College students, clubs and classes are invited to sign up to participate in the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2024 College Aggies Online scholarship program. The nine-week program kicks off Sept. 9 and brings together college students from across the country to equip them with the skills needed to become confident communicators for agriculture.
Throughout the program, students will have the opportunity to network and receive guidance from social media-savvy farmers and industry professionals while enhancing their communication and consumer engagement skills. Previous mentors include Tara Vander Dussen, also known as New Mexico Milkmaid, Michelle Miller, known online as The Farm Babe, Brandi Buzzard of Buzzard’s Beat and Emily Shaw, owner of Dairy Girl Fitness.
In the individual division, students earn points by completing weekly challenges, including writing blog posts, designing infographics, publishing social media content and creating TikTok-style videos.
In the student organization division, collegiate clubs and classes will have the opportunity to host events on their campus to engage with peers about agriculture. Club events include hosting a campus event, food drive, farm tour and more.
“The College Aggies Online program equips college students with the tools needed to confidently and effectively share animal agriculture’s story with their peers and general public,” said Emily Ellis, manager, communications and content, Animal Agriculture Alliance. “Participants will walk away with the resume-building-skills and real-world experience needed to have impactful conversations about food and farming, thanks to real-world experience and guidance from mentors.”
Last year, 344 individuals and 14 collegiate clubs/classes participated, representing 42 states and 63 universities. Students shared more than 1,380 posts about agriculture online and reached more than 10,000 people in person via campus events. The alliance awarded $20,000 in scholarships. To see more insights from the 2023 program, view the 2023 College Aggies Online Impact Report.
CAO thanks its sponsors, including John K. Vanier Foundation, Institute for Feed Education and Research, Domino’s Pizza LLC, Ohio Poultry Association and National Chicken Council. To become a sponsor of this year’s program, see sponsorship opportunities and contact Logan Hall, director, membership and marketing, at lhall@animalagalliance.org.
Source: Animal Agriculture Alliance
