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LINCOLN, Neb. – Youth for the Quality Care of Animals is committed to empowering youth in the livestock industry and giving back to the next generation. It is this dedication that led to the establishment of the Youth for the Quality Care of Animals Scholarship Program and allowed the organization to honor its inaugural recipients. With over 200 applicants in 2025, YQCA has awarded seven students with $30,000 in scholarships.
“Investing in youth is key to the future of the livestock industry,” said Dinah Peebles, Youth for the Quality Care of Animals Executive Board President. “The YQCA scholarship reflects our commitment to supporting young people in their educational endeavors. We are proud to invest in these seven students and have them represent our organization.”
The 2025 scholarship recipients were awarded funds to support their continuing education. Scholarships were granted based on a combination of academic achievement, leadership, and involvement in the livestock industry.
“The students being recognized exemplify the values of the livestock industry and the core skills YQCA promotes in youth exhibitors,” said Peebles. “The knowledge, dedication, and passion of each individual will positively impact the industry, and we are proud to support their future successes.”
A total of 228 scholarship applications underwent an in-depth judging process. To be eligible for the Youth for the Quality Care of Animals Scholarship, students must be a high school senior or a high school graduate up to 21 years of age, have an active YQCA certification at the time of application, and have had an active YQCA certification the previous two years.
Youth for the Quality Care of Animals is a national multi-species quality assurance program whose mission is to educate and empower youth in the livestock industry by instilling essential knowledge about animal welfare, food safety, and industry best practices.
Investing in the future leaders of the livestock industry allows YQCA to support students who are passionate about livestock and are working to further their education. The 2026 Youth for the Quality Care of Animals Scholarship application will open January 2026.
About Youth for the Quality Care of Animals:
Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) is a national multi-species quality assurance program whose mission is to empower youth in the livestock industry by instilling essential knowledge about animal welfare, food safety, and industry best practices. YQCA is a nonprofit organization that launched in March 2017 as the result of a collaborative effort between state and national livestock leaders that previously offered multi-species youth livestock quality assurance programs, the National Pork Board’s Youth PQA Plus program, and representatives from other national livestock groups. YQCA is designed as an annual education and certification program focused on food safety, animal well-being and character awareness for youth ages 8 to 21 producing and/or showing pigs, beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, goats, rabbits, and poultry. For more information about Youth for the Quality Care of Animals, visit yqcaprogram.org.
— Youth for the Quality Care of Animals
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