The Regional Beef Ambassador Program (RBAP) Workshop will be held at the Stanley Wilson Beef Teaching Center and other facilities on the Auburn University campus on Saturday, April 7, 2018. The workshop is designed to prepare youth with the foundational skills, coaching and direction needed to compete in a Regional Contest in July.

At the contest, a senior level state candidate may be selected to serve on a Regional Beef Ambassador Team. The RBAP strives to provide an opportunity for youth to educate consumers and youth about beef nutrition, food safety, the economic value of the beef industry and stewardship practices of the beef industry. The goal is to utilize beef ambassadors to tell the beef production story to consumers and youth through promotion, education, media and the online environment. This program is essential because today’s youth are bombarded with anti-beef messages. 

Through the workshop, Beef Ambassadors in training, will go into classrooms, daycares, after school programs and attend youth organization activities where they make presentations about their personal experiences with beef and the beef industry, including industry messages on nutrition, animal welfare, environment and other key topics.

The primary program coordinator is Dr. Don Mulvaney in the Department of Animal Sciences. Any high school youth between the ages of 14 and 18 and from the SE Region with current abilities and potential to be trained and developed to speak as well as be self-regulated learners, is sought to be a participant (be in graduation classes of 2018, 1019, 2020 or 2021 but not over 18 by the contest). RBAP Workshop space is limited in order to provide individualized coaching and practice. Leaders in the beef community are encouraged to help spread the message of this opportunity.

To register as a workshop participant, send an email with the youth’s name, age, experiences, background supportive of a beef ambassador and their electronic contact information to Dr. Don Mulvaney at: mulvadr@auburn.edu. Use the words ‘Beef Ambassador’ in the subject line. Registrants will be contacted upon receipt to gather additional information and a selection priority may be put into place for Senior level participants.

Source: Auburn University