Youth Education Program

Youth Education Program is sponsored by USDA NIFA. Supports youth education programs focusing on agriculture, nutrition, and financial management through partnerships with land-grant universities and other organizations.

Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge (SPECA) Grants Program | NIFA The lifecycle of grants and cooperative agreements consists of four phases: Pre-Award, Award, Post-Award, and Close Out. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture is committed to serving its stakeholders, Congress, and the public by using new technologies to advance greater openness.

The Data Gateway enables users to find funding data, metrics, and information about research, education, and Extension projects that have received grant awards from NIFA. This website houses a large volume of supporting materials. In this section, you can search the wide range of documents, videos, and other resources.

Technical Assistance Webinar: The Equipment Grants Program (EGP) The Equipment Grants Program seeks to provide eligible institutions with the opportunity to acquire a shared-use piece of equipment/instrument that supports their research, research training, and extension goals. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture provides leadership and funding for programs that advance agriculture-related sciences.

Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge (SPECA) Grants Program All Applicants Must Have an eRA Commons Account to Apply This program is being managed in the eRA Grants Management System as part of NIFA’s ongoing Grants Modernization Initiative (GMI) . To apply for this program’s NOFO(s), all applicants must have an eRA Commons account registered with their organization.

To learn more about acquiring an account or registering a new organization, please refer to the training in our eRA Reference Center . The aim of the SPECA program is to develop and increase the quality of K-14 food and agricultural academic programs at eligible institutions. SPECA-funded projects must engage more than a single course or individual instructor.

This program encourages applicants to collaborate between institutions and agencies to achieve the program’s overall goals and objectives which are listed below.

The purpose of the SPECA program is to award grants which: Enhance curricula in agricultural education Increase faculty teaching competencies Interest young people in pursuing higher education in order to prepare for scientific and professional careers in the food and agricultural sciences Promote the incorporation of agriscience and agribusiness subject matter into other instructional programs, particularly classes in science, business, and consumer education Facilitate joint initiatives by the grant recipient with other secondary schools, institutions of higher education that award an associate degree, and institutions of higher education that award a bachelor's degree to maximize the development and use of resources, such as faculty, facilities, and equipment, to improve agriscience and agribusiness education Support other initiatives designed to meet local, State, regional, or national needs related to promoting excellence in agriscience and agribusiness education Support current agriculture in the classroom programs for grades K–12.

NOFO Link Descriptive Summary Deadline USDA-NIFA-CSPECA-32938 Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program July 27, 2026 The following groups are eligible to receive funding: Public or private nonprofit junior and community colleges Institutions of higher education Previously Funded Projects FY26 Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge (SPECA) Grants Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Technical Assistance Webinar This technical assistance webinar will provide an overview of the FY 26 Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge (SPECA) Grants Program goals and priorities, application… Competitive Grant Programs Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program Page last updated: July 15, 2026 Your feedback is important to us.