The NextGen Program

Pathway to Public Service

Federal service matters in our climate and equity-challenged world. Our partnership will identify pathways into public service for high school, bachelor and graduate degree holders, with the goal of strengthening USDA's future workforce by increasing the number of food, agriculture, natural resources and health sciences (FANH) knowledgeable employees from underrepresented groups and geographies. Partnering with Arizona State University (ASU), Food Corps, Hawai'i Pacific University (HPU), and University of Guam (UoG), we have been awarded $18 Million to offer students education opportunities, scholarships and internships.

Become a USDA Scholar Today

Undergraduate Scholarships

Three people smiling while holding boxes of vegetables

This is for the USDA NextGen Undergraduate Scholarship. You must log into Kaleidoscope and fill out the UAF General application BEFORE you can apply for the USDA NextGen program.

Apply Here

Graduate Scholarships

Person holding a bunch of fresh carrots

This is for the USDA NextGen Graduate Scholarship. You must log into Kaleidoscope and fill out the UAF General application BEFORE you can apply for the USDA NextGen program.

Apply Here

Internships

Person holding small seedling

Coming Soon

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Any University of Alaska Fairbanks students who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents.

For purposes of applicant citizenship, NIFA follows the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS) definitions, unless otherwise stated in the RFA. U.S. citizens are individuals born in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands, (persons born in American Samoa, or Swains Island are generally considered nationals of the United States); foreign-born children, under age 18, residing in the United States with their birth or adoptive parents, at least one of whom is a U.S. citizen by birth or naturalization; and individuals granted citizenship status by USCIS.4

 
The United States Department of Agriculture has almost any career field imaginable. From marketing and economics to fire science and research, there’s a career opportunity available for you. See the USDA career page for more information Careers at USDA
Minimum of a 2.0 GPA for currently enrolled students. Also, attendance at the four activities, seen below.
  • Fall Semester August 2nd
  • Spring Semester December 1st
Up to $12,000 per student per year.
You can apply online above. We use the Kaleidoscope system for now, you must apply to the University of Alaska General Application first before you can apply to be a USDA Scholar.
We’re still working on this, So keep an eye out for more information. You can also be added onto our emailing list to stay up to date on any new information. We expect to have internship opportunities for the summer of 2025.

USDA Scholar Activities:

 

The goal of the USDA info session is to familiarize students with the various job opportunities within USDA. With 17 different agencies and a budget over $200 billion, USDA is one of the largest and most influential government departments. There is a wide-range of career pathways, which can be exciting and also daunting for students considering pursuing a USDA job. This info session will break it down so it’s easier for students to understand the inner workings and find their niche in the Department of Agriculture.
Based on “Model Congress” and “Model UN,” NextGen students will participate in “Model USDA”: a simulation engagement to provide students with insights on the work that USDA does and training on how to do it, with particular emphasis on leadership skills and policy development. Students will take on the roles of Secretary, senior advisor, administrator, chief of staff, press aide, budget officer, HR director, tribal liaison office staff and more. Through role playing on specific and timely issues before USDA (e.g. preparation of the annual budget submission, competition, food procurement, food safety outbreak), students will act out real life job functions in a simulated atmosphere.
This workshop will provide students with all the dos and don’ts of applying for federal employment through USAjobs.gov. After attending, students will be able to confidently navigate the expansive website and have more success in their search for internships and/or job opportunities.
To ensure NextGen students are fluent in climate science, an annual virtual symposium on climate and food will be held, inclusive of providing an online “toolbox” of accessible and reusable resources and a tutorial on how to use them.
NextGen scholarship recipients will have access to exclusive career counseling to ensure they are adequately supported and prepared to enter the workforce upon completion of their studies. 

National Institute of Food and Agriculture
USDA Mission Statement

We provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management.

 

Learn more about USDA here
USDA Career Categories
USDA Job Opportunities

 

USDA nextgen logo
FoodCorps

Hawaii Pacific University

Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems Arizona State University logo

University of Guam, green text

For NextGen Inquires:

Jay Clapeck 

Jay Clapeck 

NextGen Coordinator

Cooperative Extension Service 

jjclapeck@alaska.edu | (907) 474-6203

1751 Tanana Loop(Forestry Building), Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-6180

learn more
DeShana York

DeShana York

Project Director

Cooperative Extension Service

ddyork@alaska.edu | 907-786-6330

219 E International Airport Road, Ste 100, Anchorage, Alaska 99508

learn more
This work is supported by the From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals (NextGen) Program, project award no. 2023-70440-40222, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.