1890 YEA Program Introduces Youth to Agriculture’s Opportunities

Trequan McGee, Ph.D., leads the YEA-REAP group on a tour of the university’s horticulture operation. The program is designed to provide students with an introduction to careers in the food, agricultural, environmental, and family and consumer sciences, and expose them to research and Extension initiatives.

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. — Participating in the 1890 YEA Collaborative program made Page High School student Zafir Ahmed realize agriculture is more than plowing fields and feeding chickens.

“Now I am aware that agriculture can allow me to have multiple goals within the industry and give me a platform to make a more meaningful impact on society,” said Zafir, of Greensboro. “The skills I have learned are applicable to the real world.”

Zafir initially wanted to become a chef. That changed, however, after a visit to the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis, where he saw how peanut shells and oil could be used to produce low-fat ice cream, said his father, Khalifa Shareef.

“Once he understood the science and research behind it, he’s looking more at going into food science as a career path,” said Shareef, the coordinator for N.C. A&T Cooperative Extension’s 1890 YEA program.

The 1890 YEA program — YEA stands for Youth Innovators Empowering Agriculture Across America — introduces youth in middle and high school, from all backgrounds to the opportunities available in the fields of agriculture, food, sustainable land and food systems, and family and consumer sciences. Operated through 4-H, the program emphasizes STEAM (science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and math) education.

Shawn Gardner, Ph.D., center, 4-H program leader at Kentucky State University, talks with a young man as they ride the trolley to a workshop as part of the YEA-REAP summer camp at N.C. A&T.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University leads program, which includes five other 1890 Land Grant universities — Alcorn State University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lincoln University and Prairie View A&M University. Additional land grant universities will be added, for a total of up to 19 by the end 2028.

The $7.85 million, five-year program — which began in February 2023 — is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Nearly 450 youths and 189 mentors are currently participating in the program and coming to understand agriculture in a broader sense.

Zafir’s trip to the research campus was part of YEA’s Research and Extended Apprenticeship Program, a summer event that brings youth in the year-long mentoring program together at the campus of one of the participating universities.

Last summer, it was hosted by N.C. A&T, and 63 youths and 40 adults from six states participated. The event included a tour of the University Farm — including its automated milking machine, an introduction to various research programs — including the biodegradability of different types of mulches, mock interviews, and a financial literacy program.

Activities throughout the year expose youth to research and Cooperative Extension initiatives and also help prepare them for leadership roles in agriculture-related careers.

Shareef said participants have developed a non-electrical, gravity-fed water system using green materials and have built a tower garden using aeroponics — an advanced form of hydroponics where plants are grown without soil using nutrient-rich water drops.

The youth also will develop an “AgriVision plan” that will include creating a standalone “green” structure incorporating solar power where a tower garden will be used to grow food, Shareef said. They also will develop a business plan and model to create a farmers market open for community participation, he said.

The YEA program is serious about incorporating the youth voice, said Misty Blue-Terry, Ph.D., who heads the project and is also Youth, Families and Communities program leader in N.C. A&T Cooperative Extension.  

“We’re really trying to be intentional about hearing from the young people that we’re trying to support and making sure that their voice is also a part of all of the planning,” Blue-Terry said, noting that an advisory board of high school students participates in workshops and leads some of the activities.

Trequan McGee, an assistant professor and Extension horticulture specialist, showed the youths around the University Farm last summer, explaining some of the processes involved in agricultural research and how high tunnels are used at the farm. He also shared some of his own experience in pursuing a career in agriculture.

“Agriculture was pretty new to a lot of them,” McGee said. “I think it’s also really important to see people who look like yourself doing those kinds of things. I didn’t see that very often in my journey, and that was pretty impactful for the students.”

The program also incorporates college students as mentors, which has been a logistical and scheduling challenge, Blue-Terry said. “We are looking to bring everyone together on Zoom on a consistent evening during the month and utilize breakout rooms for the session,” she said. “For those that have been successful in terms of meeting with their mentors, it’s going quite well. We’ve gotten really good feedback.”

The mentorship program not only benefits the youths, but also the college students. “Being a mentor has helped me grow just as much as those I mentor,” said Ulma Cain, a mentor based in Guilford County, N.C. “It’s taught me patience, deepened my purpose, and shown me the power of planting seeds in others that bloom over time.”

Keylin Benson-Campbell, a mentee in the program, said its activities are a fun way to learn and interact with new people. The program helps participants learn how to build things as a team and exchange ideas with each other, he said.

“When we stripped the DNA from strawberries, I learned how to teach and lead my partner through the process,” said Benson-Campbell, of Hertford County, referring to an experiment in which DNA is extracted from strawberries using household materials.