The Jr. MANRRS Leadership Institute allows students to explore opportunities that the University of Kentucky, specifically the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, has to offer. This two-day experience is open to students of all ethnic and racial backgrounds from across the state in grades 7-12. Staying true to the mission of MANRRS, promoting academic and professional advancement by empowering minorities in agriculture, natural resources, and related sciences, students are engaged in interactive workshop sessions and activities to encourage them to network and grow themselves as individuals and young professionals early. 

The Jr. MANNRs Leadership Institute is hosted by the University of Kentucky (UK) MANRRS Program and the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Office of Diversity in partnership with a team of 4-H Youth Development Agents and community leaders. The program is a gateway opportunity to develop students interested in STEM, agriculture, natural resources and related sciences. Through the MANRRS national society the program helps to enlighten students to future internship, career and educational opportunities to help them excel in and out of the classroom. Students were immersed in the theme this year of “MANRRS: Preparing our Future, Empowering our Present, and Honoring our Past!” with public speaking, impromptu, mock interviews and quiz bowl contests to challenge their knowledge and abilities. By participating in contest, the students competed to move on to compete nationally and hold state honors for Kentucky. Students also had the chance to participate in workshops that honed in on their skills to prepare them for the future. Tours around the college allowed them to interact with students across the state and question and learn from colligate leaders within MANRRS and professionals within the college. 

            The goal of the conference is to help encourage students to discover their passion through the world around them. Seeing the way agriculture, engineering, and technology fuels the world around them and how they can use their skills to become the next leaders of tomorrow. Christian County is proud to firsthand see the success this program has on the lives of its participants. Montre’ale Jones was introduced to the program when it first emerged in 2011 as part of the 4-H Youth Development county program in Christian County. While in the program as participant, he competed on the state and national level and was able to apply skills learned from the program in a high school internship. The program served as a buffer into 4-H and extension as not only he, but also his sister and mother, got involved in county programs. Post-graduation, Mr. Jones volunteered as an adult alongside his mother and sister, for 4-H and interned through the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Internship Program for the Summer 2018 Program. From program participant, to UK student, to Christian County 4-H Youth Development intern, Jr. MANRRS truly makes difference in the lives of its participants and births leaders of tomorrow.