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Carolyn Paseneaux was instrumental in bringing the vision of Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom to life. As a former teacher, she helped shape the organization from its earliest stages—serving on the original task force that developed WAIC and later as a member of its first Board of Directors from 1986 to 1988.
When Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom (WAIC) was just an idea, Carolyn Paseneaux was helping turn it into a living, breathing organization. Alongside early leaders like Jim Magagna, she traveled the state searching for the right board members: people who believed deeply in Wyoming, its land, and its future. They were looking for people willing to work hard, show up, and build something meaningful. WAIC was built through conversations at kitchen tables and across long stretches of Wyoming highway as she and Jim traveled the state to interview potential board members. The origin of WAIC was grounded in the belief that education should reflect the real world Wyoming’s children grow up in.
At the organization’s heart, Carolyn understood and wanted to share something fundamental: everything we need comes from the land. Healthy soil produces healthy plants, which nourish animals and ultimately nourish people. Even the bees that make honey depend on flowers rooted in that same soil. This simple but powerful truth became the foundation for how WAIC introduced students to agriculture and natural resources. Early classrooms brought learning to life through hands-on experiences—students planting gardens in raised beds, growing tomatoes or vegetables together, and discovering firsthand where their food comes from. The lessons didn’t stop in the classroom; children often carried them home, sharing what they had learned about nutrition, minerals, and food production with their families.
From the beginning, WAIC also worked to connect agriculture with the broader public. Carolyn and the early board members believed that understanding agriculture meant understanding how Wyoming’s landscapes function across rangelands and grazing to the production of beef, and wool. They sought to build bridges across different perspectives and industries, bringing together producers, educators, and even environmental voices around a shared goal: helping people better understand the land that supports them.
As the program grew, that spirit of partnership continued to guide its evolution. Today, WAIC’s natural resource curriculum includes Energy & Minerals and Outdoor Recreation & Tourism. The curriculum has expanded while maintaining the same core principle of stewardship and connection to the land, rooted in agriculture and environmental stewardship.
Carolyn also reminds us that the strength of Wyoming has always come from its communities. Neighbors helping neighbors and generations working the same land together has been a core tenant of Wyoming’s historic ranches. Preserving that sense of connection, while helping new generations understand where their food and resources come from, remains as important today as it was when WAIC first began.
As we celebrate 40 years, we honor champions like Carolyn whose early commitment ensured that generations of Wyoming students would not just learn about agriculture—but understand their place within it.
As part of WAIC’s 40th anniversary, we have launched the 40x40 Campaign. This campaign is a call to find 40 champions willing to invest in the next 40 years of agricultural and natural resource education in Wyoming with a major gift.
Just as Carolyn and the organization’s founders built WAIC with intention, grit, and heart, today’s champions will ensure that Wyoming’s students continue to learn from the land that sustains us all.
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