Michigan State target African agricultural education

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has given $1 million to Michigan State University to help African agricultural education.

The Seattle foundation’s grant will be used to help educators in Africa develop educational material that can be used to improve agricultural practices on the continent.

Faculty members at the East Lansing, Mich., school will work with OER Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, on AgShare Open Education Resources, which the foundation said is an 18-month pilot project.

“AgShare Open Education Resources has the potential to provide Africa’s future scientists and leaders with access to current educational materials, enabling them to create innovative solutions for small farmers,” said Khalid Bomba, senior program officer in the agricultural development initiative at the Gates Foundation, in a statement.