Looking Beyond the Horizons.

The National Collegiate Soils Contest, also known as soil judging, is seen by students and teachers as a peak learning experience to be remembered forever. In just one short week, students from universities across the country share an opportunity to see and learn about soils, generally never seen before to the students. The contest is focused on providing a unique and fundamental education experience by allowing students to go into a large dugout hole called a soil pit. In these pits, students learn about how soil characteristics such as texture, structure, and color of each different soil layer, called horizons, is used to assess the soil's suitability for agriculture, roads, septic systems, basements and many other services. In addition to the emphasis on education, there is emphasis on the relationships that are built between students on their own team as well as students and professors from other universities. Many students walk away having developed strong relationships that will last into their professional careers. Possibly the most important result of participating in this event to the student, is that it is highly valued by employers and graduate schools when seen on a student’s resume. Countless students and employers have expressed that soil judging is a highly regarded experience that demonstrates a student’s ability to assess soil characteristics in the field necessary to make informed decisions about land use. Additionally, the impact of soil judging goes beyond students; professors and graduate students share knowledge and experience, strengthening connections and creating opportunity for inter-institutional collaboration. 

The use of soil judging to recruit students to pursue soil science and environmental science careers should not be overlooked. It can be one of the field’s most influential tools to recruit students. In a recent survey of 91 students who participated at this past year’s National Contest, students were asked to rate their opinions of entering the soil/agricultural/environmental discipline before and after having participated in the contest. Students overwhelming responded positively, with an increase of over 44% in students that said they would definitely enter the discipline. These same students found soil judging to be a superior learning experience of soil/agricultural/environmental science in comparison to the environment of classroom education and 100% of them would return to soil judging, if eligible. 

Education needs to adapt to the students’ needs. Students have clearly voiced their opinion that they want the opportunity of hands-on learning. It is the goal of this new initiative, “Looking Beyond the Horizons”, to raise awareness of soil judging via outreach and social media, seek out funding to assist teams, provide ways to further inclusion and diversity of universities and participants, and creating a graduate/early professional soil judging contest. After having participated in soil judging as a student and coach the last few years, my opinion and echoed by my soil judging peers, is that soil judging is the BEST learning experience I have ever had in my college career!