The profession stands poised at a defining moment.  Will we choose to accept the challenge laid before us?

Across the nation, 47 states and two territories participated in RAE 2020, and more than 10,000 individuals met as a result of the initiative. Many of these meetings were held in local communities where discussions centered on local needs of agricultural education.

The RAE 2020 initiative has provided agricultural education professionals the opportunity to create their own future as the profession stands poised at a defining moment. Will we choose to accept the challenge laid before us? To meet agricultural education's vision that "all people value and understand the vital role of agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems in advancing personal and global well-being," agricultural educatorsworking in concert with other partnersmust develop dynamic plans to address the goals and objectives identified through the RAE 2020 initiative.

The mission for school-based agricultural education of preparing "students for successful careers and a lifetime of informed choices in the global agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems," encompasses both students enrolled in agriculture courses and those who receive instruction about agriculture in other courses and settings.

Will "tomorrow's agricultural education community" find new ways to recruit and develop teachers? Will we develop more efficient and effective ways to open the doors of the agricultural education profession to talented people with diverse experiences and educational backgrounds? To ensure that highly motivated, well-educated teachers provide quality education for students, agricultural education must first ensure the number of teachers qualified to teach agriculture courses meets the global demand. In recent years, the nation has experienced an increasing deficit of agriculture teachers, as well as teachers in other subject areas. We must take all necessary measures to increase the number of qualified teachers available to teach agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems.

Will we broaden our programs and accept the challenge of educating all learners about agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems? All studentsin urban, suburban, and rural schoolsshould have access to high-quality programs of instruction in agriculture through a wide variety of delivery methods and educational settings. Today, agricultural education programs serve more than 800,000 middle school, secondary, postsecondary and adult students throughout the 50 states and three U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands).

Demographic records indicate agricultural education is attracting a more diverse student base. As student populations diversify, the experiential component of agricultural education must adapt to the new student populations. Instructional methods and materials for agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems education must provide for diverse students and learning styles.

We have the opportunity to chart a new era in agricultural education.

Will we work to help all students achieve conversational literacy in agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems? For all students to achieve conversational literacy, all teachers in the school must include the study of agriculture in a relevant, integrated instructional approach. Today, approximately six percent of the school population successfully completes coursework in agriculture. For the other 94 percent of students to have the knowledge required for a lifetime of informed choices in agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems, a broad-based network of teachers, groups and organizations must collaborate to develop and disseminate contemporary agriculture curricula for all students. We must work with educators in all schools and all university teacher preparation programs to infuse agriculture across the educational spectrum.

Will we form partnerships and strategic alliances with our stakeholders to ensure a continuous presence of agricultural education? Not only will these partnerships and strategic alliances ensure a continuous presence of education in and about agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems, but they also will strengthen the system of public and private support for agricultural education.

We have the opportunity to chart a new era in agricultural education. What will we do?

What will YOU do?

Stephen R. Covey

Sponsored as a Special Project of the National FFA Foundation, Inc.

© 2000 National Council for Agricultural Education