The Importance of the
Agricultural Education
Family
(Mike Cox, 1999-2000 NAAE President)

This past year I have had the unique opportunity to visit with many agricultural education professionals across the country. As I attended NAAE regional meetings and state agricultural education association meetings and as I participated in the National Council for Agricultural Education board of directors meetings, I realized, much more than before, how important agricultural education is to this country. The essential values of agricultural education include every person within the ag ed family. Each person in the ag ed family contributes unique ideas and innovations that make our profession so awesome. I am proud to be a part this "family!"

I began to see the "whole picture" of the importance of the agricultural education family when the Reinventing Agricultural Education for the Year 2020 (RAE 2020) project established a vision, new mission and four broad goals that provide strength to agricultural education well into the new millennium. In fact, goal four of RAE 2020 alludes to the importance of partnerships and strategic alliances to ensure a continuous presence of education in and about the food, fiber and natural resources system. Creating partnerships with the federal government and other agriculture and food systems stakeholders became necessary for providing high quality leadership for agricultural education.

The RAE 2020 initiative sparked many new ideas and innovations for agricultural education. For example, the National Ag Ed Centers of Excellence effort will provide excellence in education and agriculture and focus on important issues in agricultural education. Issues such as agricultural literacy will be addressed through the centers. And, ensuring that the agricultural education curriculum is academically challenging and futuristic for all learners will also be promoted. In addition, the ag ed family is addressing aggressively the ag teacher shortage issue and a new strategic plan focused on the ag teacher shortage is being discussed as well. A National Summit meeting is being scheduled for 2001 that will address the future of agricultural education as well. These initiatives are a result of thousands of determined and dedicated educators, students, industry leaders and supporters of ag ed programs who have visionary leadership. As agricultural education embarks on a new century, it is imperative that we, the total ag ed family, come together and continue to strengthen our profession.

Yes, I strongly believe that the agricultural education family is an important group to our country and its educational system. We must continue to look at opportunities to bring the "family" together. For the good of agricultural education, we must not fear to explore new avenues that support ag ed and its importance. Bold, innovative thinking needs to occur consistently so that we may continue to promote, strengthen and maintain agricultural education as an astounding profession. As one family, ag ed can make this happen!