Editor’s Note: Due to ongoing health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the difficult decision has been made by Ohio Farm Bureau and OSU Extension to cancel all ExploreAg Camps this summer.
Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County and the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation are bringing four ExploreAg camps to high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors to explore various careers in agriculture. Ohio is projected to have 18,000 new jobs in agriculture through 2020.
Students will interact with and learn directly from teachers, scientists and researchers. Subject areas include food science, precision agriculture, animal sciences, natural resources, management skills, technology, and agricultural business. In addition to the classroom experience, scholars will participate in field experiences that highlight cutting-edge research and meet industry partners to provide a glimpse of various careers in related fields. There will also be sessions focused on soft skills such as interviewing, resume building and public speaking to prepare participants for the workforce. Schedule
Camp dates
Session 1: June 14-19 – Ohio State University, Columbus Campus
Session 2: June 21-26 – Ohio State University, Columbus Campus
Session 3: July 5-10 – Central State University
Session 4: July 12-17 – Ohio State University – ATI campus, Wooster
The ExploreAg camps are free to attend. Program costs covered include on-campus accommodations, meals, staffing, course supplies, program materials, and transportation. Supervision is provided at all times by faculty, staff, and program counselors who are current college students in related majors.
Application deadline
The deadline to apply is March 6, 2020, and applicants will be notified of admittance by March 20, 2020. Applicants will be asked to submit an application with one reference and a 1-3 minute video with the prompt: “Please tell us about one agricultural career and why that interests you.”
Questions about ExploreAg Camps should be directed to OSU Extension Educator Marissa Mulligan.
Online extras
Read about the 2018 and 2019 camp experience and watch this camp overview video: