Partners
With more than $1.4 million in generous support from external funders, the Upskilling initiative is building agriculture and related programs that support high school educator professional development, student internships, and online micro-credentialling training in both technical and professional soft skills for learners of all ages.
Current Partners & Funded Grant Programs
The 5 Rivers Project
As the agricultural industry evolves, so do the skillsets of current employees. Through such efforts as the Academy of Agribusiness Management, we partner with industry companies and organizations to provide relevant and industry-ready skillsets and knowledge to existing employees. Leveraging industry data and real-life scenarios, we launched this pilot program with Five Rivers Cattle Feeding to provide agribusiness, critical thinking, strategy development, and analytical tools to their employees. Graduates of the program noted not only an increase in skills and competencies, but enhanced confidence in making business-ready decisions for their organization.
Western SARE
Upskilling Urban Ag Professionals: Soil and Water Stewardship through Soil Sensing IoT and AI
This project couples IoT and AI technology with hands-on micro-credentialed training, combining online learning and in-field demonstrations. By partnering with urban food producers, we aim to showcase how precision irrigation tools can increase crop yields while reducing water usage and costs. Our program will equip participants with practical skills in IoT-based irrigation, fostering new career opportunities in sustainable urban agriculture.
USDA-FANE Award #2024-68018-42796
A Youth-Driven Approach to Micro-credentialing: Sustainable Agriculture meets IoT, Hands-on Learning, and Data Science
This project will empower the next generation of ag professionals by merging sustainable agriculture with cutting-edge tech from IoT sensors and data science to AI. High school and college-aged youth in Colorado and Nebraska will be given hands-on experiences and a chance to earn credentials through our comprehensive badging system. Over three years, we expect over 600 students to earn these micro-credentials and thousands more to engage with ag technology through community demonstrations. This initiative will help shape the future of farming by training youth to tackle the challenges of food security, climate change, and resource management.
Previously Funded Grant Programs
CHS Foundation
Student Driven Precision Ag Tools for Sustaining Crop Water Resources and Soil Health – A data driven project that adapts micro-credentialling approaches to advance students’ awareness of, and skills in, field-specific precision irrigation scheduling using innovative soil moisture sensing and water balance tools. Learn more about CHS Foundation.
SyncUp Colorado
The Linked Education — Experiences for teachers across Colorado focused on exposure to and incorporation of cutting-edge technologies and skills in agri-food systems. Includes digital badge modules reinforced through experiential learning in food systems resiliency and regenerative agriculture, community-based student internships, and professional development. Learn more about SyncUp Colorado.
USDA
Higher Education Challenge Grant – Conserving the world’s plant genetic resources (PGR) is critical for ensuring global food security. Sustaining the network of genebanks that conserve PGR requires knowledgeable staff with skills in acquiring, maintaining, regenerating, evaluating, documenting, and distributing PGR accessions. This project is aimed at helping genebank staff gain and enhance their skills in these areas. Information is also provided to guide plant breeders and geneticists in uncovering gene functions and incorporating useful genes into new varieties.