Eastern Oregon University’s GO STEM Program Wins Statewide Agricultural Education Award

Eastern Oregon University's GO STEM Program Wins Statewide Agricultural Education Award

Eastern Oregon University's GO STEM Program Wins Statewide Agricultural Education Award

LA GRANDE, Ore. - Eastern Oregon University's Greater Oregon STEM Hub (EOU GO STEM) has received first place in the 14th annual Oregon Ag Fest Agricultural Education Awards for its innovative Artificial Intelligence and Agriculture (AI + AG) program, recognizing this program's impact on agricultural education and technology outreach across rural Oregon.

Presented during the 2026 Oregon Ag Fest in Salem, the annual award honors organizations that promote agricultural education and increase public understanding of Oregon agriculture. GO STEM received the top honor and a $2,000 award for its efforts to connect students and educators with emerging agricultural technologies.

The award-winning AI + AG program was designed by Elaine Swanson, GO STEM's AI + Tech educator and instructor in EOU's s Agriculture Entrepreneurship program. The initiative was created to help bridge gaps in agricultural education throughout Eastern Oregon while exposing students to the growing role of technology in modern farming.

"For me, this award represents not just recognition of the work, but also that our communities belong in the future of the ag tech space. This program was built around the simple idea that our rural ag students need access to the same emerging technology and opportunities as everyone else. Through AI + AG, I've taught artificial intelligence, satellite data, and the future agriculture workforce all across our region. What has been most meaningful is seeing students move from uncertainty to curiosity and answering their tough questions about water, technology, and our food systems as a whole," Swanson says.

"This role has also expanded my definition of 'home' and how Eastern Oregon can be a part of this massive industry. The projected 2034 AI and agriculture market size is around $46.6 billion. I think it is a disservice not to prepare our students for what is coming," she adds.

Since its launch, the AI + AG program has reached almost 500 middle and high school students and over 70 agriculture and Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers across Baker, Wallowa, Umatilla, Union, Grant, Harney, and Morrow counties. Through hands-on learning labs, students explore how artificial intelligence and satellite data can support crop monitoring and water management.

"This award reflects the dedication of GO STEM's staff in fulfilling our mission: to provide free STEM programming that will prepare students for the future workforce and the evolving needs of their communities," said Dr. Stefanie Holloway, Program Director of the Greater Oregon STEM Hub. "Elaine has designed and delivered an innovative, homegrown program for Eastern Oregon students to discover new opportunities within modern agriculture and technology, as well as the impacts all of this will have on rural communities. Our AI + AG program curriculum can be adapted for students across the state and nation as well, in service of their communities' needs."

The Oregon Ag Fest, a nonprofit organization dedicated to agricultural education, has provided hands-on agricultural learning experiences for Oregon families for nearly four decades. More than 23,000 people attend the annual event each year to learn about where their food and fiber come from, and to experience Oregon agriculture firsthand.For more information about EOU's GO STEM Hub, visit https://www.eou.edu/college-of-education/go-stem/ and go-stem.org/.