Effects of an innovative recruitment workshop on selected Texas urban high school students' knowledge and perceptions of agriculture

Abstract

The Big City, Big Country Road Show (BC2BC) is a 2.5-year project designed to recruit non-traditional populations, urban and minorities, into post-secondary agricultural science degree programs. Through experiential learning, BC2BC introduces students to various agricultural communications skill sets in an effort to broaden students’ views of opportunities in agriculture. This study attempted to measure Texas urban high school students’ perceptions of agriculture as a subject, a college major, and a career, before and after participation in the BC2BC program in summer of 2007. The study also looked at students’ perceptions of careers attainable with an agricultural degree and students’ general agricultural knowledge levels, self-reported and tested. Pre–and post–test mean comparisons revealed positive increases in student perceptions of agriculture and an increase in self-reported agricultural knowledge levels after workshop participation. The results of this study have implications for year two BC2BC workshops and may serve as a potential model for recruitment programs of underrepresented populations into colleges of agriculture.