U.S. Department of Agriculture

KINGSVILLE (News Release) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is awarding $1.5 million to Texas A&M University to establish school-based programs in Ghana and Guatemala through the International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program.

The International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program, or IAEFP, established in 2018, provides fellowships to eligible U.S. citizens to help developing countries establish school-based agricultural education and youth extension programs. The university will collaborate with local institutions and organizations to support the selected fellows in their efforts.

The fellowships in Ghana and Guatemala are sponsored by Texas A&M University, which launched the inaugural IAEFP in Ghana in 2021. In Guatemala, Texas A&M University will partner with Humanitas for the duration of the fellowship program. In Ghana, the university will partner with Global, 4-H Ghana, Vivayic Learning Solutions, and Argicorps. Nine fellows in each country will produce programs with four components: classroom instruction, school demonstration farm, home entrepreneurship projects, and leadership development.

“I am excited for FAS to work with these universities to strengthen international communities,” FAS Administrator Daniel Whitley said. “IAEFP is a great opportunity for students to gain teaching and agricultural experience by living abroad while also creating stronger relationships between the U.S. agricultural industries and their host countries.”