CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2022 WINNERS!
Jordyn Rankin-Williams, $1,500
Emalie Strong, $1,500
Celebrate HARVEST’s 2023/24 Continuing Education Awards Program.
Under the Program, two individuals interested in pursuing any aspect that is related/pertinent to the agritourism/agritainment industry will be awarded $1,500 each in June of 2024 (application deadline is April 30th, 2024 and the announcement of winners made in June 2024). There are many aspects – finance, marketing, promotions, food, construction, agriculture, events planning, etc. – that are used in the agritourism/agritainment industry. Of course, we would prefer those seeking this continuing education opportunity have a love and/or passion for agriculture in particular, but it is not THE determining factor in our decisions for who receives them, only one factor. Our 3-person board of directors reviews all applications and determines the award winners. In its first two years of the program, Celebrate HARVEST has awarded $9,000 to six individuals to pursue continuing education (either at farm conferences or colleges) in the field of agritainment.
Program Guidelines & Priorities:
- Seeking graduating seniors or individuals currently working in or at an agritainment venue that want to pursue some aspect of agritourism/agritainment, aka experiential farming.
- Applicants must plan on attending a two (2)-year community college, four (4)-year college or university OR be an individual who is currently working at an agritainment venue that would like to pursue more education and/or training toward an aspect of the industry by either attending college, attending a farm conference or interning at another agritainment venue.
- Winners to be announced in June 2024. Funds to be paid during the month of June 2024 —directly to the college or agritainment venue, not the recipient. The funds will be issued to the college or university upon receiving a certificate of enrollment for the fall semester, which includes the Student ID number and Financial Aid Office address. If it’s to an individual headed to another agritainment venue for a “hands-on” internship, the funds will be awarded directly to the winner to help pay for travel and accommodations to farm venue hosting the recipient. Funds provided upon proof from host venue that they will be interning the winner.
- Applicants must have the endorsement of their Guidance Counselor or venue employer on their application attesting they are qualified for this continuing education award program.
- Applications must be received by Celebrate HARVEST no later than April 30th, 2024. Late applications will not be accepted, unless there are mitigating circumstances.
Your package must include:
- Application with sign off by Guidance Counselor/Employer
- Essay/Letter describing why you should be a continuing education award recipient
- Letter of recommendation
Mail or e-mail one copy of a completed and typed application package to:
CH Continuing Education Awards Committee c/o Celebrate HARVEST
11709 250th Ave E
Buckley, WA 98321
MISSION/PURPOSE
Inspiring and financially supporting the future of experiential farming (aka agritainment/agritourism).
Inspiring and financially supporting the future would mean providing our youth with opportunities to visit such farms and pursue educational opportunities in the industry – this will play a significant role in sustaining the industry’s future. Inspiring and financially supporting its present-day family farmers is necessary to help preserve the family farm. Celebrate HARVEST is committed to helping fund/build/manage non-traditional farming events and activities in order to supplement and sustain these mostly commodity-driven farms, farmers and farmlands. It’s Farming Reimagined. We want to achieve this transformation by:
1) providing students an opportunity for continued education in the field of non-traditional farming practices/methods – experiential farming, or agritourism – via continuing education awards/opportunities.
2) fully or partially funding participating farms’ field trips for students and schools that may not otherwise be able to afford field trips to an experiential farm with the hope of inspiring our youth at an early age toward such a field of study/profession.
3) providing farms/farmers with an organization (Celebrate HARVEST) that can help them fund/build/create/manage non-traditional farming events/activities on their farms.
4) providing local honeybee enthusiasts with a funding mechanism to help them become better bee keepers and advocates.
Funds will be raised via:
Grants and donations from local businesses/people as well as donations back from those farms whom we provide support for with the funding/building/creating/managing of non-traditional farming activities/events at their farms.
Some of those non-traditional farming activities/events may include (but not be limited to) the funding/building/creating/managing of live pig racing events, live duck racing events, live concerts, food and/or beverage venue(s), a scary wagon ride, a ropes/challenge coarse, a cornhole tournament event, a food truck festival, a fishing derby, a trike racing course, a jump pillow, a mechanical bull, zip lines, apple blasters/cannons, a tug-of-war station, paintball gallery, bubble soccer field, a human foosball venue, barnyard ball zone venue, wall board mazes, cow trains, etc.
Daily operations of our organization aren’t necessarily daily, but just as needed. We will be applying for grant money from different organizations/large corporations that want to support our mission.
