Background
The Challenge
Leadership
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Agriculture students can choose courses in food science, entrepreneurship, world trade, horticulture, emerging technologies, aquaculture and many other subjects.
School-based agricultural education in the United States became a federal initiative in 1917, primarily as a measure to help ensure the nation's food supply. Additional legislation strengthened agricultural education by broadening the curriculum beyond production agriculture and enhancing the role of student organizations, such as the FFA.
The school-based agricultural education community fostered by
these legislative actions consists of student, professional and institutional
affiliations. School-based agricultural education provides instruction for middle school,
secondary, postsecondary and adult students via classroom and laboratory instruction,
practical field applications and participation in student leadership organizations. In
addition to production agriculture, students can choose courses in food science,
entrepreneurship, environmental science, biotechnology, turf management, global
agribusiness, floriculture, aquaculture and many other subjects.
On January 1, 1996, the National Council for Agricultural Education inaugurated Reinventing Agricultural Education for the Year 2020 (RAE 2020), an initiative to reposition and strengthen agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems education for the 21st century.
Across the nation, 47 states and two territories participated in the initiative, and more than 10,000 individuals met as a result of RAE 2020.
The primary objective of RAE 2020 was to establish a shared, vision for the future of school-based agricultural education leading to a strategic plan designed for long-term implementation. This ongoing process has been conducted at national, state and local levels. The initiative was designed to cause meaningful change in agricultural education programs and to reinforce the success of those programs by making the necessary adjustments to sustain agricultural education for the future.
Engaging Stakeholders
RAE 2020 required input from diverse sources, and The Council
solicited ideas and suggestions from many individuals and groups. The effort opened lines
of communication among agricultural education professionals, members of agriculture and
education organizations, and individuals and organizations not traditionally involved with
school-based agricultural education, but who hold a stake in these programs.
Across the country, agribusiness and natural resources professionals, school administrators, school board members and government agencies met with agricultural educators to contribute to a shared vision. By consulting with external stakeholders, agricultural education drew from experiences outside the profession and is now beginning to reap the benefits of working toward a common vision with groups that hold similar, vested interests.
RAE 2020 CONSORTIA
The Process
Through three phasesvisioning, strategic planning and implementationRAE 2020 enabled participants in national, regional, state and local groups to develop the types of agricultural education programs needed to meet future demands.
The first phasevisioningemployed a process to develop a preferred future for agricultural education. In the second phase, participants designed and implemented a strategic planning process to develop innovative initiatives to move toward their vision of the preferred future. The third phase empowered participants to implement initiatives developed in their strategic planning efforts.
State agricultural education leaders, along with agricultural and
food systems stakeholders at all levels of business, education, agriculture and
government, worked in 11 regional consortia of states to implement this initiative with
regional, state and local groups. Each consortium of states worked through the three
phases of the initiative.
TODAY'S AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION COMMUNITY
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Sponsored as a Special Project of the
National FFA Foundation, Inc.
