Cultivating Cohesion: Nurturing Knowledge and Collaboration in the Norman Borlaug Youth in Agriculture Program

The evolving face of agriculture presents unique problems that today’s youth will be charged with solving as they enter the workforce. Thus, it is imperative that youth not only have a deep understanding of the processes and systems that have an influence on the food and fiber industry, but also possess the skills to effectively collaborate with their peers (Hess & Trexler, 2011). The Norman Borlaug Youth in Agriculture Program (NBYAP) aimed to immerse urban and rural youth in problem-based learning curriculum to inspire participants from unique backgrounds to collaborate to solve complex challenges facing [state] agriculture. By distributing Qualtrics surveys, participants’ agricultural knowledge and cross-group perceptions were measured during the three different phases of the program. To assess the mean differences between each phase of the program, a repeated measure MANOVA was employed for the seven constructs of agricultural knowledge and the rural-urban connection. The findings from this study indicate the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum to elicit change in participants’ intergroup perceptions along with increased agricultural knowledge. The study highlights the importance for Extension personnel and agricultural educators to develop programs that encourage youth to creatively solve 21st century agricultural problems while concurrently providing an environment that youth can develop positive relationships across diverse groups.