Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program

The Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K–12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program, administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, aims to strengthen agriscience and agribusiness education across multiple levels of the educational system. Funding is directed toward enhancing curricula in agricultural education, improving faculty teaching skills, and inspiring K–12 students to pursue higher education and careers in food and agricultural sciences. The program encourages the integration of agriscience content into existing science, business, and consumer education courses and supports collaborative initiatives between secondary schools and institutions of higher education offering associate and bachelor’s degrees to optimize the shared use of faculty, facilities, and equipment. It also provides support for existing agriculture in the classroom initiatives targeting students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Grants under this program are designed to address local, state, regional, or national priorities in advancing excellence in agriscience and agribusiness education. The solicitation, identified by number USDA-NIFA-CSPECA-32938, was posted on July 8, 2026, with a submission deadline of July 27, 2026. Applicants must respond through the grants.gov portal and direct inquiries to the designated point of contact, grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov, or call 202-445-5402. The program is open to federal entities and does not specify any set-asides or NAICS codes, focusing instead on fostering educational innovation and partnerships to build a stronger pipeline of skilled professionals in the agricultural sciences.