A new $300,000 grant awarded to Reedley College will facilitate coordination with the Partners in Agricultural Leadership (PAL) program. PAL is a collaborative effort between colleges, research centers, and high schools that encourages high school students to pursue higher education in the agriculture industry and provides opportunities to increase their knowledge of careers in the field. In addition, PAL develops students’ personal and leadership potential by offering unique opportunities to represent agriculture in the media.

“This program focuses on keeping students interested in agriculture on the path to a college education and ultimately to an agricultural career,” said Alberto Godinez, a PAL participant and a Reedley High School junior.

“This program focuses on keeping students interested in agriculture on the path to a college education and ultimately to an agricultural career.” —Alberto Godinez
PAL participant

The two-year program includes seminars at leading agriculture colleges and research centers. The sessions in the first year include expert panels, workshops, group discussions, and study assignments. In addition to Reedley College, seminars are conducted at Fresno State, Cal Poly, UC Davis VMTRC, the USDA Ag Research Center, and the UC Kearney Research and Extension Center. The second year focuses on current agricultural issues such as water, trade, and policy. Participants also serve their local communities through volunteer projects.

Each year, the program includes 40 high school juniors from Fresno, Madera, Kings, and Tulare counties. Participants in the competitive program also have a chance to earn scholarships of up to $50,000 upon graduation.

Reedley College offers a variety of agriculture courses and majors related to field, including horticulture, natural resources, mechanized agriculture, and forestry. For more information on the PAL program at Reedley College call 559-637-2539 or visit their website.

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