Training the Next Generation of Rural Development Workers

By Whitney Baxter

Coordinating travel itineraries and schedules for 18 people from across the world is no easy task, but Fia Fernandez handled it with ease.

As workshop coordinator for the Next Generation Institute (NGI), Fernandez, a graduate student in agricultural education, played an essential role in facilitating the new program. First offered in 2024 and under the umbrella of Iowa State University’s Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods, the NGI program gathers Iowa State students and early-career nongovernmental organization practitioners from Europe and Africa at the ISU-Uganda Program facility in Uganda’s Kamuli District. There, participants attend lectures, visit high-impact field programs and work on team projects.

Fernandez was tapped to coordinate the program by David Acker and Gail Nonnecke, NGI co-leaders and director and associate director, respectively, of the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods.

“Both Dr. Acker and Dr. Nonnecke have been amazing mentors throughout this process,” Fernandez said. “I look up to them so much and feel confident moving forward because of them.”

She also gained insight from Gideon Nadiope, NGI co-leader and national director of the ISU-Uganda Program, on how to deliver sustainable rural livelihood programs in Uganda.

As an undergraduate student in global resource systems and agricultural studies at Iowa State, Fernandez completed a global service learning program and an international internship with the ISU-Uganda Program. The connections she made with individuals in the country made for easier conversations while planning for the NGI, which included co-creating the curriculum and worksheets and making logistical plans.

“This experience has given me more knowledge and experience than I could have gotten by just attending my graduate classes,” Fernandez said. “It’s one thing to read a book about it, but to actually be there and be part of the program as it is being created at an international level has been so insightful and has solidified what I want to do professionally. I feel so thoroughly equipped to graduate and go out and search for a program coordinator role or help create other programs.”

Gaining new perspectives, knowledge

Acker said the establishment of the NGI program stemmed from a desire to expand the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods’ impact.

“This is a way to get a huge multiplier impact by training the next generation of rural development workers,” he said.

Participants learn from and work alongside ISU-Uganda Program staff to complete a team-based project related to sustainable rural development. This year’s participants were tasked with finding innovative ways to sustainably address the needs of rural communities to enable individuals to live a life of dignity.

“These project proposals are a chance to see what other opportunities are out there that we may not have considered in the first 20 years of the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods,” Fernandez said. “You really get to see a difference in perspectives and knowledge and see how there is no one road to sustainable rural development.”

Kaylee Kleitsch, an NGI participant and a graduate student in sustainable agriculture at Iowa State, and her team worked on a project related to raising mealworms as a supplementary feed additive for livestock. They talked to local farmers to see how feasible this would be and how likely it would be to have farmers sell dried mealworms to their community as an income source.

“The entire experience was amazing, from getting to know the other attendees and some local individuals to the learning opportunities and field visits,” Kleitsch said. “The cherry on top was being paired with other participants to put everything we learned into action and create our own NGO models. Working alongside individuals who had been strangers days before about a topic that I hadn't given much thought to prior to this experience was truly special.”

Nonnecke said participants walk away from the program having enhanced their skills in cross-cultural communication, critical thinking and problem-solving. Acker equated the experience gained to earning a micro-credential or certificate.

“After completing the institute and my travels to Uganda, I gained a strong understanding of the foundations of sustainable rural livelihoods and the work needed to create these livelihoods,” said Kylie McGlade, an NGI participant and a senior in agronomy and genetics at Iowa State. “Seeing a community or the world through a different lens will allow me to think more creatively and see people and issues where they are.”

“I’ve really loved the way the young NGI professionals embraced their learning in the field. They were enthusiastic, curious and always peppering us with questions and thoughtful input,” Nonnecke said with a smile. “I’m very hopeful for this year’s professionals and the powerful community they’ve built.”

The NGI program is made possible by generous donors Tom Miller and Terri Olson Miller.