The USPOULTRY Foundation awarded a $7,000 student recruiting grant to Wilkes Community College in North Carolina. Wilkes Community College is well situated to provide students with an entry into the poultry industry, as several large companies are located in the region. Through their Associate in Applied Sciences degrees in Animal Science Technology and Poultry Management, students are provided with the foundation necessary for a career in the poultry industry.

The grant funds will be used to recruit high school students into the poultry program and raise awareness of the career options available, as well as inform about the impact that this industry has on the local economy. Additionally, funds will be used to support FFA activities as well as promotional items to further increase awareness of poultry industry careers. Finally, a youth poultry workshop will be offered in the Western North Carolina area, allowing participants to learn about such topics as candling eggs, egg breakout, grading eggs, grading carcasses, dissecting birds and identifying poultry anatomy.

The USPOULTRY Foundation board approved student recruiting grants totaling $297,580 to 26 colleges and universities across the United States with a poultry science department or industry-related degree program. The USPOULTRY Foundation provides annual recruiting funds to colleges and universities to attract students to their poultry programs. The grants are made possible by gifts to the Foundation from companies, individuals and families, in addition to funds earned over the years at the International Poultry Expo, part of the International Production & Processing Expo.

About USPOULTRY Foundation
The USPOULTRY Foundation's mission is to support the recruitment and training of the brightest students, seek and fund scientific research, foster student scientists and promote careers in the poultry and egg industry.