Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications - ALEC

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Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications - ALEC

Leaders communicate and educate. Educators communicate and lead. Communicators lead and educate.

09/18/2026

Today, Mr. Ochs and two seniors, Clara Asplund and Ty Hodel, studying agricultural education attended the Elite Conference put on by Facilitating and Coordinating Agricultural Education. This conference is designed for high school students interested in becoming high school ag teachers. The had great conversations and hopefully helped students see themselves in n orange and blue after their time in the blue and gold has concluded.
This was a way to conclude and celebrate National Teach Ag Day which was celebrated yesterday across the nation.

08/25/2026

We’re excited to be the newest and eighth academic department in the College of ACES. This important milestone recognizes what our ALEC faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends have built over the years — and gives us an even stronger foundation for the future. Becoming a department is important because it will help us support our current and future students and faculty, strengthen our academic programs, and grow our research and engagement. Please join us in celebrating this milestone!

Read more about this announcement: https://aces.illinois.edu/news/agricultural-leadership-education-communications-becomes-eighth-department-college-aces

08/19/2026

The Illinois Scholars Program Summer Bridge Experience is designed to help guide first-year, Illinois residents, and first-generation students transition to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. ISP combines opportunity, access, and support to position students for academic success and personal growth throughout their time at Illinois.
This year, one of our incoming freshman, Kaden Ambers, was selected to participate. His research focused on "A Foundation That Never Ages: From Philosophy to Presidency."

07/31/2026

This summer, we've offered two graduate courses for ag teachers and Extension professionals.
The first was Certified Food Protection Instructor Course. The course equiped participants with the knowledge and credentials to teach the ServSafe curriculum and administer certification exams. Emphasis is placed on integrating food safety education into youth development and classroom instruction, with practical strategies for engaging teen learners. Upon successful completion, educators earned their Manager’s certification and were eligible to apply for ServSafe Instructor and Registered Proctor status through the National Restaurant Association, empowering them to certify students and community members in food safety.
The second course was Technical Skills for Teaching Agricultural Mechanics This hands-on course focused on developing technical skills in agricultural mechanics, with the goal of translating technical and industry experience into effective teaching practices. The course activities included building a wooden mallet, practicing MIG welding, and disassembling large diesel engines. The course included a guided field trip to an industrial food bioprocessing facility and video creation of a professional-style instructional resource for classroom use.
A big thank you to our instructors Mynda Tracy and Travis Johnson.

07/28/2026

What a fantastic three days at our annual Agricultural Education Camp!

Rising high school juniors and seniors got a taste of college life by touring campus, staying in the residence halls, connecting with current Ag Ed students, enjoying evening activities, and, of course, had to stop at Jarling's!

The highlight of camp was exploring the Agricultural Education profession. Campers learned about lesson planning, toured the Pollinatarium to discover the importance of bees and other pollinators, then with a partner, created and taught their own lessons on that topic complete with presentations, learning activities, and assessments.

We wrapped up camp with a visit from FCAE District 4 Program Advisor Megan Coy. Thank you to everyone who helped make this camp such a success! This couldn't have been possible without the financial support of the Ag Ed line item, specifically the G.A.S.T (Growing Agriculture Science Teachers) grant.

We're excited to see so many students who are passionate about agriculture and interested in becoming the next generation of agriculture teachers. We hope to see many of them wearing Orange and Blue in the future! 🧡💙

06/29/2026

On Sunday, four of our students—Austin Elam, Caleb Seboldt, Karley Putnam, and Grant Alexander—led a workshop on the fundamentals of parliamentary procedure for participants in the University of Illinois Extension Leadership Academy. They were joined by ALEC alum Mason Brockett, who returned to campus to help facilitate the session. The academy brings together county board officials from across Illinois to strengthen their leadership and governance skills.

During the session, our students introduced key principles and common parliamentary procedures, then engaged participants in discussions that demonstrated how these tools can be effectively applied during county board meetings.

We are proud to see our students sharing their expertise while developing their own leadership, communication, and teaching skills. Thank you to the University of Illinois Extension Leadership Academy for the opportunity to showcase the talents of our future educators and leaders!

06/23/2026

Even though it's summer, activities continue for students studying agricultural education. While attending the Illinois State FFA Convention, Calvin and Cora, delivered a workshop to over 50 FFA members titled, "From the Blue & Gold to the Orange & Blue." Additionally, Dr. Leman, Dr. Marzolino, Dr. Axtman-Barker, and Mr. Ochs assisted with the College of ACES booth, judged Public Speaking LDE, and represented the college in various functions.
Last week, the Ag Ed faculty, along with 10 students attended the Illinois Association of Vocational Agricultural Teachers conference. They attended professional development workshops, attended business meetings and were recognized for various activities. The recently graduated students that are working in ag ed this fall were recognized, as well as Kelsey Luth and Clara Asplund were awarded the Eldon Witt scholarship.

06/01/2026

Turns out, studying rhetoric is 100% better when it involves a vineyard, a dairy farm, an apple orchard, and peers from around the world. 🧀🍏🍇🧐
We are so grateful for our hosts at UniLaSalle for helping us digest the local culture (and agricultural products) of Normandy in Rouen, France!

05/29/2026

Oui, oui! We love Paris!
AGCM 398 Students spent 5 days in Paris - we saw iconic sights, explored local markets and visited a luxury wine store to learn about how products are marketed.

05/21/2026

🍾 Champaign to Champagne 🍾
Students in AGCM 398: The Rhetoric of Cheese and Wine (in France!) just wrapped up the first stop of their tour, Reims, France.
Led by Dr. Axtman-Barker, this class offers students the chance to think about communication in a new cultural context and reflect on how communication shapes out understanding and interest in these iconic products. In Reims, the class toured 2 champagne houses, a wine museum, and listened to lectures by experts from UniLaSalle and Reims University. Today, they travel onto Paris for their next stop!

Illinois ACES Study Abroad University of Illinois College of ACES

Address

905 S Goodwin Avenue
Urbana, IL
61801

Website

http://alec.illinois.edu/

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