Program
Meet the Current Class
Seminars
The program consists of ten seminars, including study seminars in Washington D.C and an international location. North Dakota seminars will be conducted at various locations across the state. Two one-day online seminars allow RLND alumni to partner with the current class in a learning environment. Seminars generally occur once a month in January, February, March, June, and November. Seminar topics focus on:
- Leadership, communication, and management Skills
- Understanding the political process at the location, state, and national levels
- Rural and agricultural issues, resources, and policies
Travel seminars include:
- A five-day domestic travel seminar to Washington D.C. to learn about the federal public policy process and to interact with national leaders and government agencies.
- A five-day regional travel seminar to visit with ag leaders to better understand their agricultural and rural economy, issues and challenges.
- A 12-day international travel seminar to visit a major agricultural producing region of the world. In addition to observing agriculture in another country, the international seminar exposes participants to differing cultures and customs and allows class members to grasp a better understanding of the effect that globalization is having on the U.S. agricultural and overall economies. Previous classes have traveled to Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, Thailand, Vietnam, Chile, and Spain.
| Seminar | Dates | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Seminar 1: Orientation to the RLND Program | November 15-18, 2023 | Bismarck, ND |
| Seminar 2: Personal Leadership Development | January 17-19, 2024 | Jamestown, ND |
| Seminar 3: Rural Resources and Issues | February 14-16, 2024 | Killdeer, ND |
| Seminar 4: National Study Tour: Trends in Agriculture and Rural Issues | March 18-23, 2024 | Washington D.C. |
| Optional Online Book Study | April/May/June 2024 | |
| Seminar 5: Regional Study Tour: Agriculture and Rural Issues | June 24-28, 2024 | Minneapolis, MN |
| Seminar 6: Communication in Leadership | November 20-22, 2024 | Grand Forks, ND |
| Seminar 7: State Leadership within Agriculture and Rural Policies | January 15-17, 2025 | Bismarck, ND |
| Seminar 8: International Study Tour | February 2025 (12 days within February 9-27) | TBD Previous destinations include Spain, Chile, Vietnam, Thailand, Costa Rica, Panama, and Brazil |
| Seminar 9: Critical Thinking in Leadership | March 26-28, 2025 | Belcourt, ND |
| Optional Online Book Study | April/May/June 2025 | |
| Seminar 10: Civic Engagement/Looking Ahead | June 25-27, 2025 | Devils Lake, ND |
| Graduation Gala | November 21, 2025 | TBD |
Other Seminar Information:
Seminar Management Team - Each class participant will serve on a rotating basis as a facilitator for a seminar session. Duties will include assisting in planning the seminar tours and content, introducing the speaker, assisting the director in regulating the day’s activities (including policing classmates not adhering to participant expectations), taking photos for social media, and facilitating questions/discussion.
Rooming Assignments - Participants agree to share a room with a class member of the same sex on a rotating schedule with the exception of the seminars involving spouses.
Spouses/Partners - Spouses and domestic partners are an important part of this program and thus need to be knowledgeable about the program and supportive of their partner. By agreeing to their partner’s participation in this program, they are making a sacrifice which ideally will benefit their relationship, their community, and agriculture. Spouses/partners (but no other family members) will be invited to participate in the orientation seminar and graduation at the program’s expense. However, spouses, partners, or other family members are not allowed to attend other seminars.
