The Strategic Plan for Agricultural Education. A National Mobilization Plan for Revolutionary Change in Agricultural Education.

Overview & Synopsis

Bold, innovative thinking must be encouraged in the changing field of agricultural education. More than ever, the community needs fresh ideas. The agricultural education community will lose nothing of the past by working together to embrace the challenges and opportunities of the future as long as the essential values are not discarded. The mission of agricultural education is to provide a total dynamic educational system, aspiring to excellence and serving the needs of all people. The participants at the National Summit on Agricultural Education resolved to develop a united national presence and move toward achievements, pursuing a national mission made up of 22 resolutions for change for the future. From the resolutions, seven goals can be set, concerning updating, serving all groups, expanding the whole person concept of education, developing educational programs to meet demands, fostering free enterprise, providing leadership, and elevating standards of excellence in all facets of agricultural education. From these goals flows a three-step strategic plan: (1) creating a mission document; (2) challenging each organization in the community to align its goals with the national mission; and (3) clearly and constantly communicating the goals of the agricultural education community. (KC)