Building Linkages in Agricultural Education and Training through Systems Thinking

Photo Credit: E. van de Grift
Photo Credit: E. van de Grift

Event Information

The application of systems thinking to agricultural education and training (AET) is critical to sustainable agricultural development. By understanding complete AET systems and the connections within them, practitioners can account for more variables and better influence agricultural development outcomes. This approach can help any practitioner integrate AET within their work, particularly for gender, youth and workforce development.

AET systems include formal education (primary, secondary, tertiary and vocational/technical institutions) as well as nonformal education (extension and workforce development) and informal education (on-the-job training and day-to-day self-learning). The February Ag Sector Council Seminar will discuss the five AET linkages and demonstrate how they can be built into projects. These connections include those between:

  • Theory and practical instruction
  • Curriculum and workforce/industry demands
  • Educational institutions at different levels
  • Different management systems such as governmental, NGO and parochial
  • AET and extension systems

The discussion will also include examples of AET systems in practice. Presenters will showcase successful cases and how they are developed. Practitioners of all types of program will learn how to think through how their work can be bolstered by AET. AET practitioners will gain insights into other programs and the overarching role of AET in Feed the Future. Please join us for a lively discussion starting at 9:30 AM EST, and if you are in DC, for a coffee networking hour at 9 AM EST.

Some quick background reads include:

About the Innovation for Agricultural Training and Education (InnovATE) project: InnovATE works to achieve sustainable food security, reduce poverty, promote rural innovation and stimulate employment by building human and institutional capacity in AET systems. The program focuses on all aspects of AET including youth, gender, and workforce development, at the primary, vocational/ technical, university and post-graduate levels. Funded by USAID, this Feed the Future project is a consortium of U.S. universities, Penn State University, Tuskegee University and University of Florida and managed by consortium partner Virginia Tech.

Speakers

Dr. Clara

Photo of Dr. Clara Cohen

Bureau for Food Security/ USAID

Dr. Cohen serves as senior science policy adviser with USAID’s Bureau for Food Security, Office of Agricultural Research and Policy. She leads Office activities focusing on human and institutional capacity development and has contributed to the design and launch of several new programs emphasizing research and education system strengthening. She has conducted research on leguminous cover crops at the Rodale Institute Research Center and served as a Peace Corps aquaculture volunteer in Guatemala. She holds a BA in biology from Swarthmore College and a PhD in plant physiology, with minors in molecular biology and soil science, from Cornell University.

Dr. T.

Photo of T. Grady Roberts

University of Florida

T. Grady Roberts is a Professor in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communications at the University of Florida. He serves as the Executive Director for the Global Education Lab of the University of Florida as well as its Director of Educational Activities. The Global Education Lab supports globally-integrated educational programs in food, agriculture, natural resources, and related sciences through research, teaching, and consultation. The University of Florida is a consortium partner of the USAID-funded Feed the Future project, Innovations for Agricultural Training and Education (InnovATE), and Dr. Roberts is an InnovATE contributor. Dr. Roberts’ research interests include global education, experiential learning, and teaching and learning in university settings. His research focuses on methods and processes for developing human capacity in food, agriculture, natural resources, and related sciences, concentrating specifically on those methods and processes that occur as a part of undergraduate education. He received his B.S., MAg. and PhD in Agriculture Education from the University of Florida.

Dr. Wayne

Photo of Dr. Ganpat

University of West Indies

Dr. Ganpat is the Head of the Department of Agriculture and Economics and a Senior Lecturer in Agricultural Extension and Communications at the University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. Ganpat has vast experience linking academics with industry-relevant outcomes and competencies. Prior to joining the UWI, he worked as an Extension Officer in the government extension service for over 20 years and left as the Deputy Director of Extension Services. He has worked as a consultant for governments in most Caribbean countries over the last 20 years doing work both in extension and communications. He earned a BSc., MSc., and PhD in Agricultural Extension from UWI.

Mr. Seth

Photo of Seth Heinert

Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania

Mr. Heinert sits on the board of directors for the Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania (IEFT) where he works primarily as the liaison to the IEFT Youth Board and Youth Network. He began his professional relationship with IEFT as an agriculture and biology teacher and school administrator at the Orkeeswa Secondary School in rural Tanzania. He has conducted trainings on agricultural education and training for other NGO’s that work in Africa. Mr. Heinert is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Florida in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication. His research focus is on human capacity development through systems of agriculture education and training.

Event Registration Information

Spotlight Event

In-person Event
Ronald Reagan Building, Oceanic Room 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, District of Columbia, 20004, United States

Visit the Activity Page for Innovation for Agricultural Training and Education

Learn More

More on This Topic from AgriLINKS

Connecting Theoretical and Practical Instruction: A Critical Agricultural Education and Training Linkage

View Post

Building the Base for Global Food Security: Agricultural Education and Training

View Event

Impact of Building Market Linkages in Uganda

View Event

Empowering Marginalized Youth Through Training in Agriculture and Literacy: Lessons from the USAID/Nepal Education for Income Generation Program

View Event

Topics:

Return to Top