Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow

National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (National ACT) is a collegiate student organization that strives to stimulate interest in the profession of agricultural communications on the local, national, and international levels; promote the interchange of ideas among students and faculty members at colleges and universities offering academic programs in agricultural communications; and provide opportunities for personal and professional growth between students and agricultural communication professionals. Membership is composed of undergraduate and graduate students actively interested in agricultural communications. More than 15 chapters from universities across the United States and Canada affiliate with National ACT.

National ACT meets each year with agricultural communication professionals at the Agricultural Media Summit. National ACT also sponsors several annual events, including a mid-spring professional development workshop, a critique and contest where students receive feedback from professionals on their communication materials, and [Page 18]scholarships. A student officer team and faculty adviser manage National ACT. Universities desiring to start a National ACT chapter can visit the National ACT Web site.

National ACT traces its beginning to 1968, when agricultural communications students from the University of Illinois conceived the idea of a national student group and sent surveys to universities that offered curricula in agricultural journalism or agricultural communications. Responses from 22 universities indicated that more than 250 students were enrolled in such programs at 15 universities. Respondents indicated that a national organization for students in agricultural communications would be valuable. As a result of the encouraging responses, students and faculty advisers from the University of Illinois, Iowa State University, and the University of Missouri met in Burlington, Iowa, in early 1969 to discuss the feasibility of such a group and to formalize plans for a national meeting. This initial group envisioned a national organization that would provide students with professional development opportunities, leadership experiences, networking opportunities, and a conduit for agricultural communication and journalism students across the country to interact. After two meetings, the planners had drafted a constitution and asked the American Association of Agricultural Communicators in Education (AAACE, now known as ACE) to serve as the parent organization. Members of ACE endorsed the arrangement at their 1969 meeting. In July 1970, 23 students from seven universities met with ACE to form the American Association of Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow, now known as National ACT. The universities represented included Colorado State University, Delaware Valley College, University of Georgia, University of Illinois, Iowa State University, University of Missouri, and The Ohio State University.

Although National ACT has seen many changes over the years, a few concepts have served as an important part of the organization. The first is ACT's ability to relate to the whole career field in agricultural communications. The programs that ACT sponsors at the national, regional, and chapter levels try to reflect the interests of all students studying agricultural communications or agricultural journalism. A good example of academic and professional diversity can be seen in the categories represented in National ACT's annual contest. A second concept is maintaining affiliation with the varied professional agricultural communications organizations. Throughout the years, ACT has worked with these organizations in many capacities, including holding the national meeting with different organizations and providing mentoring programs, scholarships, and internships. The value of these affiliations is not always seen immediately or while ACT members are attending college. Rather it is seen after they graduate when they use contacts made to find jobs and improve their network of agricultural communications. A final concept is providing students with opportunities to develop knowledge needed for a career in agricultural communications. This concept is accomplished in many ways. When students compete in critique contests, for example, they receive an evaluation of their skills and learn about ways to improve them. In addition, workshops provide students with opportunities to learn more about what is expected of them when they enter the agricultural communications field.

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