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Ag Ed Institute

The Ag Ed Institute was established in 2013, and is a special recruitment program for our TCH specialization. This program is Florida’s response to the national call for more agriscience teachers through the National Teach Ag Campaign. UF/IFAS AEC partners with Florida Team Ag Ed, including the Florida FFA Association, the Florida FFA Alumni, the Florida FFA Foundation, and the Florida Association of Agricultural Educators (FAAE), and hosts students who wish to become or are interested in learning more about becoming an agriscience teacher.

The revised Ag Ed Institute Program kicked off in 2023, and has been very positive! Teachers and students can register starting in May each year via an online link, or while in-person at the Florida FFA State Convention & Expo for the following academic year’s Ag Ed Institute Program. You can sign up and talk to UF Faculty and students at state convention at the UF/AEC Teach Ag Booth! We launch our program in-person each year on-campus in Gainesville in the Fall semester, and immerse students in the UF culture! AEI participants tour UF and its rich history, enjoy lunch on-campus, collaborate with like-minded peers, and receive support from UF Faculty, staff, and the Teach Ag Ambassador Team!

We also host a second session for program participants in the Spring Semester in Central Florida that focuses on personal development, and that guides students on their journey to UF and into a career teaching ag. Students who attend the Fall and/or Spring Session for AEI will be invited to attend a special session during the Florida State FFA Convention.

If you have questions, please contact Deb Barry at dmbarry@ufl.edu.