Extension educators often seek new strategies for engaging minority youths in 4-H programs, especially young Black males. These strategies require programming developed in response to the context of this population. We offer insights into the social context of Black males and offer suggestions that will help educators develop identity and…

Transformative leaders are committed to values and outcomes that serve the long-term interests of society (Caldwell, Dixon, Floyd, Chaudoin, Post, & Cheokas, 2012). The Oaks Leadership Scholars Program is rooted in the premise that the transformation of self, required to become a transformative leader, can be supported through development of…

Early agricultural education included youth judging activities, in which farm boys matched skills with students from neighboring schools. In 1925, students competed in a National Dairy Judging Contest in Indianapolis held specifically for vocational students. Based on the success of this contest, the Federal Board for Vocational Education…

Today's Extension professionals are tasked with more work and fewer resources. Integrating social media campaigns into outreach efforts can be an efficient way to meet work demands. If resources go toward social media, a practical method for collecting metrics is needed. Collecting metrics adds one more task to the workloads of Extension…

Extension personnel, agricultural companies, and contract researchers invest a great deal of resources through time, money, and manpower to educate crop consultants, producers, students, and new employees. Creating an in-field, real world, and hands-on learning environment affords an opportunity to engage individuals to learn in ways that cannot…

Extension Online is an Internet-based online course platform that enables the Texas AgriLife Extension Service's Family Development and Resource Management (FDRM) unit to reach tens of thousands of users across the U.S. annually with research-based information. This article introduces readers to Extension Online by describing the history of its…

Describes the vicissitudes experienced by a small rural high school agriculture program in northern Illinois in setting up an aquaculture system. (SK)

Women farmers are underserved in agricultural education and technical assistance. Long held social constructions of farming women as "farmwives" and in some cases "the bookkeepers" rather than farmers or decision-makers influence the direction of most educational programming delivered through extension programs in land-grant…

The author describes how one teacher started a vocational agriculture program at a small high school and developed it into an agricultural institute featuring a money-making 11-acre farm. She discusses how he raised the necessary start-up funds and how the institute has helped unify the school. (CH)

The author draws upon her field observations in China during 1976 to describe how the People's Republic is trying to provide a broader base for popular participation in development. Discusses the changing nature of schooling, the importance placed on learning, and specific examples of changes in education. (CT)

In Sweden, higher education in agriculture is provided exclusively by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. The 130 students admitted to the Master of Science program in agriculture annually may choose to specialize in one of six specialty areas (plant science, animal science, food science, biotechnology, economics, and engineering),…

Several innovative mini-grant projects in sex fairness in Illinois are detailed. They include teaching eighth-grade students about nontraditional career roles; recruitment of female minority students to agricultural programs; and the organization, development, and presentation of a panel discussion that will inform counselors, educators, and…

The author states that Future Farmers of America programs are useful for promoting the accomplishments of students and providing a public relations boost for the agriculture program. She describes the Building Our American Communities Program, from needs assessment through recognition. (CH)

Describes the work of the National Council for Vocational and Technical Education in Agriculture--a national partnership organized to foster creative and innovative leadership for improving and developing agricultural education as part of public education. Examines the major issues that the council is currently addressing. (CT)

Agricultural leadership programs have been widely supported by both the public and private sector and have been praised for the "networking" they provide. However, is there any community benefit? Could these programs be doing more? This paper provides some insight into these issues by looking at contributions of the related research.…