The National FFA Organization, formerly known as Future Farmers of America, established the first-ever partnership with the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) and the Tribal Agriculture Fellowship (TAF) in 2023, dedicated to supporting Native American students pursuing agricultural careers. Agricultural education plays a pivotal role in preparing the next generation of agricultural leaders for the robust world of agriculture, food, fiber, and natural resources systems.

A school-based youth leadership development organization, FFA strives to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. FFA has more than 14,000 American Indian and Alaska Native members, and more than 2,400 Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander members.

It is the mission of The National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Agriculture in the Classroom Team, to support state programs by providing a network of opportunities to improve agricultural literacy among K-12 teachers and their students.

The National Ag in the Classroom Conference provides numerous workshops and events to help foster their mission to create a space for teachers to improve and diversify their curriculum. So far, TAF has sponsored 9 teachers who are working with Native American students who come from a variety of different backgrounds. If you work with Native students and are interested in attending the NAITCO Conference, make sure to keep an eye out for when TAF scholarship applications open in the winter.

The National Association of Agricultural Educators is a federation of state associations with over 9,000 members involved in agricultural education from middle school to post secondary levels. NAAE advocates for agricultural education, provides proffessional development, and focuses on recruiting and retaining educators through various programs and services. At the National conferences, educators had the opportunity to learn how to implement culturally relevant teaching strategies for agriculture implement them in their schools, and network with other Native educators and institutions for future collaborations.

So far TAF has funded 5 educators of Native descent or those who teach Native students, or those who teach in Indian Country to attend the NAAE annual conference. If you are interested in attending, scholarships open for educators in late summer.

The Bureau of Indian Education, the Native American Agriculture Fund, and the Tribal Agriculture Fellowship have established a new partnership that will allow more BIE students to benefit from comprehensive, culturally relevant agricultural training and education. The agreement, which was signed during a ceremony at a Bureau of Indian Education school will be piloted in three schools across the United States. 

“We are thrilled to embark on this journey with BIE schools,” said Nicole De Von Jackson, Executive Director of the Tribal Agriculture Fellowship program. “This partnership represents an incredible opportunity to create customized resources that truly reflect each community’s unique needs and strengths. We are excited to see how this initiative will inspire and empower Native students to become the next generation of leaders in agriculture.” 

The Bureau of Indian Education implements federal Indian education programs and funds 183 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools serving approximately 40,000 students. BIE oversees the operation of two postsecondary schools, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute and Haskell Indian Nations University. BIE administers grants for 29 Tribally controlled colleges and universities and two tribal technical colleges. For more information, visit the BIE website at https://www.bie.edu/.