College hosts Institute for Future Agricultural Leaders
A service-learning project looks like a scene from Tom Sawyer, as high-school students discover the fun of fence painting during a week of leadership training.
Photo by Suzanne Stanard
On one of the rare June days in Raleigh when the temperature didn’t soar into the 90s, a group of high-school students gathered at Horseshoe Farm Park to paint a fence.
This service-learning project was part of their experience at the College of Agriculture and Life Science’s Institute for Future Agricultural Leaders (IFAL), a week of leadership and citizenship training for juniors and seniors considering careers in agriculture.
Nearly 50 students from all over North Carolina attended IFAL, participating in leadership sessions led by College faculty and students, as well as by North Carolina Farm Bureau staff.
During IFAL, students toured research farms and explored university laboratories. They also visited agribusinesses, participated in leadership development classes, toured the General Assembly and visited the offices of the North Carolina Farm Bureau.
“Activities focus on developing skills that will enable the students to be better leaders in their homes and communities,” said David Jones, IFAL leadership director and assistant professor of agricultural and extension education.
IFAL also included workshops and seminars on team building, group dynamics, organizational management and personal leadership skill development. Faculty members from several College departments participated.
The students also got a taste of college life at N.C. State University by eating in dining halls and staying in the dorms. Social activities included volleyball, basketball and swimming, plus tours of the Wendell Murphy Center and Carter-Finley Stadium.
“It’s been great,” said participant DeAnna Calloway, 17, of Ronda. “In the seminars, I learned a lot about the agriculture-related courses N.C. State has to offer.”
When asked her favorite part of the program, Tori Sawyer, 17, of Camden, said, “It’s a toss-up between learning new things and the ice cream in the cafeteria. Now I understand the ‘freshman 15’!”
Both girls are high school seniors and plan to apply for early admission to N.C. State. They both want to explore careers in agricultural education, and they said that the experience at IFAL really helped guide their decisions.
“Through the Institute for Future Agricultural Leaders, we’re attempting to reach into the state’s rural communities for the best and brightest in an effort to help them be competitive in college and in their career endeavors,” said Barry Croom, IFAL director and associate professor of agricultural and extension education. “The program also encourages leadership development in youth so that it can be put to work in rural North Carolina communities.”
— Suzanne Stanard
This service-learning project was part of their experience at the College of Agriculture and Life Science’s Institute for Future Agricultural Leaders (IFAL), a week of leadership and citizenship training for juniors and seniors considering careers in agriculture.
Nearly 50 students from all over North Carolina attended IFAL, participating in leadership sessions led by College faculty and students, as well as by North Carolina Farm Bureau staff.
During IFAL, students toured research farms and explored university laboratories. They also visited agribusinesses, participated in leadership development classes, toured the General Assembly and visited the offices of the North Carolina Farm Bureau.
“Activities focus on developing skills that will enable the students to be better leaders in their homes and communities,” said David Jones, IFAL leadership director and assistant professor of agricultural and extension education.
IFAL also included workshops and seminars on team building, group dynamics, organizational management and personal leadership skill development. Faculty members from several College departments participated.
The students also got a taste of college life at N.C. State University by eating in dining halls and staying in the dorms. Social activities included volleyball, basketball and swimming, plus tours of the Wendell Murphy Center and Carter-Finley Stadium.
“It’s been great,” said participant DeAnna Calloway, 17, of Ronda. “In the seminars, I learned a lot about the agriculture-related courses N.C. State has to offer.”
When asked her favorite part of the program, Tori Sawyer, 17, of Camden, said, “It’s a toss-up between learning new things and the ice cream in the cafeteria. Now I understand the ‘freshman 15’!”
Both girls are high school seniors and plan to apply for early admission to N.C. State. They both want to explore careers in agricultural education, and they said that the experience at IFAL really helped guide their decisions.
“Through the Institute for Future Agricultural Leaders, we’re attempting to reach into the state’s rural communities for the best and brightest in an effort to help them be competitive in college and in their career endeavors,” said Barry Croom, IFAL director and associate professor of agricultural and extension education. “The program also encourages leadership development in youth so that it can be put to work in rural North Carolina communities.”
— Suzanne Stanard