The Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council is celebrating its 25th anniversary. This organization promotes and supports agricultural education in the state. Executive Director Sarah Dornink says ag education has enjoyed amazing growth. “Just going back a couple years to 2019, we went from 195 (ag education) programs to 220; we had 290 teachers and now we have 325 teachers so the growth has just exploded.” FFA membership in the state is also approaching levels seen in the heydey of the 1970s and 1980s. MAELC was established in 1997 by the legislature and includes representation from education, agriculture and the government. Over the past 25 years, MAELC has invested $21 million in grants to supplement ag education funding. Dornink says the teacher shortage remains a concern moving forward.
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