AgriCorps

What AgriCorps does

AgriCorps is a US-registered nonprofit founded in 2013 by Trent McKnight and headquartered in Throckmorton, Texas, that catalyzes School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) systems across Sub-Saharan Africa. The organization does not deliver programs directly; instead, it acts as a technical catalyst and systems partner that works with national governments, local NGOs (notably 4-H Liberia, 4-H Ghana, and 4-K Kenya), and research institutions (Northwestern University's Global Poverty Research Lab and Innovations for Poverty Action) to embed SBAE into national education curricula and agricultural extension systems. Its core product is the SBAE methodology itself, an experiential learning model combining classroom instruction, school demonstration farms, home entrepreneurship projects, and agricultural student organizations (4-H, 4-K, Young Farmer Clubs), which a four-year RCT in Liberia found to be nearly three times more effective than traditional extension at driving adult farmer technology adoption.

AgriCorps distributes its methodology through a portfolio of free downloadable resources, including the SBAE Introductory Guide, SBAE Ready Technical Guide, Training-of-Trainers manuals, Agricultural Education Handbooks, and country-specific club handbooks for 4-H Liberia, 4-H Ghana, and 4-K Kenya. Its go-to-market is a partnership-led, government-anchored model: AgriCorps secures funding from US government channels (IAEFP, included in the US Farm Bill since 2018), bilateral donors (USAID, USADF), the Gates Foundation, UN agencies (World Food Programme), and corporate donors (John Deere, DuPont Pioneer), then channels resources through local implementing partners to train teachers and establish school-based clubs.

The organization has catalyzed more than $12M since 2013, including $4M from the US government through IAEFP since 2020 to deploy 72 fellows across Ghana, Uganda, Mexico, and Guatemala. It currently supports programs reaching roughly 4,000 youth annually in Liberia through 100+ schools, has trained 600+ teachers, and has stated a public target to reach 300,000 young people across six Sub-Saharan African countries by 2030-2035 via the Movement for School-Based Agricultural Education.

Name

AgriCorps

Legal name

AgriCorps

Website

https://agricorps.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AgriCorps is a US nonprofit that catalyzes School-Based Agricultural Education programs in Sub-Saharan Africa by partnering with governments, local 4-H/4-K organizations, and research institutions to embed experiential agricultural learning into national education systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture & Food Security Development (BPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Social & Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) for Nutrition (BPADAJAK)

Keywords

• Agricultural education programs
• Youth development services
• School-based agricultural education
• Nonprofit food security programs
• Teacher training curricula

Headquarters

HQ city

Throckmorton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: AgriCorps receives donations from individuals through its website donation portal, with options for specific amounts ($1,000, $500, $100, $50, $20) or custom amounts. Donors can designate programs and choose to remain anonymous.
2. Foundation and Government Grants: Funding from Gates Foundation, US African Development Foundation, World Food Program, John Deere, DuPont Pioneer, USAID, and US Government (IAEFP - $4M released since 2020 for 72 fellows across four countries). Since 2013, more than $12 million has been catalyzed for SBAE programs.
3. Fellowship Program: International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program (IAEFP) included in US Farm Bill, funding US volunteers/fellows to establish SBAE programs in developing countries.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AgriCorps is a nonprofit that supports the establishment of School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) programs in Sub-Saharan Africa. It partners with governments, NGOs, and agricultural student organizations (4-H, 4-K) to embed experiential agricultural curricula into national education systems, providing teacher training, curriculum resources, demonstration farms, home entrepreneurship projects, and leadership development through youth clubs. Since 2013, it has catalyzed more than $12 million for SBAE programs and supported programs across Liberia, Ghana, Kenya, and other countries.

Product overview

AgriCorps is a non-profit organization (not a technology company) focused on advancing School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) in Sub-Saharan Africa. Rather than a software platform, AgriCorps offers a portfolio of educational resources and programs including the SBAE Guide and SBAE Ready Technical Guide as foundational documents, supplemented by teacher training materials (Training-of-Trainers Manual, Agricultural Education Handbook, Complete Technical Agriculture Training Manual), club handbooks (4-H Liberia Handbook, 4-H Ghana Club Leaders Manual), and curriculum resources (School Garden Curriculum, 4-H Ag Enterprise Toolkit). These resources are distributed as downloadable materials to support SBAE implementation across partner countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SBAE Introductory Guide Introductory guide titled 'Empower Youth, Transform Agriculture' that explores the history, theory of change, and key advocates of School-Based Agricultural Education to lay the groundwork for SBAE program success. Targeted at policymakers, practitioners, and partners considering SBAE implementation.
• SBAE Ready Technical Guide Step-by-step technical guide for implementing School-Based Agricultural Education in developing countries, providing a framework to design and launch an effective SBAE program from the ground up. Targeted at governments, NGOs, and practitioners launching new SBAE programs.
• International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program (IAEFP) US-government-funded fellowship program that places American agricultural educators in developing countries to establish SBAE programs. Since 2020, $4M has been released to fund 72 fellows across Ghana, Uganda, Mexico, and Guatemala. Targeted at US agricultural graduates and host-country schools and governments.
• SBAE Teacher Training and Capacity-Building Program Teacher training and ongoing professional support program covering experiential learning, student-centered pedagogy, and SBAE implementation, delivered through field officers and partner NGOs. Since 2019, has trained 600+ teachers in Liberia to reach 4,000 youth annually. Targeted at rural teachers and ministry counterparts.
• Movement for School-Based Agricultural Education Global movement founded by AgriCorps to scale the SBAE model to reach more than 300,000 young people across Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030 and embed SBAE within education and extension systems of six countries by 2035, working with global and local partners.
• 4-H / 4-K School Club Implementation Program School-based club programs (4-H Liberia, 4-H Ghana, 4-K Kenya) that combine classroom instruction with school demonstration farms, home entrepreneurship projects, and leadership development activities. AgriCorps has supported implementation in 150 schools in Liberia since 2019, and 4-H Ghana has empowered young Ghanaians with agricultural skills since 2000.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2-3 times more effective at increasing farmer technology adoption than traditional extension strategies
• +11 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 4-H LiberiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent organization with active clubs in more than 100 schools across 6 counties in Liberia. Goal is to establish clubs in all rural schools by 2035. AgriCorps supported 4-H Liberia to implement SBAE in 150 schools and train over 600 teachers to reach 4,000 youth each year since 2019.
• 4-H GhanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHas empowered young Ghanaians with agricultural skills, entrepreneurship training, and leadership opportunities since 2000. SBAE model and teacher training materials are used by 4-H Ghana.
• 4-K KenyacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginating in the 1960s and rebranded in 2021, 4-K is led by the Ministry of Agriculture with support from other ministries, partners, and the private sector.
• Northwestern University (Global Poverty Research Lab)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted four-year randomized controlled trial of SBAE model in Liberia, led by Professor Chris Udry. Found SBAE was almost 3 times more effective in encouraging adult farmers to adopt improved farming practices than traditional extension programs.
• Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in the randomized controlled trial of SBAE model in Liberia, helping generate robust evidence for the approach.
• Borlaug InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical partner supporting SBAE research and implementation.
• VivayicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting SBAE programs.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• 4-H (National 4-H Council): The umbrella US-based youth agricultural organization whose international affiliates (4-H Liberia, 4-H Ghana) are AgriCorps' core implementation partners. Highly comparable given overlapping model of school-based agricultural education, club-driven positive youth development, and experiential learning curricula.
• Heifer International: Major international nonprofit focused on smallholder farmer development and youth engagement in agriculture across Africa and globally. Comparable charitable funding model, donor base, and target beneficiary profile of rural smallholder farmers and youth in developing countries.
• TechnoServe: International nonprofit working on market-based agricultural development and entrepreneurship in Africa and Latin America. Comparable mission of transforming smallholder agriculture through capacity building, evidence-driven programs, and government partnerships.
• One Acre Fund: Large non-profit social enterprise serving smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa with training, inputs, and market access. Highly comparable beneficiary focus (rural smallholder farmers in SSA) and emphasis on training plus technology adoption.
• Farm Africa: UK-based international NGO working on agriculture, environment, and economic development in eastern Africa. Comparable mission of using agricultural extension and farmer training to improve food security and incomes in SSA.
• Winrock International: International nonprofit implementing agricultural development, education, and social programs with US government funding (USAID) across Africa. Comparable donor base, government partnership model, and evidence-driven approach to smallholder agriculture.
• Self Help Africa: International development NGO working on agriculture, food security, and rural livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable target geography, smallholder farmer and youth focus, and donor-funded program model.

Emerging players

• Digital Green: Nonprofit that uses video and technology to improve agricultural extension and smallholder farmer outcomes in developing countries. Comparable mission of leveraging modern approaches to drive tech adoption in smallholder agriculture, and shares a board member (Alesha Black-Miller is CSO).

Regional players

• Opportunity International: International microfinance and development NGO serving smallholder farmers and rural entrepreneurs in Africa and other developing regions. Comparable donor base, target beneficiary profile, and focus on rural economic empowerment in agricultural communities.

Others

• Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture: Texas A&M-based agricultural research and training institute performing similar agricultural development and capacity building work. Directly listed as a technical partner of AgriCorps and highly comparable in agricultural training mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@agricorps170/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-movement-for-school-based-agricultural-education
• Instagraminstagram.com/movementforsbae

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AgriCorps