SU College of Ag holds a successful 2024 BAYOU Program
Baton Rouge, La. – The College of Agricultural, Human and Environmental Sciences (CAHES) hosted 28 high school seniors and incoming college freshmen from Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma for 11 days during the college’s annual Beginning Agricultural Youth Opportunities Unlimited (BAYOU) Program.
The program allowed students to gain first-hand knowledge about career opportunities in Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences, Business, or the natural sciences.
“The students arrived on campus on June 2 and were able to venture through the entire College of Agricultural, Human and Environmental Sciences and engage with professors from all 15 concentrations,” said Dr. Harold Mellieon, Chair of the CAHES’s Department of Agricultural Science and Technology.
Participants were also able to network with professionals from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agencies including the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Foreign Agricultural Science (FAS), the Farm Service Agency (FSA), the U.S. Forest Service, and the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE). In addition to networking, the students also participated in several field trips, including visits to the Cohen Arboretum, the Bluebonnet Swamp, The Printing Source, the LSU River Studies Center, and Muse3 Farms.
The students stayed in the residential dormitories on Southern University’s camp throughout the program, which concluded with a ceremony on June 12. The ceremony included a video recap of the students' experiences and encouraging words from Dr. Renita Marshall, Vice Chancellor for Academic & Student Services/ Associate Dean of CAHES, and Dr. Chris Chappell, Assistant Professor of Urban Forestry in the CAHES’ Department of Urban Forestry, Environment and Natural Resources.
To be accepted into the free BAYOU summer program, students had to complete an online application and complete the 11th grade with a minimum GPA of 2.5. Graduating seniors had to have an ACT (SAT equivalent) composite score of 18 and above, or a High School GPA of 2.5 or greater, or rank top 50% of high school graduation class AND require no more than one remedial course; and submit a 300-500 word essay on their career goals and aspirations.
For additional information on the BAYOU program visit, https://www.suagcenter.com/page/bayou-summer-program.