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AgLearn Training Access Instructions for Illinois TSPs

Registering for an AgLearn Account

To register for an AgLearn account, you must first apply for Level II eAuthentication. Once your eAuthentication account has been activated, you can register for an AgLearn account. All the steps for both processes are listed below. If you already have a Level II eAuthentication account, begin at step 11.

  1. Launch Internet Explorer.
  2. Enter the Web address for AgLearn http://www.aglearn.usda.gov.
  3. In the New User section, click Register.
  4. Click Public.
  5. Fill in all data fields according to provided directions.
  6. At the bottom of the form, click Continue.
  7. Verify that all your information is correct, and then click Submit.
  8. Review the confirmation message carefully, making sure the correct e-mail address is provided. After printing the page, click Close Window. Note: To print the page, choose File, Print from the Menu or simply press Ctrl-P, and then click Print.
  9. You should receive a confirmation e-mail within 1 hour from eAuthHelpDesk. Click the link ACTIVATE MY ACCOUNT to open the Account Activation Web page.
  10. Read the confirmation message and then click Close Window.
  11. Return to the AgLearn homepage at http://www.aglearn.usda.gov.
  12. In the New User section, click Register.
  13. In the Step-2Complete registration section, click Register.
  14. Enter the User ID and Password that was confirmed in the e-mail you received (Step 9), then click Login.
  15. Select the Agency of Sponsoring Individual
    1. From the drop down menu choose NRCS-External-IL-Technical Service Provider.
    2. Select David Walling's name from the drop down menu as the Illinois USDA Official to Sponsor Access to AgLearn. David will receive an e-mail to activate your account.
    3. Select James Johnson as Additional USDA Official to Sponsor Access to AgLearn from the drop down menu. In most cases, TSPs are not USDA contractors, so do not answer yes. Check that you are a partner, and click Submit Registration.
  16. The system notifies you that your Registration is now complete. Within the next 72 hours you should receive an e-mail from your agency sponsor notifying you of your AgLearn account notification.
  17. Once you receive your notification from your sponsor, you can navigate to the AgLearn homepage and login to AgLearn with your User ID and password.

Taking AgLearn Courses

Go to AgLearn and log in under Student - Login.

  • Select the course(s) to add to your learning plan. To do this you can use several options. If you know the name of the class you want, you can do a simple search by typing in the name of the course in the search box; or you can browse the catalog. If using the latter method, the course you will want will be listed under Natural Resources Conservation Service in the catalog. Use the vertical slide bar to move down to NRCS. Select NRCS and the courses are then displayed on the right hand side. There are five pages of courses. The Conservation Planning Course, Part 1 (Modules 1-5) is on page 2. Click the Add to Learning Plan button to add a course to your learning plan from this menu.
  • Once the desired course(s) has been added, you return to the learning plan screen. You can Launch Content from your learning plan screen by using that button.
  • Follow the onscreen directions to complete the class.
  • It is always a good idea to print screen or save the completion certificate to document that you have completed the course.
  • To make sure the AgLearn system captured completion of a course, select the Learning tab from the top menu and then Learning History from the lower menu. A list of completed courses along with the completion date should display. 

AgLearn Courses for TSPs

Follow the instructions for AgLearn Access to the Conservation Planning Modules 1-5, the TSP Orientation courses, and the Nutrient and Pesticide Management course necessary for the nutrient management and Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planning (CNMP) categories. There are links provided to a synopsis of each of these courses on the TechReg home page. Additional courses may be required depending on the TSP categories of interest. There are a number of courses available in AgLearn. This license is good for up to five courses.

At a minimum, all TSP service categories require the following courses:

  • TSP Orientation Course
  • Conservation Planning, Part 1 Course (Modules 1-5)

Other TSP categories have specific course requirements. You’ll need to check the current certification criteria on the TechReg Certification Categories web page to determine if any additional TechReg courses are required. The Introduction to the Technical Guide is not a required course, but it’s worthwhile to provide an awareness of how NRCS organizes its technical resource information and the standards and specifications for conservation practices.

If you want to apply for certification in the Nutrient and Pest Management categories or CNMP – Nutrient Management, you'll need the 000033, 000083 and 00085 courses as well. Some of the courses available are:

  • NRCS-NEDC-000008 - Introduction to NRCS NRCS-NEDC-000019 Conservation Planning, Part I
  • NRCS-NEDC-000033 - Introduction To Water Quality
  • NRCS-NEDC-000083 - Nutrient Management Track 1, Part 1
  • NRCS-NEDC-000085 - Pest Management Track 2, Part 1
  • NRCS-NEDC-000115 - Agricultural Waste Management Systems - A Primer (required for Manure and Wastewater Handling and Storage)
  • NRCS-NEDC-000116 - Agricultural Waste Management Systems - Level 2 (required for Manure and Wastewater Handling and Storage)
  • NRCS-NEDC-000141 - Cultural Resources Training Series, Part 1
  • NRCS-NEDC-000149 - Introduction to the Field Office Technical Guide (recommended but not required)
  • NRCS-NEDC-000190 - Environmental Compliance for Conservation Assistance (EC Level 1)
  • NRCS-NEDC-000191 - TSP Orientation

Most courses require a passing score on proficiency test after the materials have been reviewed. When a course has been completed, please check the boxes in Section F of your TSP profile (on the TechReg site) for the Orientation course and the Conservation Planning, Part 1 (Modules 1-5). List any other courses completed under section F.