助理副总裁. 

从老师开始

The CHS基金会 supports teachers who are committed to bringing ag-related lessons to their students. 通过全国农业课堂教学(NAITC), 例如, 本基金会为参加全国会议的教师提供奖学金, resources to bring ag literacy into the classroom and the chance to experience agriculture in a specific region.

“Our relationship with the CHS基金会 has been really important for increasing the number of teachers we’re able to bring to the conference and providing classroom grants,Andy Guffey说, NAITC执行董事. “这数百名教师正在影响数千名学生.”

A teacher wearing an FFA shirt talks to a student holding a tape measure about a row of lettuce in a greenhouse
像Desi Severance这样的农业教师, 如图所示, and Rachel Sauvola help spark students’ passion for agriculture through hands-on experiences in their classrooms.

 

CHS基金会也为全国教育运动提供支持, 这为有抱负的新教育者在课堂上发挥作用提供了一条途径.
瑞秋·索沃拉(Rachel Sauvola)是威斯康星州新里士满的一名高中教师.她已经做了24年的教育工作者. 她的激情, 她说, is mentoring teachers and pre-service teachers to help them be the best educators they can be — and the Future Agriscience Teacher Symposium (part of the National Teach Ag Campaign) enables her to do that.

“We train college students who are studying to be teachers to think about how they can encourage students, 问一些重要而有挑战性的问题, 远离课本,索沃拉说. “现在的农业教育不同了. We have hands-on labs and experiences that make our students think about how they can help solve world problems.”

关注合作社

作为美国最大的农民合作社的慈善机构.S.在美国,CHS基金会致力于保持合作体系的强大和繁荣. 

1959年首次支持, 北达科他州农民联盟(NDFU)是最早提供合作教育的实体之一. 2020年,CHS基金会支持新詹姆斯敦营地设施的发展. 

“我们对暑期工作人员进行合作商业模式方面的培训,NDFU主任米兰达·莱瑟曼说. 他们反过来教营员合作社如何运作的基本知识, 营员们将这些知识运用到经营自己的合作商店中. 露营者将这些技能带回家,并在北达科他州的社区分享.”

The CHS基金会 also partnered with Discovery Education to build the Cooperative Minds platform, 一个提供免费视频的在线门户网站, 课程, career profiles and other resources to educate students about the cooperative business model and careers. 

“我们感谢农民, ranchers and cooperatives for being part of the CHS family and helping the CHS基金会 continue its mission,CHS基金会的Lilja说. “We are looking forward to the next75 years of working together to drive growth and development among students and teachers who are helping shape the future of the agriculture industry.”


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