Abstract
Animal Science programs have observed a shift in student enrollment from rural males with agricultural interest to urban females interested in veterinary science which has resulted in a decline in students seeking livestock oriented careers. Summer camps are an important part of the educational process and offer an opportunity to explore new areas. In review of summer camps available in the animal disciplines it was discovered that there were no camp programs available to explore the diversity of opportunities available with livestock science. Instead a plethora of camps focused on veterinary medicine, livestock fitting and showing, or judging. Therefore our objective was to develop the NC State Livestock Science Camp as a vehicle for student recruitment and diversification. Thirty youth 14–17 years old from a variety of backgrounds from across North Carolina attended the 5 day residential camp. The camp included hands-on lessons at each of 5 livestock educational units, laboratories on campus, and farm tours. Each session engaged the students in management tasks and discussed career options within that species or discipline. Following camp, participants were surveyed to assess their knowledge and interest change in camp topics. Across topics change was predominantly positive, 10–20%. Areas of greatest increase were: Experience with dairy cattle (22%), Knowledge of occupations in livestock production beyond veterinary medicine (16%), Experience with beef cattle (16%), and Understanding of animal quality assurance to promote safety and welfare for animals and consumers (14%). In addition, the NC State student counselors (n=11) rated the camp a 9 out of 10 for helping campers explore careers and hands-on experience in livestock production. Overall, a Livestock Science Camp program can be an effective way to increase youth knowledge and comfort in working with livestock species as well as their career interests in careers other than veterinary medicine. Key Words: