AgTEC Convening Strengthens Curriculum & Student Success

On Thursday, April 3, 2025, AgTEC faculty and student support coordinators from across the Central Valley gathered at Clovis Community College for a full-day convening focused on alignment, curriculum development, and strategies to ensure student success. With the AgTEC program now in its eighth month, the convening was a timely opportunity to reflect on progress and refine approaches to better serve the predominantly Latino/a/x adult learners who are participating in the Ag Systems Certificate program.

The day began with an overview of the broader F3 Initiative, including updates from F3 Local, F3 Innovate, and the AgTEC Workforce program. Participating colleges shared key wins and challenges since the program launched, highlighting strong enrollment and early certificate completions, along with lessons learned about supporting first-generation students—many of whom are balancing full-time work, caregiving, and coursework in their second language.

Curriculum development was a major focus of the meeting, with breakout sessions covering topics from digital literacy and crop production to equipment troubleshooting and workplace effectiveness. Simultaneously, student support staff participated in a hands-on review of assigned course content to strengthen their understanding of what students are learning—and how to better communicate the value of the certificate to industry partners.

The convening also featured sessions on immigration support resources from Binational of Central California, marketing best practices presented by F3's communications consultant, and a Salesforce database training. The day concluded with a collaborative round robin discussion of successes and future events. As the AgTEC program continues to grow, the convening reinforced the importance of shared tools, strong relationships, and a student-centered approach to building a skilled, inclusive agricultural workforce in the Central Valley.

To learn more about the AgTEC program, visit the newly launched website at: https://f3agtec.org/