Two students from Kansas will have the opportunity to travel to Asia to represent the state in a week-long agriculture exchange program in late October.
The 2019 Taiwan Agricultural Youth Exchange program is sponsored by the Kansas Department of Agriculture as well as Kansas 4-H and FFA. The program is open to high school seniors and college freshmen with an interest in agriculture — applications are due by August 30th.
Sage Collins is a 2018 program participant and calls the experience “amazing.
“Immersing myself in a new culture, experiencing all the aspects of Taiwan and learning about their agricultural practices was an eye-opening experience for me.”
Those selected will travel to the National Taichung Agricultural Senior High School in Taichung, Taiwan in the center of the nation. There they will learn about Taiwanese agriculture and tour multiple facilities and businesses. Kansas exported more than $129 million in agriculture products — ranging from beef to cereal grains to wheat flour — to Taiwan in 2018 according to Euromonitor.
KDA International Trade Director Suzanne Ryan-Numrich says the program is a “tremendous opportunity.
“Students are able to return from Taiwan with a broader understanding of international agriculture and the role that exports play in their local communities.”
To be eligible, students must have a strong agricultural background and be at least 18 years of age by October 26th, be able to pay airfare at a cost of about a thousand dollars and have a valid U.S. passport. In addition to a resume and letters of introduction and reference, applicants must also submit an essay no more than 500 words explaining their agricultural background, career goals and prior international experience.
For more on applying, click here.
