** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE IMPACT OF AGING IN THE AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE HAS BEEN AN ONGOING CONCERN IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. WITHOUT A NEW GENERATION OF EMPLOYEES PREPARED TO TAKE OVER, RURAL COMMUNITIES FACE ECONOMIC DECLINES AND DECREASED QUALITY OF LIFE. MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CAREER-BASED GUIDANCE. HOWEVER, THEY RECEIVE MINIMAL FORMAL TRAINING IN CAREER DEVELOPMENT OR PEDAGOGY, AND FEW HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF AGRICULTURE. RURAL SCHOOL COUNSELORS OFTEN SERVE MULTIPLE SCHOOLS OR IN K-12 SETTINGS LEAVING LIMITED TIME FOR CAREER RESEARCH OR CLASSROOM PREPARATION. TO SUPPORT CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVE KNOWLEDGE OF CAREERS IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, THE CURRENT PROJECT PROPOSES AN EXPERIENTIAL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM.RURAL, MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELORS WILL BE SELECTED FROM A NATIONAL POOL AND PARTNERED WITH A MENTOR EXPERIENCED IN CAREER DEVELOPMENT TO COMPLETE AN 6-MONTH MENTORSHIP PROGRAM CULMINATING IN A WEEK-LONG IMMERSION EXPERIENCE. MENTORS AND MENTEES WILL MEET TWICE A MONTH. SCHOOL COUNSELORS (I.E., MENTEES) WILL SET GOALS, EXPLORE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL CAREERS, PARTICIPATE IN ONLINE TRAININGS ON CAREER THEORY AND PEDAGOGY, AND NETWORK WITH EXTENSION. SCHOOL COUNSELORS WILL DEVELOP CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES THAT WILL BE SHARED PUBLICLY. THE IMMERSION WEEK WILL INVOLVE TRAVEL TO UNIVERSITY LABS AND BUSINESSES IN THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY. PARTICIPANTS WILL GAIN KNOWLEDGE OF AGRICULTURAL CAREERS THAT WILL INCREASE THEIR INTEREST AND SELF-EFFICACY IN DESCRIBING THESE CAREERS TO STUDENTS. PROGRAM OUTCOMES WILL BE EVALUATED THROUGH PRE- AND POST-TESTS COLLECTED DURING THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM. IMPROVING AGRICULTURAL LITERACY AMONG SCHOOL COUNSELORS PROMOTES A NEW GENERATION OF PROFESSIONALS AND CONTRIBUTES TO A HEALTHY AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE.