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Agricultural and cooperative education

Building ag career pathways

The CHS Foundation supports agricultural leadership and cooperative education projects that build a robust, diverse pipeline for agriculture and help people understand the value of the ag cooperative business model.

Educating rural youth
We work with national and state level industry partners like AFA, FFA and state ag leadership programs to encourage more than 52,000 students to pursue ag careers each year. We’ve also partnered with dozens of cooperative education organizations to educate students about the cooperative business model. Your project could be next. Contact us at stewardship@999lsm.net or 1-800-814-0506 to discuss if your program could be a fit.
Ag leadership guidelines
  • Applications are accepted online anytime throughout the year.
  • Projects should be focused on ag education, leadership or career training; impacting from high school students to young professionals.
  • State FFA and Ag in the Classroom funding is administered through the national branches of those organizations.
  • Local ag leadership programs (FFA, 4-H, etc.) are considered under the CHS Seeds for Stewardship program.
Cooperative education guidelines
  • Applications are only accepted Jan. 1 to Feb. 15.
  • Priority is given to programs that educate the next generation about the agricultural cooperative business model using new, innovative approaches.
  • Projects should target middle school students through young producers.
  • Programs must demonstrate a history of success and/or increase in growth.
  • Only two cooperative education camps per state will be considered with a maximum of 20% of overall budget awarded.

Additional considerations

  • Priority for ag leadership and cooperative education programs is given to national level or regional programming that impacts multiple states.
  • The CHS Foundation will only accept state-level requests from key states in the CHS trade territory: Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
  • Multi-year funding, legislative activities, projects outside the states listed above and indirect costs will not be considered.
  • CHS stewardship does not make funding decisions based on race, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin or ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information, familial status, veteran status, or characteristics protected under any applicable laws of any location in which CHS operates.
  • Questions about funding? Contact us at stewardship@999lsm.net or 1-800-814-0506.

Impact

Virtual cooperative
Take a virtual tour of a cooperative
Cooperative education resources developed for ag teachers by ag teachers. Take a tour of a cooperative or access 50+ career profiles from employees at CHS member co-ops.
Read more
Man holding up a FFA jacket
FFA to receive largest gift in CHS Foundation history
The CHS Foundation grant to FFA will support national and state FFA programs and help retain inspiring ag teachers like Tanner Peterson.
Learn more
Screenshot of Cooperative Minds website
Immersive resources from Cooperative Minds
Cooperative Minds, a free, online curriculum created in partnership with Discovery Education, offers a gamified learning experience, career profiles, and ready-to-use activities and curriculum to help students discover the opportunities available in agriculture.
Explore more