BUILDING TEXAS FROM THE GROUND UP
Strong communities aren’t built for people. They’re built by people. Across Texas, The Texas A&M University System helps Texans build the skills, knowledge, and leadership to strengthen their livelihoods, grow businesses and industries, and create opportunity that lasts.
THE BEST INVESTMENT IN TEXAS IS TEXANS
Texas’ strength has always come from its people. The farmers and ranchers who feed it. The workers who keep its industries moving. The business owners who create jobs. The local leaders who bring communities together. And the young Texans who will carry all of it forward.
Across the A&M System, community advancement means investing in their ability to succeed. Our universities educate the workforce Texas needs. State agencies bring practical expertise directly to producers, businesses and communities. Continuing education helps Texans build new skills. And programs like Texas 4-H give young people opportunities to develop leadership and responsibility long before they enter the workforce.
The impact doesn’t stop with one person; it compounds. Skills move into workplaces. Knowledge strengthens businesses. Leadership strengthens communities. And what one generation learns creates more possibilities for the next. That is how investing in Texans becomes an investment in Texas and how stronger people help build stronger communities for generations.
163,100 Texas Jobs
Supported Through AgriLife Extension Continuing Education
$5.1 Billion
in Annual Wages Supported Through AgriLife Extension Continuing Education
511,022 Texas 4-H Participants
Building Skills and Leadership
PREPARING THE WORKFORCE TEXAS NEEDS NEXT
Texas’ economy changes quickly. New industries grow. Technology changes how work gets done. Employers need new skills, and communities need people ready to step into critical occupations.
Across the state, A&M System universities and agencies connect education and practical expertise with those changing needs. Continuing education helps Texans build skills and prepare for critical occupations, while universities develop talent that supports employers and industries throughout their regions. Through AgriLife Extension continuing education alone, workforce programs support an estimated 163,100 Texas jobs and $5.1 billion in annual wages.
It is workforce development with a larger purpose: helping Texans move forward while making sure Texas has the workforce capacity to grow for what comes next.
PUTTING RESEARCH TO WORK ON FARMS, RANCHES, AND IN COMMUNITIES
Across Texas, farms, ranches, and local businesses support families, create jobs, and keep communities moving forward. The Texas A&M University System helps the people behind them turn research and expertise into practical decisions.
Through Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, farmers, ranchers, and landowners can access expertise in areas such as agricultural production, water conservation, soil health, forestry, wildlife, and land management. That support helps Texans better manage the land and resources their livelihoods depend on. The impact is measurable. AgriLife Extension reports an estimated $133.7 million in economic gains associated with livestock, dairy and broiler programs and $48.9 million in increased annual net returns associated with crop outreach in 2025.
The A&M System also brings expertise to agricultural businesses, rural communities, and local leaders, supporting economic and community development across the state. It’s practical knowledge Texans can put to work to strengthen what they’ve built and create more opportunity close to home.
BUILDING TEXAS LEADERS BEFORE THEY HAVE THE TITLE
The next generation of Texas leaders isn’t waiting somewhere in the future. They’re growing up in Texas communities right now.
Texas 4-H reaches more than 511,000 participants across the state, helping young Texans develop leadership, responsibility, and practical skills. Its programs span areas including agriculture, STEM, citizenship, and health. Those experiences prepare young people for more than their first job. They help develop the confidence and skills to contribute to their communities, take responsibility, and eventually lead.
Because building Texas for the next generation starts by investing in the generation that will lead it.
BRINGING THE POWER OF THE SYSTEM CLOSER TO HOME
Building stronger communities requires more than expertise. Texans need access to it.
With 250 AgriLife Extension offices serving all 254 Texas counties, the A&M System brings practical, research-based knowledge closer to the people who can put it to work.
Each year, AgriLife Extension makes 25.4 million teaching contacts, interactions that help share practical knowledge with Texans. Through Extension programs and education, that knowledge reaches people in areas including agriculture, health, youth development and workforce education.
And the impact extends even further through communities. More than 83,000 volunteers contribute 3.2 million hours, helping expand Extension’s ability to serve Texans across the state.
It is how statewide capability becomes local capacity, putting knowledge, expertise, and resources within reach of Texans who can put them to work.
SERVICE NEWS
Texas A&M Sets the Standard: Aggies Honored for Commitment to Foster Children’s Education
Sep. 8, 2026 • 4 min. readTexas A&M University was named the winner of the Large University award for the WHIT Program’s Campus Champions Initiative for providing more volunteer tutors than any other large university.
The Texas A&M University System Expands Early College Pathways Through Rural Education Collaborative
May 4, 2026 • 2 min. readThe Texas A&M University System is expanding efforts to strengthen early college awareness and career pathways for students across the state through the Texas Rural Education Collaborative (TREC).
Texas A&M System to Lead $59.8M Autonomous Helicopter Wildfire Response Initiative
Dec. 1, 2025 • 1 min. readTexas A&M is pioneering a bold new frontier in wildfire response with a $59.8 million state-backed initiative to develop autonomous Black Hawk helicopters capable of battling wildfires with unprecedented speed and safety.
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