The High School Youth Forum is a contest open to any high school student. The first step for a participant begins by picking a topic of interest. Students may focus on any topic as long as it has some connection to rangelands. For example, range management, wildlife management, soils, plants, riparian, and livestock management are just a sample of range related subjects that are suitable. From this point the participant will prepare a written paper and then present the important facts of their findings in a 6 to 8 minute oral presentation. Most contestants use PowerPoint slides for their presentations.

Contest papers are due by November 15th of the year and presentations are made at the High School Youth Forum contest held the first week of December (usually in Albuquerque). Date and locations are set closer to that time and based on contestants entering.

1st place winner will receive a $300 scholarship and the opportunity to represent New Mexico at the national contest to be held at the 2020 Society for Range Management Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, February 16-20, 2020. Second and third place will receive $75 and $50 respectively.

See link below for examples of past winning papers.

• High School Youth Forum Handout

• Past Winner Paper Examples

• Past Winners

• Lost Resource - David Graham

For more information, contact:

Jessica Yates
Email: Jessica.Yates@nm.usda.gov