The International Association of Programs for Agricultural Leaders (IAPAL) is a professional consortium of agricultural, rural and urban leadership directors and their associates on a global scale. Initially created for agricultural leadership programs in Canada, the US, Australia, and Scotland, we expanded our scope. In 2017, we included Nuffield Scholars International. We now celebrate 52 leadership programs with immense capacity for global interface. The core mission for IAPAL is to provide a convening forum for leadership professionals to share innovative curriculum, provoke solutions, and to circulate data-driven international agricultural and leadership policy issues.

A nucleus of leadership directors with capacity for vision launched IAPAL in 1987 in Arkansas at a meeting intended to collaborate with leadership programs funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Kellogg developed the vanguard leadership programs in the 70’s through the Kellogg Farmers Study Program. Focus and current shared purpose includes: “an increased participant understanding of the political, social, and economic systems to develop skill sets; effective spokespeople for related industries as well as communities; expanded individual networks and the development of future civic, organizational, and political leaders.” The pioneer leadership programs funded by Kellogg were: California, Michigan, Montana, Pennsylvania and Washington states

As we learned resourcefulness over the recent pandemic, where are these leadership programs housed and where does learning happen? The world is our classroom, in many cases. Thanks to remote and hybrid learning forums, continuity was bridged for most programs.

The WORLD is our classroom

IAPAL slates an annual, in-person (and recently added remote access) venue for conferences with professional education, idea exchanges and related cultural, agricultural or tourism features. IAPAL has convened in Australia, Canada, Mexico and Scotland as well as well as 26 member states. IAPAL offers a monthly remote meeting forum with advance topics circulated. Most leadership directors share liberally and plan joint forums to the benefit of all scholars and staff. A listserv for IAPAL is our resource vault. Funding for the annual IAPAL conference is generally provided by registration fees, sponsors, host program alumni and host program goodwill. IAPAL incubated a program alumni spinoff called International Leadership Alumni Conference (ILAC) which schedules its own leadership conferences and has been successful in global as well as US venues with an active advisory board.

Leadership program duration and curriculum does vary among members with a majority on a two year curriculum. Most programs in IAPAL feature a national and an international study institute component. A community service goal is a requirement of several programs. Program Directors are currently addressing how to create more diversity within their scholar recruitment and curriculum. Our alumni are equipped with an advanced skill set and can assist in our diversity initiatives through active scholar nominations and curriculum counsel. Successful leadership program alumni are change makers, burnished with a professional leadership development acumen, and a personal exigency to make positive change. Thousands of graduates of these programs (estimated at over 25,000 alumni) are leading in our provinces, states, council areas, regions, counties, parishes, countries and world. It is our ceaseless quest to capture their immeasurable impact.

Initial Script by Joe Waldrum, AR

Revision by JD, Penn State Extension, 7/2022