Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this period consisted of teachers and students from Urban Promise and high school students in Delaware, as well as faculty and college students at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) and Delaware State University (DSU). The DSU Satellite Lab willbe located and target the UrbanPromise Academy. UPA is a private high school in Wilmington, DE. UPA is grades 8-12 and currently has 21 active students. The science department consists of Nora Wurmbach and Michele Porter. Science classes currently run are 8th-grade physical science, 9th-grade biology, 10th-grade chemistry, and 11/12th-grade physics. The students from UPA will also be targeted for the summer opportunities hosted by DSU. Project effort: Throughout the year meetings were held with the PDand UPA teachers,the administrators, and the budget manager. Meetings were held to plan and discuss the development of the satellite lab, and to plan the 2024 summer camp. The PDvisited UPA to sit in on a classroom and to help set up a satellite lab. For one month classroom learning objectives were relating to food science. Time was spent in the planning and communicating to families of students who attended the summer camp by UPA teacher and administrator. A UPA teacher attended, assisted and provided transportation for the food science summer camp. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?UPA science teacher, administrator,and students attended the DSU Food Biotechnology Summer Camp. All participants gained new knowledge of food science through microbial and molecular biology lab experiments. UPA STEM teahersalso learned to set up and use new equipment purchased.Thesummer intern students received a stipend. Room and board were provided to intern students during the summer. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?UPA is planning to have a celebration and acknowledgement of the partnership between the school and DSU and the agency. In this celebration the board of UrbanPromise and administrators will be aware of the work being done to teach students about food science and encourage it as a possible future college major. The food biotechnology camp and the Food Science contentsincoporatingintheir scienceclasswere given to the science teacher for a better understanding of the fundamentals of food science. Intern students, the PD, and the project participants attended the DSU research symposium to present the research outcomes. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the upcoming reporting period UPA is planning to openthe satellite lab, complete a second purchasing of equipment, incorporate a food science unit within the existing science classes, engage students about the food science major through college and career counseling and prepare students for the opportunity to attend the food science camp in the summer of 2025. In addition, UPA plans to hold a workshop for parents (spring 2025) about summer camp opportunities for the DSU Food Biotechnology Summer Camp. The announcement for the 2025summer internship will be posted on BCCC and DSU websites for interested students to apply in early 2025.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Before the PD began partnership with UPA and STEM teachers, their science classrooms were not engaged in teaching students about food science. Therefore, students were not exposed to food science and not pursuing this area as a future education and career choice. This project will increase UPA STEM teachers' knowledge and education in food science. This is to be done with the hope to engage high school and college students with more interest in a future career in the food and agriculture field. Goals: Development of the summer program for high school students, professional development for STEM teachers through satellite lab, and food science curriculum for high school students. a) Major Activities completed/experiments conducted 1. Introducing food science to various science classes: a. A 11th/12th grade physics class of four students, a 10th grade chemistry class of 7 students, a 8th grade physical science class of 5 students were taught a food science unit related to their different content areas. b. All students learned about three different fields of food science: food biotechnology, food chemistry and food microbiology. They learned about various ways these sciences are applied and later were able to identify research to the type of science it related to. c. Physics and physical science students learned about heat transfer and applied it to the insulation of food. d. Chemistry students learned about molecules and chemical reactions in food. 2. 2024 Food Biotechnology Summer Camp a. The camp was attended by teachers from 9th to 11th grades. b. Students who came engaged in various experiments and activities, such as micropipetting, DNA isolation, PCR electrophoresis and making carbonated ale, hand sanitizer, and gummy candies. 3. Development of the DSU Satellite Lab at UPA a. In spring 2024 equipment was purchased for the satellite lab at UPA. The equipment was set up by the PD and teachers during the summer. b. Plans have begun for a celebration and acknowledgement for the satellite lab for January 2025. The PD and UPA students, teachers, and administrators will be present to acknowledge the work of this partnership. b) Change in knowledge Through the lessons and assessments in three of the UPA science classes, students learned about various areas of food science and made connections with their specific content area with food science. Students watched videos, read about research to learn about what are some of the aspects of food science. The students that also participated in the 2024 Food Biotechnology Summer Camp learned how to use various equipment and lab methods related to food science. c) Change in action During the reporting year we added teaching a unit on food science in our existing science courses. We worked on the first round of purchasing equipment, purchased the equipment and began selecting equipment for the next purchase. In addition work has been done to determine where the next piece of equipment will be located in the building. UPA has continued to communicate with students and their families about the opportunity to attend the DSU Food Biotechnology summer camp. Students who are interested are followed up with to confirm their attendance to the camp. d) Change in condition As a result of partnering with UPA, theteachers and administrators are able to lead theirstudents towards considering food science majors for college admission. Students who might be interested in this course of study will have increased instruction and exposure through UPA's new career development class and through college and career counseling. Goal: Development of the summer internship program for college students. a) Major activities completed/experiments conducted Two interns participated in a 10-week summer internship program. An intern was recommended by the faculty at Baltimore City Community College, while the second was recruited from Mount St. Mary's University. The PD and other faculty members served as advisors during the program period. During the first month, the PD supervised the training of interns, providing them with hands-on lab experiences in aseptic techniques, microbial and molecular biological experiments, as well as food processing and food safety. Following this training period, the interns participated in a summer camp for high school students where they assisted the PD, demonstrated lab experiments, and played as mentors to the high schoolers by leading their groups. Simultaneously, they also conducted a given project supervised by the PD and the lab staff. On the final day of the program, the student presented the research findings at the DSU research symposium. b) Change in knowledge The college students participating in the internship program gained new knowledge of food biotechnology through hands-on lab experiences and were made aware of the diverse career opportunities available in the field of food science. c) Change in action Throughout the summer internship, students had the opportunity to gain knowledge about food science and explore potential career paths. They actively participated in various summer activities and conducted research projects. As a result, they were able to gain confidence in their abilities and develop their leadership skills through the summer activities. d) Change in condition In this project year, the PD also invited a summer intern student from Mount St. Mary's University. Through a partnership with a local community college, the PD and the faculty/administrators at the partner college can guide their students toward pursuing a BS degree in the DSU food science program.

Publications

Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this period consisted of teachers and students from Urban Promise Academy (UPA) high school and high school students in Delaware, as well as faculty and college students at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) and Delaware State University (DSU). The DSU Satellite Lab will be located and target the UrbanPromise Academy. UPA is a private high school in Wilmington, D.E. UPA is grades 8-12 and currently has 35 active students. The science department consists of Nora Wurmbach and Michele Porter. Science classes currently run are 8th-grade physical science, 9th-grade biology, 10th-grade chemistry, and 11/12th-grade astronomy. The students from UPA will also be targeted for the summer opportunities hosted by DSU. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?UPA science teachers and high school students attended the DSU Food Biotechnology Summer Camp. During the summer camp and PHAGE program, college students were given the opportunity to participate in summer internships. All participants gained new knowledge of food science through microbial and molecular biology lab experiments. Teachers and summer intern students received a stipend.Room and board were provided to intern students during the summer. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The food biotechnology camp and the Food Science chapters were given to the science teacher for a better understanding of the fundamentals of food science which will be incorporated into currentcurricula. Intern students, the PD, and the project participants attended the DSU research symposium to present the research outcomes. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The PD and the science teacher will continuouslywork on creating a list of the necessary equipment to be purchased for the satellite lab. In the upcoming months, equipment will be purchased, and the DSU team will assist the science teacher at Urban Promise with its setup and training. In addition, UPA plans to hold a workshop for parents (spring 20224) about summer camp opportunities such as the DSU Food Biotechnology Summer Camp. We believe this will increase the likelihood that UPA students will learn about and attend the camp. The announcement for the 2024 summer internship will be posted on BCCC and DSU websites for interested students to apply in early 2024.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Impact STEM high school teachers and FFA teachers have limited knowledge of and exposure to areas in agriculture education such as food safety. Consequently, high school students have less understanding of the Food and Agricultural sciences field and are less likely to pursue this area as a future education and career choice. Likewise, students at community colleges and undergraduate students at DSUhave limited hands-on experience with opportunities in this field. The goal of the project is to increase FFA and STEM high school teachers' knowledge and education in Food and related sciences. This will translate into high school students with more interest in a future career in the food and agriculture field. In addition, community college teachers can introduce their students to the food science and agriculture programs at Delaware State University; to which the students can potentially transfer to complete their bachelor's degree. Objective: Development of the summer program, satellite lab, andfood science curriculum for high school students. a) Major activities completed/experiments conducted The 2023 Food Biotechnology Summer Camp was attended by STEM teachersand 10students from the UrbanPromise Academy. Threestudents were rising 9th graders, sixstudents were rising 10th graders, and onewas a graduate senior. This summer three more students attended the summer camp since the 2022 camp, attended by one UPA student. Students engaged in experiments that were introductions to various concepts within food science with the PDand the interns. This year, UPA staff developed science learning objectives for all of its high school students. This enabled UPA to identify a pathway by which students will investigate food science: first in 9th biology (integration with microbiology) and later in 10th grade (integration with chemistry and additional stand-alone units). In addition, a new course was added to UPA graduation requirements. This course involves career exploration and will include detailed information and activities related to careers in Food and Agricultural Sciences. The PD visited UPA. Students present on the day they completed a survey prepared by the PD, Dr. Lee. Following the survey, UPA administrators and teachers (Ms. Kok, Mr. Orr, Mrs. Truax, and Ms. Wurmbach) met to discuss the progress of the satellite lab. In the meeting, plans were made to determine how the food science curriculum would align with the current science learning objectives and how to complete the purchase of the equipment through POs. b) Change in knowledge Students, parents, and STEM teachers knew about the DSU food science program and its new opportunity in food and agricultural sciences. The students who participated in the 2023 Food Biotechnology Summer Camp were exposed to lab methods and content with food science. The students at UrbanPromise Academy also completed a survey to gain data on their experience with the science courses at UPA. c) Change in action High school students and teachers gained new scientific knowledge and applications to foods and agricultural products through hands-on lab experiments. In addition, lessons related to food science were selected for integration into UPA's 9th-grade biology curriculum and 10th-grade chemistry courses. A process has been ongoing to purchase a first round of new equipment for the satellite lab at UPA. The UrbanPromise Wilmington's development director, Natalie Kok has been in communication with lab supply companiesand DSU to organize a PO for the order of the equipment. It is planned to be completed before the end of the calendar year. d) Change in condition As a result of partnering with the high school, the PD and the administrator/teacher/counselors can lead their students toward considering food science majors for college admission. Students who might be interested in this course of study will have increased instruction and exposure through UPA's new career development class. Objective: Development of the summer internship program for college students. a) Major activities completed/experiments conducted Three interns participated in a 10-week summer internship program. Two of these interns were recommended by the faculty at BCCC, while the third was recruited from DSU. The PD and other faculty members served as advisors during the program period. During the first month, the PD supervised the training of two interns, providing them with hands-on lab experiences in aseptic techniques, microbial and molecular biological experiments, as well as food processing and food safety. Following this training period, the interns participated in a summer camp for high school students where they assisted the PD, demonstrated lab experiments, and playedas mentors to the high schoolers by leading their groups. Meanwhile, the otherstudent worked on a project supervised by the Biology Department's faculty.The project involved investigating the potential anti-cancer properties of food and natural products.On the final day of the program, the student presented the research findings at the DSU researchsymposium. b) Change in knowledge The college students participating in the internship program gained new knowledge of food biotechnologythrough hands-on lab experiences and were made aware of the diverse career opportunities available in the field of food science. c) Change in action Throughout the summer internship, students had the opportunity to gain knowledge about food science and explore potential career paths. They actively participated in various summer activities and conducted research projects.As a result, they were able to gain confidence in their abilities and develop their leadership skills through the summer activities. d) Change in condition? Through a partnership with a local community college, the PDand the faculty/administrators at the partner college can guide their students toward pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in the DSU food science program. Additionally, DSU students can benefit from the MS Food and Biotechnology program for further academic progression after graduation.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: DSU Summer Symposium.

Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this period consisted of teachers and students from Urban Promise Academy (UPA) high schooland high school students in Delaware, as well as faculty and college students at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC). The DSU Satellite Lab will be located and target the UrbanPromise Academy. UPA is a private high school in Wilmington, DE. UPA is grades 8-12 and currently has 35 active students. The science department consists of Nora Wurmbach and Michele Porter. Science classes currently run are 8th-grade physical science, 9th-grade biology, 10th-grade chemistry, and 11/12th-grade astronomy. The students from UPA will also be targeted for the summer opportunities hosted by DSU. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?UPA science teachers and studentsattended the DSU Food Biotechnology Summer Camp and college studentsparticipated in the summer internship program. All participants gained new knowledge of food science throughmicrobial and molecular biologylab experiments.Teachers and summer intern students received a stipend. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The food biotechnology camp and the summer internshipinformation were posted on the DSU web andgiven to teachers, faculty, administrators, students, and their partners. The intern students' research outcomes were presented at the DSU summer symposium. Food Science chapters were given to the science teacher for a better understanding of the fundamentals of food science which will be incorporated into future curricula. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The final MOU will besigned by both parties' administrators. The PD and the science teacher will workon creating a list of the necessary equipment to be purchased for the satellite lab.Equipment will be purchased, and the DSU team will assist the science teacher at Urban Promise with its setup and training.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Impact STEM high school teachers and FFA teachers have limited knowledge of and exposure to areas in agriculture education such as food safety. Consequently, high school students have less understanding of the Food and Agricultural sciences field and are less likely to pursue this area as a future education and career choice. Likewise, students at community colleges have limited experience with opportunities in this field. The goal of the project is to increase FFA and STEM high school teachers' knowledge and education in Food and related sciences. This will translate into high school students with more interest in a future career in the food and agriculture field. In addition, community college teachers can introduce their students to the food science and agriculture programs at Delaware State University; to which the students can potentially transfer to complete their bachelor's degree. a) Major activities completed/experiments conducted The PI and DSU staff visited Urban Promise and met with the administrators to discuss the grant and the subsequent steps. On the same trip, the PI and DSU staff spoke with the science teacher and discussed the current curriculum and lab experiments. A draft MOU was created between Delaware State University and Urban Promise High School.A summer food biology camp was held at DSU for local high schools, as well as invited UPA students and teachers. To provide interns with lab experiences and leadership activities, we recruited summer interns from the partner college, BCCC. b) Change in knowledge Students, parents, and STEM teachers knew about the DSU food science program and its new opportunity in food and agricultural sciences. c) Change in action High school students and teachers gained new scientific knowledge and applications to foods and agricultural products through hands-on lab experiments. d) Change in condition As a result of partnering with the high school and community college, the PD and the administrator/teacher/counselors can lead their students toward considering food science majors for college admission.

Publications