A powerful collaboration between Olds College Broncos Athletics, Chinook's Edge School Division (CESD), the Community Learning Campus (CLC) and Olds College of Agriculture & Technology is planting the seeds for future agricultural leaders through an immersive new initiative.
As part of this year’s AgSmart event — a three-day educational expo showcasing agricultural innovation — the inaugural Future Leaders in Agriculture youth camp offered 19 high school students a unique opportunity to explore their interests in agriculture and connect with like-minded peers, while gaining first-hand experience in one of Alberta’s leading ag innovation hubs.
The camp was more than just a field trip. Students in attendance received a $1,000 scholarship toward future studies at Olds College, as well as three high school credits through CESD. The program, designed for Grade 11 and 12 students with a passion for agriculture, was a hands-on, minds-on experience, exposing students to cutting-edge technology, sustainability practices and real-life agricultural challenges.
As part of the camp, students were required to deliver a 10-minute presentation reflecting on their summer school coursework and the real-world knowledge gained through industry tours, technology demonstrations and interactive learning. Katey Page, one of the finalists and award winners for her exceptional presentation concluding the camp, reflected on her experience as a Future Leader.
“I enjoyed learning during my week at the Future Leaders in Ag Camp,” said Page. “We got to experience a lot of what farmers would do if you came to AgSmart. I had a good time meeting like-minded people and made some long-lasting friends and cool memories.”
The idea for the youth-focused initiative was originally planted around the mindset of enhancing the events that were already creating opportunity at Olds College. Rachel Cunningham, a former CESD team member and now manager of the Broncos Athletics, took this idea and with the help of Kent Lorenz, Director of Off Campus Learning, and watched it come to life. Drawing on her professional background and past work alongside Kent Lorenz at Chinook’s Edge, Cunningham saw a chance to merge community partnerships and college resources into something meaningful.
“I think it is exciting to get to use my past experience in the career field to help facilitate this camp with the College for our future leaders in agriculture,” said Cunningham. “Working with Chinook’s Edge really gave the camp a high-profile motive. It was also incredible to see the sponsorship and backing from the College to facilitate an incredible initiative such as this. With academics and education shifting, the opportunity to do these hands-on experiences and be immersed directly in the world of agriculture is an opportunity that speaks volumes and will set students up for different paths towards success.”
Lorenz echoed the sentiment, noting the value of giving students tangible experiences in learning.
“The best part is to see students have the opportunity to explore their passions in learning,” he said. “For the kids to be able to meet like-minded individuals and share their experiences together is something really special.”
The Future Leaders in Agriculture camp embodies a growing synergy between education, industry and community — providing a foundation for long-term engagement with youth in agriculture.
“Creating opportunities with young people in the hopes of encouraging them to carry the advocacy torch for the future of agriculture is at the core of our work here at Olds College,” said Jay Steeves, Dean of Werklund School of Agriculture Technology. “I am encouraged and excited to see them grow… pun intended!”
With the success of this year’s pilot camp, there are strong plans emerging to continue offering transformative learning experiences that foster leadership, innovation and connection for the next generation of agricultural changemakers.