The Farm Robotics Academy (FRA) has been awarded funding through the California Jobs First Initiative to support workforce development in agricultural technology. This grant program provides schools (middle school, high school, and community colleges) and youth programs (4-H, FFA, Grange, etc) across California with the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge agricultural technology education through the Farm Robotics Academy program.

Read our full Request For Application (RFA) document to understand the details of the opportunity.

READ RFA DOCUMENT

For consideration, please complete the form below and submit (2) letters of support:

(1) A letter of support from the youth organization staff member (4-H, FFA, Grange, Etc), school principal (middle school/high school) or department chair (community colleges) that demonstrates the school’s commitment to the team’s participation in the Farm Robotics Academy and highlights how the initiative aligns with the school’s educational goals.

(1) A letter of support from the team’s advisor (youth leader/teacher/professor) that highlights the team’s enthusiasm and preparedness, as well as the advisor’s commitment to guiding and mentoring the team throughout the project.

Availability: Funding is available in each region to support up to four participating youth organizations or middle/high schools, as well as one community college. Note, Bay Area region funding will come online in year 2 – October of 2026.

Application Form

Select You Region *

Eligibility: Schools must be located within the regions and counties served by the California Jobs First Initiative. Select your region below:

County *

Location of your school

School Level *

Participating students represent:

Middle School

High School

Community College

School Name *

If youth organization put name of org and club

Address *

Address 1

Address 2

City

State/Province

Zip/Postal Code

Country

School District *

If youth org put county represented

Primary Contact *

First Name

Last Name

Primary Contact Position/Role *

Administrator

Teacher

Professor

Volunteer Leader

Other

Email *

Phone *

(###)

###

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Estimated Number of Participating Students

Estimated Number of Participating Teachers/Faculty/Staff/Volunteer Leaders *

Grade Levels of Participating Students *

Mark all that apply

Please share why your school/youth org is interested in participating in the Farm Robotics Academy (max 250 words)

School/Youth Org Demographics & Community (max 200 words)

Briefly describe your school, student population, and community engagement strategies.

What specific agricultural or farming problem/challenge interests your students and why (max 200 words) *

If uncertain at this time, put "uncertain."

Financial Need & Resource Requirements *

Outline the financial barriers that could prevent your team/students from fulling participating in the Farm Robotics Academy

Specify which support areas are critical to your team's participation and briefly explain why (max 250 words) *

Ex: Access to equipment (robotics, drones, software), teacher professional development & training, transportation support for field trips, student support and pathways to careers (managed internships).

Which technologies are you interested in exploring (AI, robotics, drones) to address an agricultural challenge? (max 200 words) *

Does your school have existing relationships with industry partners, or would you benefit from assistance in making those connections? (max 150 words) *

Regional coordinators are available to help teams connect with agricultural partners.

Comment on how your school/youth org plans to integrate lessons learned form the Farm Robotics Academy into the curriculum for the next academic year and beyond (max 200 words). *

Thank you! Your application has been received. Applicants will be reviewed and notified of their status in early October 2025.

Submission guidelines

Submit your completed application, including all required documents by October 17, 2025

Evaluation Criteria

Clarity and completeness of the application
Demonstrated interest and passion for teaching and advancing education for agriculture and technology
Strength of supporting letters of support

Contacts for Questions

If you have questions about the application or the program please connect with your Regional Coordinator listed below:

Bay Area Region | Eric Dyer - edyer@ucanr.edu

Capital Region | Mindy Cuhna - mindy@landbasedlearning.org

Central Coast | Lavera Alexander - lalexander@mbep.biz

Central San Joaquin | Mandy Breuer - mandy@f3innovate.org

Kern | Eric Dyer - edyer@ucanr.edu

North San Joaquin | Mandy Breuer - mandy@f3innovate.org

North State | Mindy Cuhna - mindy@landbasedlearning.org

Redwood | John Bailey - jtbailey@ucanr.edu

Southern Border | Justin Morris - jmorris@csusm.edu