Barbecues and tours of food science labs are two ways high school students can get a taste of the College of Agriculture.

The Agricultural Ambassador Program attempts to recruit and retain students within the College of Agriculture.

Four years ago, the ambassador program was redesigned to involve more activities for high school students and increase its interaction with college students.

“Previously, it had been a fairly small program,” said Elizabeth Foreman, student services specialist and program adviser.

She said 27 students from the College of Agriculture make up five committees that showcase the opportunities to high school students.

New programs, student recruitment, member development, student visits and youth organizations are the five areas covered by the ag ambassadors.

Laura Kohn, senior in zoology and ag ambassador, said the program works with university officials to obtain and contact students interested in agriculture.

During “Experience Iowa State” days, usually on Mondays and Fridays, high school students can schedule a time to tour the agricultural buildings on campus.

If students have specific interests, they are introduced to professors and advisers in the field, Kohn said.

One upcoming ag ambassador event is the FFA Barbecue, an event that 2,924 high school students have signed up for, Kohn said.

Along with the barbecue, FFA high school students will get a tour of the campus and participate in workshops.

“Hands-on” activities are strongly promoted, as they push for potential students to experience the various interactive labs the College of Agriculture offers, Kohn said.

Prospective students can attend class with someone who shares similar interests with them and have one-on-one interaction with faculty and advisers.

She said few schools in the country have ambassador programs for their agriculture colleges.

Two reasons for reaching out and recruiting for the College of Agriculture include the decreased number of farms in Iowa and the other competing colleges in the Midwest.

“The big thing is the image of agriculture,” Foreman said.

High school students are not aware there are opportunities outside production agriculture, like biochemistry and microbiology, Foreman said.

“One of the biggest things in agriculture is not just farming,” said Kayla Schulte, senior in agronomy.

She said high school students may think they must have a farm background to be in the College of Agriculture.

Amy Burmeister, sophomore in agricultural education, said the decrease in youth participation in agricultural activities is a problem. Her high school is in danger of someday cutting its agricultural program because fewer people are being raised on farms, she said.

“People who have experience are more likely to be in the College of Agriculture,” she said.

She said people do not realize the variety of backgrounds and cultures that can be found in the College of Agriculture.

Compared to other colleges, ISU ag ambassadors must emphasize Iowa State’s equality of education to maintain students, Schulte said. Foreman said Iowa State has some of the top research programs in the nation, and the College of Agriculture has a 98 percent career placement for graduating seniors.

Funded through the Department of Agriculture, the ag ambassadors’ budget varies each year.