STRIDE Youth Leadership Conference Offers Tours, Hands-on-Labs and more

PDP program for teens offers leadership training and ag-career exploration

Today’s agriculture and dairy industries offer vast opportunities for students. The 2025 STRIDE^™ Youth Leadership Conference, presented by Professional Dairy Producers^® (PDP), will provide high school students with one-on-one introductions and new insights as they consider education and career options.

The one-day workshop will be held Wednesday, November 12, at University of Wisconsin-River Falls, with a combination of leadership and communications training and hands-on experiences and tours. Designed for students ages 15 to 18, the 2025 STRIDE conference also qualifies as an “above the chapter level” activity for FFA members.

Students will participate in three immersive labs, including:

• Calf health diagnostics workshop, featuring a nose-to-tail exploration highlighting the importance of having a keen eye in calf care to support long-term animal health and production
• Campus life opportunities, with a tour of the university and overview of student involvement and programs
• Career connections activity providing one-on-one introductions to careers in agriculture such as teaching, welding, veterinary care, trucking, farming and more.

“Attending the PDP STRIDE Conference was a great opportunity to explore the UW campus and agricultural majors,” said past attendee Leah Mess of Rosendale, Wis. “I enjoyed networking with students that have similar agricultural interests, and I’d recommend STRIDE to anyone who is interested in an agricultural career.”

In addition to the labs, teens will participate in a leadership workshop led by Michael Hoffman, founder and owner of Igniting Performance, Inc., which will focus on speaking with confidence in any situation, as well as other communication practices.

Registration is due Sunday, November 2; the program fee includes training materials, meals and a STRIDE t-shirt. Upon registration, a health form and waiver will be sent to a parent/guardian for a signature. This signed waiver is required for each student. Students will be chaperoned at all times.

To learn more and to register, visit www.PDPW.org or contact PDP at 800-947-7379. Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following @dairyPDPW on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.