INDIANAPOLIS – A few years ago, the National FFA Organization and AgCareers.com joined forces to help teach students about the various careers available in agriculture. The result was the U.S. Classroom Implementation Kit, now available in its third edition.

The kit is designed to be used with the AgCareers.com U.S. Food & Agriculture Career Guide, said Bonnie Johnson, AgCareers.com marketing and communications manager.

“The idea (for the classroom kit) came about due to our partnership with National FFA Organization and our combined efforts to inform students about all the awesome career opportunities in the agricultural industry and encourage career readiness skills,” she explained. “National FFA Organization has education experts that are skilled at creating classroom implementation guides, so it was a natural fit to accompany our career guide.”

The classroom kit “is set up to be a turnkey/easy-to-use teaching resource they can use to help students learn about careers and career preparation while using the career guide,” noted Megan McGrady, manager, educational development, for FFA. “This means the teacher should be able to plug this resource into their lessons and immediately use without extensive preparation.

“We hope that students gain a better understanding of careers available and effective career preparation tools so they can be successful when preparing to enter the workforce.”

With the classroom kit, students will read and learn about different companies in the agricultural industry and some of the careers they offer, McGrady said. Students will also learn about different pathways in the agricultural industry, and what careers may exist or be of interest to them.

Some additional activities in the classroom kit include worksheets to explore industry employers and artificial intelligence, Johnson said. Students may develop an advertising plan for a school’s agriculture program or identify personal characteristics to aid the job search process.

Lessons in the kit are geared toward grades 9 and 10 but can be adapted to suit the needs of different grade levels, according to AgCareers.com. AgCareers.com’s self-described mission it to provide global talent solutions in agriculture and food.

The AgCareers.com career guide provides education, career and job search tips for students and young professionals, along with profiles for employers that are actively recruiting, Johnson said. A printed version of the guide is distributed to colleges, universities, and at career fairs and trade shows, she added. An online version is also available.

AgCareers.com has published its career guide for 18 years. The first classroom kit – effective for 12 months – was released to accompany the 2022-2023 edition of the career guide, Johnson said. The most recent edition is for 2024-2025.

McGrady said the kit and career guide try to show agriculture is more than farming.

“I think there can definitely be the misconception that agriculture just equals farming, but this will also greatly depend on your introduction to agriculture, if you have been introduced to agriculture,” she said. “Is your family involved in the industry? Is your community heavily impacted by the industry? Does your school have an agriculture program? Has the student taken an agriculture course? Are they involved in other groups that may have agricultural ties?”

Johnson said there is a stereotype that a career in agriculture equates to farming.

“Farmers are absolutely vital, however 90 percent of jobs in the industry are not on-farm,” she said. “There are careers in research, engineering, sales, technology, communications, finance and so much more.

“The classroom activities are not only for agriculture students. Beyond the focus on agriculture and food, the kit includes many broad career and job search readiness skills that are applicable across many classrooms, along with a focus on English and language arts skill development.”

The AgCareers.com career guide is available at no charge at www.agcareers.com/ag-and-food-career-guide/#gsc.tab=0. The classroom kit is also free and may be found at the AgCareers.com website.