The Calgary Stampede will host the Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture (AYSA) Championship Competition for the first time this July. 

While the AYSA has been hosting youth speaking competitions for nearly a decade, this year marks the first time the Stampede will act as a co-host. 

In a release, Kristina Barnes, director of Agriculture & Western Events at the Calgary Stampede, expressed her enthusiasm for this new collaboration.  

“Hosting this year’s Youth Agriculture Speaking Championship represents a new opportunity for the Calgary Stampede to invest in youth and support their development as future industry leaders,” says Barnes. “We are proud to engage both rural and urban youth in this competition and provide another forum for Calgary’s urban population to learn about the industry.”

The first preliminary round takes place at Olds College on July 8, followed by a second preliminary round at Stampede Park on July 12. The championship competition will happen at the BMO Centre at Stampede Park on July 13. 

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The competition is open to young Albertans from all backgrounds, not just those with prior agricultural experience. Each participant will have five to seven minutes to talk about one of five agriculture-related topics such as technological advancements in farming, bridging the urban-rural knowledge gap, and the challenges of taking over family farms. 

“Enabling youth from diverse backgrounds to engage in the speaking competition offers those with limited prior knowledge of agriculture an opportunity to broaden their understanding,” says Mark Fournier, President of Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture. “We look forward to the great ideas the agricultural advocates of tomorrow will bring forward at the competition.”

Winners will win a share of $15,000 in prizes and awards. They’ll also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Toronto for the 2024 Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture Finals in November. 

Registration for the 2024 Youth Agriculture Speaking Championships is now open until June 30, 2024. To sign up for the event and find more information, including the competition rules, visit ag.calgarystampede.com/events/youth-speaking