In East St. Louis, a unique public-private partnership is working to provide quality education and training programs for local youth from diverse and underserved communities. Together, the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Lansdowne UP, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois Extension have created the JJK Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Innovation Center. At the center, each partner brings its own unique assets to the table to provide education and professional development programming in agriculture, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics), food innovation, nutrition, physical activity and entrepreneurialism. Staff from each organization are housed on-site and work together to deliver curriculum and training for participants of all ages.
CoBank, a long-time supporter of the Donald Danforth Plan Science Center, was introduced to the JJK FAN in 2022 and has since become a strong advocate, providing funding, mentorship and volunteerism. Through “Meet the Professionals” presentations, tours and other interactive activities, CoBank associates are helping to expand JJK FAN participants’ understanding of the business of agriculture and introducing them to the world of agriculture finance.
“An introduction to agriculture is fairly common in many of the communities served by CoBank and our customer-owners but not in St. Louis Public Schools,” said LaTonya Keaton, regional vice president. “This is an urban school system with a diverse population. Normally, these students simply wouldn’t have access points to understand how agriculture impacts the world they live in and how many opportunities it can present to them. But the JJK FAN is changing that.”
CoBank’s funding has helped the Danforth Center provide the JJK FAN with an on-site strategic partnership manager. Kurly Taylor works with the partners and the school system to create a pipeline of fun, educational and engaging activities for students.
“The Danforth Center is focused on ag tech and research, but the work of all the partners is very complementary, and together we are able to give the students so much more,” said Taylor. “At the JJK FAN, our model is about putting community first and working with people in partnership rather than just telling them what to do. That’s how we help build a vibrant community where people want to stay, live and grow.”
“CoBank volunteers have helped us with a number of events,” continued Taylor. “They staffed stations at a science day for eighth graders and helped us teach them about greenhouses, aquaponic systems and drones. They brought our interns to CoBank’s St. Louis office for a tour and lunch-and-learn opportunity, and LaTonya has come to the center to talk to kids about her own experiences and career path. I think that was really transformative. It helped the students see that a career in agriculture doesn’t just mean driving a tractor on a farm. It can be that, but it can also be a lot of other things as well.”
“As a leading financial institution in agriculture, it’s important for CoBank to broaden access to ag knowledge and share the mission of the Farm Credit System,” said Keaton. “It helps the bank, and it helps the students. Like many industries, we have workforce challenges, and expanding the pool of future employees who understand ag, believe in our mission and want to pursue rewarding careers is critically important. As a business, we’re better off when people know who we are and what we do, and our partnership with the Danforth Center and JJK FAN helps us do that.”
“Most students in East St. Louis come from low-income backgrounds,” said Taylor. “A lot of businesses and jobs have left our community, and it’s really gotten a bad rap in many ways. That’s why I appreciate CoBank’s willingness to come into the JJK FAN Innovation Center and work with our underserved populations. They understand that we’re doing this for our kids. Our kids are the why, and they are at the center of everything we do.”