Source: PALAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE submitted to
OPTIMIZING ORGANIC-BASED FARMING, ENHANCING FACULTY PREPARATION, AND IMPROVING CURRICULUM DESIGN THROUGH SUPERVISED EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AT PALAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1026776
Grant No.
2021-70004-35100
Cumulative Award Amt.
$149,989.00
Proposal No.
2021-04344
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Aug 1, 2021
Project End Date
Jul 31, 2025
Grant Year
2021
Program Code
[AA-Q]- Resident Instruction Grants for Insular Areas
Project Director
IKERTANG, F.
Recipient Organization
PALAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ERNGUUL HIGHWAY
MEDALAII HAMLET,PW null
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The main goal of this proposed project from PCC is to enhance knowledge in sustainable agricultural practices in the classroom and strengthen supervised students' experiential learning for students in Agriculture and related Science degree programs (Associate of Science and Associate of Applied Science) at PCC through the following objectives: (1) improve curriculum design and implementation for Agriculture and related Science program; (2) enhance faculty preparation on classroom and laboratory instruction in sustainable agriculture practices for students' in the Agriculture and related Science program; (3) redesigning the PCC agriculture farm to an organic-based farming system by optimizing agroecological principles and resilience through allocated resources (machinery, equipment, materials, and supplies) to achieve the project's goals and; (4) strengthen supervised interactive experiential learning among agriculture and related science students' in the laboratory and in the field.PCC programs including, the food, agriculture, and related science fields, provides opportunity to work closely with students to overcome barriers in attaining education by building interest, confidence and skills through experiential learning curriculum, to increase retention and course completion. Considering climate changes that are impacting each ocean state, some of which are island atolls, it is essential to introduce more environmentally friendly techniques in food, agriculture, and related science to our students to have a more positive impact on their livelihood and their respective states. Additionally, to increase the number of professionals and technicians in the said fields from the Republic of Palau and the Micronesian Region.For decades, developed countries have produced the bulk of our food through industrial agriculture--a system dominated by large farms growing the same crops year after year and utterly reliant on using enormous amounts of chemical pesticides and fertilizers that damage soils, water, air, and climate. For student learning purposes, the agriculture program at PCC also depends on chemicals to allow the crop(s) to grow until harvest time. However, this system is not built to last because it squanders and degrades the resources that it depends on. Metaphysically, sustainable farming techniques are not fully being practiced in the PCC agriculture program. These techniques need to be introduced to the program to enhance students' knowledge and literacy in a more environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable system.This project provides opportunities to strengthen students' knowledge and skills in a sustainable agriculture by redesigning an organic-based farming system that uses organic inputs as well as synthetic inputs, however, the synthetic inputs are used more sparingly. It is well documented that conventional farms rely heavily on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides and that these chemical inputs destroy soil health over time, pollute underground water systems, and eventually degrade the surrounding environment.The proposed new organic-base farming design and practices will introduce new sustainable farming technologies to students and the communities to strengthen food security, protect our environment, and combat climate change. The proposed project's overall impact is to improve curriculum design through enhanced faculty preparation by redesigning PCC agriculture farm to organic-based farming system and strengthening supervised students' experiential learning thereby satisfying student learning outcomes, attracting more students', increasing students' retention, and increasing graduation rate in the Agriculture and related Science programs.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
10214993020100%
Knowledge Area
102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships;

Subject Of Investigation
1499 - Vegetables, general/other;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
The main goal of this proposed project from PCC is to enhance knowledge in sustainable agricultural practices in the classroom and strengthen supervised students' experiential learning for students in Agriculture and related Science degree programs (Associate of Science and Associate of Applied Science) at PCC through the following objectives: (1) improve curriculum design and implementation for Agriculture and related Science program; (2) enhance faculty preparation on classroom and laboratory instruction in sustainable agriculture practices for students' in the Agriculture and related Science program; (3) redesigning the PCC agriculture farm to an organic-based farming system by optimizing agroecological principles and resilience through allocated resources (machinery, equipment, materials, and supplies) to achieve the project's goals and; (4) strengthen supervised interactive experiential learning among agriculture and related science students' in the laboratory and in the field.The project is a development and continuation of the ongoing PCC goal to provide quality and excellence in its programs and services in the agriculture and related sciences programs. Achieving the project's purpose and objectives will positively enhance students' learning outcomes, increase enrolment, increase retention and graduation rate, and prepare students for the workforce and or pursue higher education. By July 2021, the PD, CPD, and instructors of agriculture and related science programs will review, assess, modify, and improve agriculture and related science programs based on the pragmatic timeline. By October 2021, Agriculture and Related Science courses would have been implemented in the classroom, laboratory, and in the field. By August 2021, the agriculture and related program instructors would have their resources (machinery, equipment, facilities, materials, greenhouse materials) intact and ready for operational use with consideration to safety and procedural measures. Hence, by October 2021, the entire curriculum improvement will have been approved by the CPC.Instructors' preparation, including training on curriculum designing, implementing an organic-based farming system, proposing an agriculture literacy framework, and supervised experiential learning, will have been attained by November 2021. By October 2021, the redesigned organic-based farming system would have been implemented completely and maintained. By January 2022 students' in the agriculture and related science programs would have engaged in supervised experiential learning within the institution premise and have their intern outside the institution. By the end of May 2023, the agriculture and related science curriculum are improved. Instructors are prepared with diverse teaching methods and integrate student experiential learning, the organic-based farming system is 100% completed and maintained, students are agriculture literate and experienced with different farming systems techniques.For need area (1) Improve Curriculum in sustainable agriculture practices for agriculture and related science programs; to review, adapt, modify, and align curriculum contents with an intention to promote agricultural knowledge and agricultural literacy that integrates learning conceptualization, analysis, constructive thinking, and synthesizing concepts. The project will allow faculty to engage in soft skills through effective instructional delivery content (integrate cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains) by integrating lecture, discussion, demonstrations, cooperative learning, supervised experiential learning, and assignments and skills sheets to satisfy student learning outcomes. Faculty will integrate deep flexible agricultural literacy content (contextual learning) and supervised agricultural experiential learning (work-based learning) in the AG 122 and AG 124 courses. The entire curriculum improvement process considers the following phases (1-5), objectives, and reasons behind each activity: (1) phase one objectives (to align agricultural standards), reasons (identify alignment and conceptualize standards, align lessons with each set standards); (2) phase two objectives (to formulate standard aligned curriculum), reasons (formulate curriculum gaiters to each set of standards, formulate sample study units); (3) phase three objectives (to conduct classroom and field-study dry-run), reasons (gather students' feedback, conclusion and recommendations); (4) phase four objectives (to edit and expand curriculum), reasons (students' feedback utilization, create and interpret faculty questionnaires); (5) phase five objectives (to conduct agricultural lessons in classrooms), reasons (receive faculty feedback).For need area (2) Faculty Preparation and Enhancement for Instruction--to increase instruction's subject matter and content teaching competencies reflecting agricultural practices in the classroom and the fieldwork; to make available instructional resources commensurate with students' grade, students' skill sheet, and student's agricultural experiences; to prepare instructors through effective teaching methods, the use of classroom technology and classroom management, student assessments, special needs students, and student organizations; and for Project Director (PD) and Co-Project Director (CPD) to continue working with the information technology instructors to develop and improve training needs for agriculture and related sciences instructors to be able to digitize lecture and laboratory resources, shift from traditional classroom lectures to more interactive and engaging e-learning platforms online.For the need area (3) Redesign the PCC Agriculture Farm to an Organic-based Farming System following agroecology principles and improving its effectiveness, efficiency, and practices. Redesigning organic-based farming systems allows students to participate in team dynamics, enhancing their agricultural literacy and interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. This process increases their self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-efficacy in learning in the classroom and in the laboratory and in the field. The curriculum and instructional delivery indicators will be aligned with the proposed organic-based farming system with supervised experiential learning. This learning and experiential learning process enables students to analyze and handle the soil to identify its physical properties and evaluate their findings and recommend best practices to maintain healthy soil. The adoption of an organic-based farming capacity system to strengthen Agriculture and related Science programs is highly depended on acquiring and optimizing resources such as machinery, equipment, and supplies to sustain the organic-based farm system, including producing quality compost and other organic farm inputs.The need area (4) Supervised Experiential Learning--to integrate field study, research study, campus-based, and community-related services. These activities allow agriculture and related sciences students to investigate organic-based farming techniques or food methods, use resources to produce services and produce that contribute to communities' sustainable needs, identify community needs, and contribute to the community's welfare within PCC and outside the campus. The supervised experiential learning will provide supervised internships at PCC and Palau communities for students in the agriculture and related science program to participate on hands-on activities, experiential learning, and laboratory and classroom instructions to satisfy their student learning outcomes, attract more students', increase students' retention, and graduation rate.
Project Methods
The need area (1) Curriculum Design and Development require that instructors (a) review and modify course outlines as are necessary for an Associate of Science and an Associate of Applied Science degrees in the agriculture science at PCC; (b) integrate more modern techniques and technologies in sustainable agriculture into course contents and student learning outcomes. The Project Director (PD) and Co-Project Director will work with instructors in the agriculture science program to network with community partners in assessing the application of sustainable farming techniques and; (c) To improve agricultural literacy in the classroom, students will learn the concepts and principles of sustainable farming and implement them in the field following the farm design. For instance, students will learn how to make good quality compost and compost tea and apply it to feed plants and improve soil health.Next, the both PD and CPD will work closely with agriculture instructors to have the college reviews on contents of the core courses in agriculture science, its program learning outcomes, and enhances and integrate new methods that promote sustainable agriculture suitable for small island environments. The AG 122 Soil Technology will be modified to include agroecology principles and concepts, including the benefits of organic and natural farm techniques to soil and environment, healthier and safer food production, and reduced chemical elimination inputs. The AG 124 Plant Science will be modified to include the following: the identification of specific locally available plants that can be grown in the farm to repel pests; the identification of locally available flowering plants that attract beneficial insects as bio-control for pests; the identification of companion plants to increase biodiversity in the farm which in turn increases the farm's resilience to climatic conditions; and to identify the varieties of locally available leafy and fruiting vegetables, root crops, and fruit trees. Similarly, the laboratory activities will be modified to include the procedures in producing organic inputs, such as organic liquid fertilizers, bio-pesticides, microbial inoculants, organic fungicides, and lactobacillus serum, and how to apply these inputs. Agriculture and related science students will also learn the specific purposes and benefits of each of the organic inputs. Laboratory activity for agriculture course (AG 122) will include producing organic inputs that will help improve and maintain soil health and fertility, such as bacterial dominated compost, fungal dominated compost, soil inoculant of indigenous microorganisms. Laboratory activity for agriculture course (AG 124) will include the procedures for the production of organic inputs to enhance plant growth and development and overall health.PD and CPD will work with the agriculture program faculty to modify and integrate applicable and deliverable yet sustainable agriculture concepts and techniques into the student learning outcomes for program courses based on recommendations and resources from stakeholders. PD will work with PCC Curriculum and Program Committee (CPC) to evaluate the applicability and integration of identified needs, such as Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture and assimilating new topics. Integrated Pest Management and Organic Crop Planning and Production into existing agriculture science degree programs and related sciences.Need area (2) Faculty Preparation and Enhancement for Teaching--PD and CPD will work with information technology instructors to continue to develop and improve training needs for agriculture and related sciences. Instructors to be able to digitize lecture and laboratory resources, shift from traditional classroom lectures to more interactive and engaging e-learning platforms online. Due to the Corona Virus (COVID) pandemic, in March 2020, forty (40) new courses were developed on PCC online primarily as hybrid courses to finish up the semester. The intent was to minimize on-campus face-to-face class sessions and practice social distancing. However, due to the pandemic, there was an increase of online and hybrid courses, including two agriculture courses. The online education platform allows convenient access, flexible scheduling, and building life skills resulting in more focused directed learning and skill application during laboratory hours at the farm. PD and CPD will work with Technology Resource Committee (TRC) members and PCC online laboratory manager to ensure faculty in agriculture and related sciences create engaging electronic learning platforms online. CPD will work with agriculture and related sciences faculty to provide orientation to students on accessing course pages and resources on the online resource platforms.Need are (3) Redesigning Organic-based Farming System--The project's design is to introduce sustainable farming techniques and organic farm inputs that are environmentally safe and incorporating these methods into courses that are already offered to utilize the entire farm as opposed to smaller sections. To redesign the PCC agriculture farm and to use mostly organic inputs is innovative in itself. A farm teeming with a diversity of vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruit trees will attract students and attract the interests of other institutions in the region. Organic inputs include, but is not limited to, compost, compost tea, bio-pesticides, microbial inoculants, organic fungicides, and lactobacillus serum will be utilized.Others includes fermented plant juice, fermented fruit juice, compost tea, fish amino acid extract, calcium extract from eggshells, bamboo shoot extract for growth hormones, and lactobacillus serum for plant protection. These are all considered innovative in this proposed project from PCC, along with herbs' use to repel pests and flowers to attract beneficial insects to the farm, practicing crop rotation, mixed cropping, and the use of cover crops as well. A part of the farm will be divided into four sections where different crop families will be grown and rotated every growing season depending on each crop type. This farming system will produce no waste as waste will be recycled back to and take by the farm.Fruit trees such as papayas and sour sap will be grown along the entire farm's borders to act as windbreakers. Other essential plants to be developed on the farm are herbs, shrubs, and flowering plants. This farm with increased biodiversity enables the whole farm to be resilient against pests, diseases, and climatic conditions. The soils in the uplands of Palau are mostly red clay soils. With the high rainfall and high temperatures, these clay soils become sticky and compacted when wet and hard when dry.The success of the Agriculture and related Science programs is strongly dependent on resource optimization: machinery, equipment, and materials--PCC will also identify existing resources and infrastructure to support and develop a systematic operational sustainable agriculture. Procuring a reliable soil testing instrument will be a substantial innovative achievement for the college. Initially, the agriculture program faculty, staff, interns, and work-study students will need learn how to use the soil testing instrumently extending the service to the PCC agriculture program to be a local site for testing soils for farmers in Palau and the region and give recommendations on how to improve their farms sustainably. The purchase of a chipper and a shredder is essential for increasing the surface area, allowing for faster decomposition. Students will learn how to make good quality compost and compost tea and apply it to feed plants and improve soil health. A tiller's purchase is essential to do conservation tillage to aerate the soil for plant roots and land preparation before planting crops. Protected structures or greenhouses need to be purchased to grow the high-value crop.

Progress 08/01/23 to 07/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience continues to be the faculty for Agriculture and Related Sciences, as well as the heads of government agencies and private sectors, and community organizations engaging in farming activities. These partners are committed in helping our students succeed. Students from the Agriculture and Related Sciences will continue to be our main audience as we remain in our path to a more sustainable future in terms of food security and human and environmental health. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?To enhance faculty preparation on classroom and laboratory/field instructions, three faculty members from Agriculture and Related Sciences have participated in recent conferences including SACNAS, the American Association of Geographers, Hawaii Conservation Convention, and NIFA Project Directors meeting in Kansas City, MO. These conferences have given invaluable information to the instructors to better serve our students. RIIA supported students and faculty have also participated in community activities, government projects, and high school and elementary garden projects. Faculty in Agriculture and Related Sciences also take into consideration suggestions and recommendations from stakeholders and partners around the island to help improve our curriculum for the benefit of our students and the college as a whole. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?This progress report will be disseminated to the Dean of Academic Affairs and the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR). A copy of the report will be forwarded to the College's Development office for press release and printed on the College's newsletter, Mesekiu. Electronic copy of the report will be made available on the College's website for any interested persons, and hard copies as well as digital copies will be shared to all our partners/stakeholders. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For the remaining year of the project, faculty and students in the Agricultural Science Program will continue practicing sustainable farming methods during laboratory and field activities. We will continue to work with our partners/stakeholders with the sharing of information and techniques, and increase participation in community activities. We will continue to help our new Agriculture students in their studies, through the Academic Tutoring Center, so that they can all qualify for the Spring 2025 scholarship.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? All the initial objectives of this project have been completed. This project has sparked the creation of numerous partnerships among community members and government agencies, all eager to support our students in their journey towards success, employment, or higher education! These collaborations have empowered the Agricultural and Related Sciences program to extend its reach, benefiting local communities, elementary schools, and our one and only public high school. I'm thrilled to share that we have completed all our objectives. Objective 1 is fully complete! We've successfully updated and and gotten approval for two major courses in the Agriculture Program--AG122 Soil Technology and AG124 Plant Science--thanks to the dedication of our College's Curriculum and Programs Committee (CPC). These courses received enthusiastic endorsement after thorough review by the Chief of Agriculture from the Palau National Government's Bureau of Agriculture. At Palau Community College (PCC), our Agriculture Program Instructors have forged strong connections with the leaders of the Bureau of Agriculture, the Koror State urban agriculture sector, the Palau High School Agriculture Program, and many other influential community members. This vibrant network is making a real difference in ensuring our students excel in Agricultural and Related Sciences! The PCC Cooperative, Research, and Extension (CRE) team has been buzzing with numerous activities, conducting a variety of community projects that include exciting workshops and training sessions. Our AG Program instructors and students are fully engaged, diving into sustainable farming techniques being used all over the island while also sharing our very own sustainable practices. From sustainable urban farming and reforestation to producing liquid organic fertilizers and composting with pig and chicken waste, these innovative activities are creating a dynamic learning experience! These CRE projects, which consistently incorporate the PCC AG Program, provide an amazing platform for our Agriculture students to deepen their knowledge and skills in sustainable, traditional, and healthier farming methods. We are committed to continuing this momentum, collaborating with our partners to enhance the AG curriculum and elevate the practices and skills of both instructors and students for many exciting years to come! Due to Covid-19 and issues with our ASAP EIN number, a one year no-cost extension was requested and approved for another grant period from 2023 to 2024. Unused travel funds for faculty development, during the pandemic, were then able to fund two faculty members from the Science Department and one faculty member from the Agricultural Science Program to attend several conferences and workshops, including SACNAS, the American Association of Geographers, Hawaii Conservation Convention, and NIFA Project Directors meeting in Kansas City, MO. With these conferences, we were able to make strong bonds with other experts in the field and we continue to share valuable information to enhance our instructional knowledge and ultimately help our students excel in Agriculture and Related Sciences. During Covid-19 and post Covid-19, prices of goods dramatically increased due to inflation. We were still able to purchase our tools, equipment, and machinery under the grant, however, we had to decrease the quantity so we could continue to support our students. Since we had a remaining balance as we came near the end of the project, we requested for a second one year no-cost extension with a budget revision for 2024 to 2025. This request was approved by NIFA. The remaining funds are now used for the continual support for our second year Agriculture students to continue to participate in community-based activities. Also, some funds were allocated for recruiting and retaining new Agriculture students in the form of scholarships. As of now, Fall 2024, we have 12 new enrolled Agricultural Science students. Comparing the number of new Agriculture students from previous years is as follows: 7 new AG students enrolled in Fall 2020, 5 in Fall 2021, 3 in Fall 2022, 6 in Fall 2023, and now we have 12 new AG students thanks to the RIIA Grant Project. These 12 new AG students will receive financial assistance, under this grant, for choosing to major in Agricultural Science. And to be eligible to receive the scholarship for next semester, Spring 2025, they each much remain a full-time student majoring in Agricultural Science and have maintained a GPA of 2.5 or higher after completing this Fall 2024 semester. More details on this will be shared in the final report for this project. Throughout the duration of this grant, a total of 17 AG students have been supported and 5 of these students are currently being supported and have been actively participation in community-based activities including, extension and education outreach programs, peer to peer mentoring, and guiding high school students doing their practicums. They have also participated with our partners in building farms in different elementary schools in our city. Over 90% of AG students who were supported by this grant graduated. These graduates are either working now in Agriculture related fields or are pursuing higher degrees in Agriculture. Pesticides, insecticides, & herbicides are completely banned in the Agricultural Science Program. Compost production has increased as well as quality based on quantitative analysis by one of our partners. Organic liquid fertilizers, bio-pesticides, and organic plant stimulants are now part of our growing guidelines. We have created strong partnership bonds due to our increasing participation in community-based activities. We are seeing enhanced knowledge in sustainable agricultural concepts and practices from current AG students and those who have graduated and working in related fields. Experiential learning, internships, practicums, peer to peer mentoring, and community-based activities have proven to produce AG students with exceptional leadership knowledge and skills in Agricultural Science.

Publications


    Progress 08/01/22 to 07/31/23

    Outputs
    Target Audience:The target audience continues to be the faculty for Agriculture and Related Sciences, as well as the heads of government agencies and private sectors, and community organizations engaging in farming activities. These partners have committed to helping our students succeed. Students from the Agriculture and Related Sciences will continue to be our main audience as we remain in our path to a more sustainable future in terms of food security and human and environmental health. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?As of now, two faculty members in the Agriculture and Related Sciences are participating in SACNAS. The expenses for one of these faculty members are funded by this project. There are still remaining funds for travel for need area (2) and will be utilized before this project ends. Several more upcoming trainings in professional development will be next year in 2024 and will be funded by this project. We have a new partner, a technical adviser from the Natural Resource and Conservation Services (NRCS) based in Palau, whom has been working with the instructors in the Agricultural Science Program specifically on biochar production and utilization. Tools and equipment purchased under this project, such as chain saw and shredder/chipper has help us produce 36 cubic feet of biochar and have used this biochar in our farms with successful results, furthering and strengthening our move towards a more sustainable way of farming. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?This progress report will be disseminated to the Dean of Academic Affairs and the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR). A copy of the report will be forwarded to the College's Office of Development for press release and printed on the College's newsletter, Mesekiu. Electronic copy of the report will be made available on the College's website for any interested persons, and hard copies as well as digital copies will be shared to all our partners/stakeholders. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For the remaining year of the project, faculty and students of the Agricultural Science Program will continue practicing sustainable farming methods during laboratory and field activities. We will continue to work with our partners/stakeholders with the sharing of information and techniques, and student activities. This project will continue to support professional development for the faculty in the Agriculture and Related Science Programs. All that have been learned and practiced with the support of this grant will continue after this project ends.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? The need areas that have been completed are as follows: need area (1) Improve Curriculum in sustainable agriculture practices for agriculture and related science programs; to review, adapt, modify, and align curriculum contents with an intention to promote agricultural knowledge and agricultural literacy that integrates learning conceptualization, analysis, constructive thinking, and synthesizing concepts. This project has allowed the faculty for Agriculture and Related Sciences to engage in effective instructional delivery content (integrate cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains) by integrating lecture, discussion, demonstrations, cooperative learning, supervised experiential learning, and assignments and skills sheets to satisfy student learning outcomes and ultimately increase student success. The instructors for the Agricultural Science Program have integrated deep flexible agricultural literacy content (contextual learning) and supervised agricultural experiential learning (work-based learning) in the AG 122 and AG 124 courses. These two courses have been updated/modified and approved by the college's Curriculum and Programs Committee (CPC); need area (3) Redesign the PCC Agriculture Farm to an Organic-based Farming System following agroecology principles and improving its effectiveness, efficiency, and practices. Redesigning organic-based farming systems has allowed students to participate in team dynamics, enhancing their agricultural literacy and interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. Our farm is completed and we will be planting our next crops in the rotation this Fall of 2023 to Spring 2024; and need area (4) Supervised Experiential Learning--to integrate field study, research study, campus-based, and community related services. These activities have allowed students in the Aagriculture and Related Sciences to investigate organic-based farming techniques, use resources to produce services and produce that contribute to communities' sustainable needs through direct field/farm work and community-based hands on workshops and trainings, and identify community needs, and contribute to a community's welfare within PCC and outside the campus. The supervised experiential learning has provided supervised internships at PCC and Palau communities for students in the agriculture and related science program to participate in hands-on activities, experiential learning, and laboratory and classroom instructions to satisfy their student learning outcomes, attract more students, increase students' retention and graduation rate. The project's support for paid student workers and internships greatly benefited the AG Program by retaining and graduating eight out of eleven AG students enrolled within the duration of the project. The other three students left school due to health and personal reasons. This method of recruiting and retaining and leading to increased graduating AG students clearly works and will be considered in the next grant proposal. As for need area (2), Faculty Preparation and Enhancement for Instruction, it is still on-going. Due to Covid 19 and ASAP issues with our EIN number, a one year no-cost extension was requested and approved. We have begun looking into off-island trainings and workshops for the instructors in Agriculture and Related Sciences.

    Publications


      Progress 08/01/21 to 07/31/22

      Outputs
      Target Audience:Targeted audience during the first year of this project for objective 1 were the faculty for Agriculture and Related Sciences, as well as the heads of government and private agencies, and community organizations engaging in agriculture related activities. These partners gave invaluable advices and suggestions to help the instructors strengthen their course outlines regarding topics important to Palau in terms of agriculture. Targeted audience for objective 2 were the faculty for Agriculture and Related Sciences. This included trainings for technology integration into the classroom and field. Targeted audience for objective 3 were/are the total of 19 students majoring in Agricultural Sciences. Four students have recently graduated leaving a total 15 students to continue in this second year of the project. Target audience for objective 4 are the 15 remaining Agricultural Science students currently enrolled. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Capacity building between AG instructors and students with stakeholders began early in Fall 2021. The Agriculture Program, has since, been participating alongside local farmers in all the trainings/workshops conducted by CRE and other government agencies such as the Bureau of Agriculture and Koror State Government's Urban Agriculture Program. Strong partnerships have been created in terms of information sharing and participation in community farming activities. These partnerships will continue on as we work together to combat climate change, improve our food security, protect our environment, and grow healthier food. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?This progress report will be disseminated to the Dean of Academic Affairs and the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR). A copy of the report will be forwarded to the College's Office of Development for press release and printed on the College's newsletter, Mesekiu. Electronic copy of the report will be made available on the College's website for any interested persons, and hard copies as well as digital copies will be shared to all our partners/stakeholders. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For the next reporting year, instructors for the AG Program will continue to build partnerships with other organizations and bring them into the fold. Having more partners and collaborators ensures PCC AG students multiple opportunities for internships and employment after graduation. The AG Program and its students will continue to work on establishing both our on-campus and main farms following sustainable farming practices. We will continue to recycle all farm waste, make compost, and return it to the farms. We will continue to produce organic liquid fertilizers and bio pesticides. All of these will be a part of the learning experiences, both in the classroom and field, for current and new Agricultural Science students. We will increase the number of crops grown including flowering plants, herbs, and medicinal plants.

      Impacts
      What was accomplished under these goals? This project has helped lead to the creation of many community and government partners all willing to help our students succeed, find employment, or pursue a higher education. These collaborations have helped extend the hands of the Agricultural and Related Sciences to reach out to local communities and abroad. The project is progressing according to the project timeline. Objective 1 is completed. Agriculture Program (AG) major courses AG122 Soil Technology and AG124 Plant Science have been updated/modified and approved by the College's Curriculum and Programs Committee (CPC). The two AG courses were first reviewed than endorsed by the Chief of Agriculture from the Palau National Government's Bureau of Agriculture. The Palau Community College (PCC) Agriculture Program Instructors have created a strong relationship with the heads of the Bureau of Agriculture, Koror State urban agriculture sector, and the Palau High School Agriculture Program along with other key community members. This relationship has and will continue to ensure strong, open, and collaborative efforts to help our students succeed in the Agricultural and Related Sciences. PCC's Cooperative, Research, and Extension (CRE) have been conducting a series of community projects including workshops and trainings. The PCC AG Program instructors and students have been active participants learning some of the sustainable farming techniques being practiced all over the island and also sharing our own sustainable practices and techniques. Such activities include sustainable urban farming, reforestation, liquid organic fertilizers and pesticide production, raising chickens for food and collecting waste for making compost. These CRE projects which always include the PCC AG Program, has created another platform for the Agriculture Program students to enhance their knowledge and skills in sustainable, traditional, and healthier ways of building resilient farms. The AG Program will continue to work, share, and learn with their partners to continue improving the AG curriculum, practices, and skills for instructors and students alike for years to come. Objective 2 is completed. The instructor for Information Technology and the Media Specialist have both been conducting several trainings with the faculty, including instructors from Agriculture and Related Sciences, on integrating technology into the classroom. These trainings have occurred in groups and one-on-one trainings are also available for those who need more help. Five out of nine AG courses are hybrid courses housed on Moodle Moot learning platform. The college has purchased smart televisions for every classroom to utilize the internet for student learning. Adding instructional videos in the classroom have help students improve their comprehensive capabilities. Fifty percent of AG course materials, such as power point lectures, pdf files, and videos are now accessible from a repository in the online learning platform. The AG students can now access these resources to aid them in specific topics discussed in the classroom and in the field. The small on-campus farm has been increased to allow more space to utilize different sustainable farming techniques, such as compost making, raising chickens, raised bed farming, vertical farming, sustainable urban farming techniques, and hydroponics. These practices have help instructors improve their knowledge and skills while also enhancing the students' understanding of sustainable farming and how it links to food security and human and environmental health. Objective 3. Redesigning the AG main farm to four quadrants to allow proper crop rotation has been completed. Additional three plots have been added. The four plots mentioned above are for rotating vegetable crops on a yearly basis to maintain soil health and fertility. The fifth plot is for mix cropping, the sixth plot is for fruit and medicinal trees, and the sixth is for our banana plantation. The fifth plot, for this Fall 2022, we have planted and harvested three (3) varieties of cabbages. We also planted cucumber and are currently harvesting on a weekly basis. Corn (maize) is also planted next to the cucumbers. Some machinery, equipment, and supplies have been purchased. We have purchased a tiller and green machines to help clear the area and prepare the soil for planting. All farm waste was collected and composted. New AG students have been trained on how to properly use and maintain a tiller, green machine, shredder (electric shredder), and hand tools. Objective 4. Paid supervised experiential learning began in Fall 2021. The grant, for Fall 2021, supported five (5) AG student workers and two (2) AG students doing their internships. Their first completed tasks were: (1) cleared the AG main farm, (2) measured and layout, (3) created a functional diagram of the farm site, (4) collected all organic material and made compost. Compost is continuously made every semester. We only make around two (2) compost piles every semester at our main farm and one (1) compost pile at our on-campus instructional farm. This is because it takes about four (4) to six (6) months to be ready for use in the field. I have submitted a quote for the purchase of a chipper/shredder for the main purpose of making compost, mulch, and beddings for our pig and chicken houses. When the chipper/shredder arrives, we will be able to make four (4) to six (6) compost piles in one semester and ready to use them within the same semester. This is due to the shredding of organic materials which increases the surface areas which in turn increases the rate of decomposition. These composts will be crucial in improving the health of our soil and help reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. In Spring 2022, the grant continued to support five (5) AG student workers and two (2) other AG students doing their internships. Their tasks were to continue making compost as well organic liquid fertilizers and bio pesticides. Currently, Fall 2022, the grant is supporting three (3) student workers and one (1) intern. We continue to make more compost, improve our on-campus farm, and continue to sow and raise fruit trees to be transported to our main farm. Saplings of papaya, longan, soursop, miracle fruit, and moringa will be ready for transplanting by the end of this semester.

      Publications