Youth Cooperative Leadership Experience (YCLE) Highlights Ag Careers and Co-ops

OSU South Centers welcomed 37 students from Peebles High School at the fall YCLE program. Students learned about agricultural research conducted at the campus, by experiencing hands-on learning in agricultural science by extracting DNA from strawberries with Dr. Dan Remley and conducted soil testing with Amanda Perkins with Pike County Extension.  Students also were able to explore the Bee Tree Trail with Dr. Logan Minter and learn about fish genetics in an educational session with Paul O’Bryant, Aquaculture Specialist.

Students learned about career pathways from various Ohio cooperative business leaders and participated in a Co-op Career Fair. Cooperatives included: Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), Adams Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc., Atomic Credit Union, South Central Power Co., Heritage Cooperative, and Farm Credit Mid-America. Students learned how about career opportunities at each cooperative. Representatives from Ohio State shared information about education pathways in agriculture at OSU ATI and summer employment opportunities for students at OSU South Centers.

YCLE is designed to help students learn about agricultural careers and achievable paths to higher education with an emphasis on the cooperative business model because of the important role cooperatives play in the agricultural supply chain. The program is supported with generous funding from the Southern Ohio Agricultural & Community Development Foundation.

The next YCLE at OSU South Centers will be held in Spring 2026. If you are a teacher in southern Ohio, contact Melissa Whitt at whitt.168@osu.edu for more information about engaging your students in the Youth Cooperative Leadership Experience.

 

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