The Foundation Issued Three $1000 Scholarships and Announces Additional Opportunity for Students
The Agriculture Education Foundation awarded Haven Hileman, Holden Nuhn, and Aaron Whiteside scholarships for the fall semester of 2023. These three recipients are eligible for a renewal scholarship in the spring of 2024. The Foundation is accepting additional applications for one more scholarship available for the spring of 2024.
This opportunity is open to any students who meet the minimum qualifications and is enrolled or planning to enroll in an agriculture teaching major or 4-H extension major at any of Ohio’s three Universities offering these programs. It is also available for another two-year or four-year school in Ohio offering a two plus two program or another pathway to become an agriculture teacher or extension educator.
The Agriculture Education Foundation has been offering scholarships since 2018. There remains a need to incentivize careers in agriculture education. According to the National Association of Agricultural Educators the enrollment in agriculture teaching programs has decreased.
“We have found our work is increasing attention to the agriculture teaching career and the scholarship is incentivizing students to give another look at becoming an agriculture educator” said Justin Barnhart, President of the Agriculture Education Foundation.
The Agriculture Education Foundation supports agriculture teachers and agriculture educator programs in Ohio. The Foundation has a commitment to agriculture education in the city and recognizes the need for more agriculture teachers to expand education opportunities in all of Ohio’s cities.
Aaron Whiteside, Central State University agriculture education student, said, “Ohio’s economy significantly depends on financial support for agricultural education. In my role as an agriculture educator, I will inform consumers about our food source.”
The foundation also supports agriculture educators in Ohio by connecting agriculture producers with consumers for education on modern farming practices and the need for vocations in food production.
This spring another scholarship will be offered. Applicants can visit www.AgIsEd.org to apply. Applications are due November 22, 2023.
The Agriculture Education Foundation is chaired by former State Representative Jim Buchy. The foundation formed in 2017 to encourage agriculture education in the city. The foundation points to the need for more agriculture educators to backfill the known shortage of agriculture teachers in Ohio. Specifically, a successful pilot program with agriculture in schools in Cleveland and Cincinnati demonstrated that agriculture education is a component to increasing graduation rates. The foundation knows this success is garnered from the values naturally instilled by agriculture. The success of the programs are inherently tied to the educators leading the programs. The foundation will identify and promote agriculture educators that further enhance the mission of agriculture in the city. The mission of the foundation is to promote agricultural education accessibility and support agriculture educators by connecting those in action with resources for success.