LET’S GROW MEXICO – 4-H León Tour 2026 Strengthens Strategic Alliances Across Guanajuato

León, Guanajuato — February 15–22, 2026- C3L Associates successfully completed the LET’S GROW MEXICO – 4-H León Tour 2026, a week-long series of institutional visits, coordination meetings, and partnership discussions held across the State of Guanajuato aimed at advancing youth leadership and agricultural education initiatives.

The tour brought together Anthony (Tony) Coggiola, Sherrye Coggiola, and Dr. Adrián García from C3L Associates, along with representatives of the internationally recognized 4-H Youth Development Program, and included participation from state and municipal authorities, academic institutions, innovation centers, and private sector organizations.

Throughout the week, meetings focused on exploring the implementation of youth leadership and agricultural education programming aligned with the LET’S GROW MEXICO initiative, as well as the potential adaptation of the globally recognized 4-H development model for deployment in Guanajuato.

Centro Fox Explores Hosting International Youth Agriculture Program

On February 16, the delegation met with Gabriela González, former President Vicente Fox, and Martha Sahagún at Hacienda San Cristóbal to discuss the possibility of hosting a future international youth agriculture and leadership program.

Centro Fox expressed readiness to serve as a host venue for LET’S GROW MEXICO programming, and both parties agreed to continue planning discussions toward a potential Summer 2026 pilot program.

BioNodo León Positioned as Future Agricultural Innovation Hub

Later that day, representatives from León’s Innovation Directorate (Adriana Ruiz and Jessica Ramírez), the Rural Development Directorate (Baltazar Rodríguez), and the Municipal Planning Institute (IMPLAN) (Ismael Perales) joined the delegation for a strategic visit to BioNodo Bajío.

Participants explored the site’s existing infrastructure—including greenhouses, laboratories, and workshop facilities—while the presence of an on-site SABES high school was identified as a key advantage for future student engagement initiatives.

Stakeholders agreed to continue discussions regarding the launch of a pilot LET’S GROW MEXICO program at BioNodo, with the potential to involve local high school students and replicate successful models in rural communities.

State Innovation Center Supports Program Development

At the Guanajuato State Innovation Center in Silao, the delegation was received by Joaquín Salazar from the State Innovation Secretariat for a guided tour of the center’s laboratories and collaborative workspaces.

Participants identified strong potential for incorporating these facilities into future program modules, including market research activities, ideation workshops, applied research sessions, and student presentation training, aligned with both LET’S GROW MEXICO and 4-H Ambassador initiatives.

Municipal and State Leaders Discuss Rural Youth Development

On February 17, officials from the Secretariat for Economic Reactivation (María Fernanda Rodríguez), León’s Innovation Directorate, the Rural Development Directorate (Roberto Palomares and Baltazar Rodríguez), and IMPLAN León met with the delegation at Poliforum León to discuss opportunities for strengthening rural communities through youth engagement programs.

During the meeting, IMPLAN presented demographic and economic insights highlighting the need for targeted agricultural education initiatives in rural areas. León’s government also offered the use of BioNodo facilities to support future LET’S GROW MEXICO programming.

State Agriculture Ministry Explores Youth Engagement in Agriculture

Also on February 17, Rodolfo Ponce Ávila, Deputy Minister of Agriculture for the State of Guanajuato, met with the delegation to discuss opportunities for strengthening youth participation in the agricultural sector.

Deputy Minister Ponce Ávila emphasized the importance of engaging young people in the future of agriculture in the state and expressed interest in exploring potential funding mechanisms and extension-based support for pilot programming.

LET’S GROW MEXICO Presented at U.S.–Mexico Chamber of Commerce León Assembly

On February 18, Tony Coggiola and Dr. Adrián García were invited to present LET’S GROW MEXICO during the Quarterly Assembly of the U.S.–Mexico Chamber of Commerce – León Chapter, hosted at the facilities of BioFlex.

The presentation highlighted the initiative as a binational youth leadership and agricultural exchange programdesigned to strengthen collaboration between emerging professionals in Mexico and the United States.

Following the session, Arcelia González, Secretary of Transparency for the State of Guanajuato, expressed interest in supporting the initiative. Representatives from private sector organizations—including BioFlex, the Guanajuato Automotive Cluster, and Botas Caborca—also approached the delegation to explore potential collaboration opportunities.

C3L Associates extends its sincere thanks to Sergio Ponce for his support and invitation to participate in this important gathering.

Strategic Partnerships Advanced at Tecnológico de Monterrey

On February 21, the delegation participated in Agronomist Day celebrations at CAETEC at Tecnológico de Monterrey, where they met with Arturo de Cosío and multiple private sector stakeholders.

Discussions resulted in expressions of support from Alberto Guerrero of DeLaval, who offered potential in-kind support for the program, and Pablo Treviño, Training Manager at John Deere, who proposed hosting participating students for a technical training day at the company’s facilities.

The team also met with Esmeralda Uribe, Head of Engineering at Tecnológico de Monterrey, to review updates on ongoing collaborative initiatives related to research and agricultural innovation.

A Successful Tour Advancing Youth Leadership in Agriculture

The LET’S GROW MEXICO – 4-H León Tour 2026 successfully strengthened institutional relationships across government, academia, and industry, laying the groundwork for future youth leadership and agricultural education programs in Guanajuato.

C3L Associates looks forward to continuing collaboration with regional partners as planning advances toward the launch of pilot LET’S GROW MEXICO programming in the region, focused on empowering the next generation of agricultural leaders.