INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana Pork’s 2026 Skillathon Series is off to a strong start, showcasing growing youth engagement, hands-on swine industry education, and increased interest in pork industry career opportunities across the state.
The series has already completed three successful events this spring, providing young people with valuable opportunities to expand their knowledge of pork production, animal care, food safety, biosecurity, and workforce development within the swine industry.
The first event, the Jack Rodibaugh Memorial Skillathon, was held April 26 in Lebanon and welcomed approximately 47 participants. Youth rotated through a variety of interactive educational stations featuring 50 questions covering topics such as food safety, medication scenarios, feed and nutrition, animal well-being, and general swine industry knowledge. The event provided participants with a strong foundation in key pork production concepts while introducing them to practical skills used throughout the industry.
Momentum continued at the Wabash Classic Skillathon on May 16 in Wabash, where approximately 54 youth participants took part in more advanced educational activities. Stations focused on important industry topics including biosecurity protocols, food safety practices, medication labels, and feed label interpretation. Participants demonstrated increased confidence as they applied their knowledge to real-world swine production scenarios.
The series reached another milestone on May 17 during the Paoli FFA Annual Jackpot. The event attracted a record-breaking turnout of approximately 65 participants, making it one of the largest Skillathon events to date. Youth completed stations covering equipment identification, biosecurity, meat identification, medication labeling, and feed labeling. The hands-on format allowed participants to strengthen technical skills while gaining a deeper understanding of modern pork production practices.
Across all three locations, Indiana Pork’s Skillathon program continues to deliver meaningful experiential learning opportunities that help prepare the next generation of pork industry leaders. Through interactive education and practical problem-solving exercises, participants gain valuable knowledge while developing critical thinking and decision-making skills that are essential throughout animal agriculture.
One of the most encouraging outcomes from the 2026 Skillathon Series has been the strong interest in workforce development opportunities. More than 70 students expressed interest in pursuing work-based learning experiences within the pork industry following their participation in the events. The response highlights the value of career-focused agricultural education and demonstrates how hands-on learning can help students explore future careers in pork production, animal agriculture, veterinary medicine, nutrition, biosecurity, and related agricultural fields.
Indiana Pork officials say they are encouraged by the growing participation and industry support seen throughout the series. With three successful events already completed and strong youth engagement continuing to build, the organization looks forward to expanding educational opportunities and fostering the next generation of leaders within Indiana’s pork industry throughout the remainder of 2026.