RAS Foundation launches new scholarship to address shortage of agriculture teachers
The RAS Foundation is making a significant investment in the future of rural and regional NSW, with the introduction of a new scholarship dedicated to agriculture graduates who are looking to pursue a career in teaching.
Open to NSW and ACT scholars, the Master of Teaching Scholarship for Ag Graduates aims to tackle the critical shortage of qualified agriculture teachers, with the RAS Foundation offering up to five scholarships of $10,000 each to assist with the financial burden of post-graduate study.
RAS Foundation Manager, Cecilia Logan, expressed her excitement about the launch of the new scholarship and the Foundation’s commitment to supporting students in their quest to become agricultural educators.
“The RAS Foundation is focused on helping to build strong rural and regional communities, and education plays a vital role in achieving that. We hope that this scholarship will contribute to increasing the number of qualified teachers with agricultural education expertise”, Cecilia Logan said.
“By improving the availability and quality of agricultural education in secondary schools and nurturing a workforce that is equipped with knowledge and skills in agriculture, we can ensure the long-term sustainability of the agricultural industry”.
The scholarship is targeted towards recent agriculture graduates who are passionate about the industry and seeking to transition to a teaching role, while also welcoming agriculture graduates already working within the industry and looking for a career change.
Professor Jim Pratley, AM, RAS Foundation Board Member and Research Professor of Agriculture with Charles Sturt University, believes the financial assistance, mentorship and practicum placement opportunities created by the scholarship are a meaningful step in the right direction.
“Agriculture is undergoing a major transformation, and the emerging generation of agriculturalists will be driving that evolution. It is imperative that we equip our schools with the right resources, and key to those resources are agriculture educated teachers”, Jim Pratley said.
“Where we have teachers whose primary focus in education, and whose passion beyond the classroom, is for agriculture, we will be able to inspire students into agriculture careers where they will make a real difference in the sector as agents of change”.
The Master of Teaching Scholarship for Ag Graduates is currently open, with applications closing on Sunday, 21 January 2024.
Ag Graduates are defined as those with a Bachelor’s Degree in an ag-related field, including, but not limited to, Agricultural Science, Horticulture, Agriculture, Agribusiness, Agricultural Business Management, Rural Science, Agricultural Production, and Environmental Science.
The RAS Foundation urges interested individuals to visit the website to find out more and apply.
