This workshop aims to engage, educate, and inspire attendees about the profound educational benefits of service learning and experiential learning, with a focus on preparing undergraduate students from 2-Year and 4-Year agricultural institutions to compete in National Agricultural Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) contests. These competitions - in areas such as Agribusiness, Crops, Livestock Judging, Knowledge Bowl, Dairy Cattle, Soils, Communication, Horticulture, Livestock & Equine Management, Precision Agriculture, Soil Science, and others - all provide a platform for students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios, honing durable skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, leadership, and teamwork.

Workshop participants will gain insights into the value of hands-on learning experiences and how they cultivate essential workforce competencies in agricultural students. The workshop will also tackle practical challenges, including securing administrative support, funding opportunities, recruitment of students and faculty, effective coaching strategies, linking judging with the academic curriculum, and transforming the student judging experience into scholarly outputs. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to start or enhance their institution's participation in NACTA contests. Additionally, the session will emphasize how these competitions serve as a scholarly platform for faculty members to apply intentional assessment/evaluation of experiential learning based on Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory and opportunities for true Scholarship of Teaching & Learning in these classes and activities. This will enable participants to publish educational outcomes and insights in the NACTA Journal. By highlighting these benefits, the workshop will seek to grow awareness of the NACTA-supported contest program and its pivotal role in developing the next generation of agricultural leaders.

Collectively, these programs are directly aligned with the goals of the Frank Robinson Youth Academy which are to promote food security, including:

• ensuring that everyone has understanding of the production of food
• building connections of students to agriculture
• supporting and enhancing cultural diversity in agriculture and environmental sectors
• presenting experiential learning opportunities to help students develop workforce readiness and pursue careers in agriculture, food production, and the environment.