As agricultural technology expands, one challenge remains: a shortage of workers to operate modern farming systems. On Thursday, May 28, participants in the University of Nevada, Reno Extension’s latest Hydroponic Crop Production Certificate Course will graduate as part of a growing effort to build Nevada’s future agriculture workforce through hydroponics education. Among them are educators preparing to bring career-focused instruction into classrooms throughout the region.

More than 30 commercial growers, home gardeners, Master Gardener volunteers and educators enrolled in the course will graduate with research‑based expertise in soil‑free vegetable production. The ceremony will be held 2–4 p.m., Thursday, May 28, at Extension in North Las Vegas, 2280 McDaniel St., and will bring together state and local leaders, agriculture entrepreneurs and researchers.

One of the graduating teachers is Shawn Kelly of WYLEES Middle School, a public charter school in its first year of operation. Kelly first completed the course as part of its inaugural 2025 cohort and returned this year alongside his classroom aide. After his initial training, Kelly launched Water-to-Table, a student-led hydroponics project that brings hands-on agriculture and career training into his school.

“I had no experience with hydroponics before taking the course,” Kelly said. “But once I saw how accessible it was, I realized this was something students could not only learn but build on and even take into the workforce.”

Today, Kelly oversees 25 sixth through eighth grade students who manage nearly every aspect of the program. They germinate seeds, monitor plant health, maintain hydroponic systems and harvest crops while also developing leadership and communication skills by guiding tours, presenting their work and shaping community outreach efforts. Students also learn food-processing fundamentals, including making pesto from fresh herbs, preparing herb-rolled cheese, creating herb-infused honey and developing recipes centered on sustainability and hospitality.

Their work recently earned recognition at the Clark County School District Giant Student Farmers Market, the nation’s largest student-run farmers market, where they received the Spirit Award for enthusiasm and teamwork.

Kelly’s classroom is part of a broader Extension effort to build career-ready skills through horticulture education across southern Nevada.

Extension develops youth through the Youth Horticulture Education Program

For decades, Extension has used gardening as a gateway to spark interest in STEM among Nevada youth. In 2017, Extension expanded that mission by launching the Youth Horticulture Education Program, which trains educators to use soil-based gardens and indoor hydroponic systems as hands-on classrooms for technical and professional skill development.

Today, the program operates at roughly 70 schools and community sites and has reached more than 6,000 students across Clark County, including youth with disabilities, at-risk youth and justice-involved individuals. Extension has also trained 215 Pre K-12 educators through direct and video instruction, including through a recent partnership between University of Nevada, Las Vegas and University of Nevada, Reno that prepared about 15 district teachers and 15 graduate students to integrate microprocessor technologies into hydroponics training.

“Our students learn far more than how to grow vegetables indoors without soil,” said Tricia Braxton, manager of the Youth Horticulture Education Program and senior coordinator for Extension Partnerships, Programs and People Engagement. “They gain hands-on experience building, operating and maintaining hydroponic systems while also exploring the practical application side of controlled-environment agriculture and troubleshooting mishaps.”

Growing confidence, careers and community

Through partnerships with the Clark County School District’s Program Approach to Career Education and the Post-secondary Opportunities for Students in Transition Programs, Extension’s train-the-trainer initiatives also support transition-age students with disabilities as they prepare for employment and independent living. The programs serve students ages 18-23 and focus on employability, communication and daily living skills. Extension also partners with the juvenile justice system, bringing youth on probation into Extension gardens to grow, harvest and cook vegetables as part of a structured garden-to-table experience.

Through daily hydroponic lab routines, including measuring nutrients, collecting data, following safety protocols and sanitizing equipment, students practice the precision, consistency and teamwork expected in technical workplaces. They also learn restaurant-style sanitation procedures and equipment maintenance skills applicable to food service and horticulture careers.

For Taylor Quiram, a hydroponics instructor with the Youth Horticulture Education Program who has helped onboard dozens of schools, the impact reaches far beyond a single classroom.

“We’re not just teaching hydroponics,” Quiram said. “We’re giving people the skills and confidence to grow food, solve problems and see themselves in careers they may not have considered before.”