Progress 11/01/21 to 10/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Our program engaged youth from rural and urban Illinois locations, specifically targeting participants between 10-15 years old. The majority of participants were middle school students (48), with smaller groups from elementary (4) and high school (11). Over the three-year project period, enrollment included 27 participants in Year 1, 25 in Year 2, and 20 in Year 3. Seven participants from Year 1 returned for Year 2, and two from Year 2 returned for Year 3. One participant engaged in the program for all three years. Illinois, the most populous state in the U.S. Corn Belt, has faced a population decline of more than 50,000 people in 2019 and saw a net loss of 2,406 farms between the 2012 and 2017 USDA censuses. At the same time, urban areas continue to experience challenges related to food availability. Training the next generation of precision agriculture researchers can strengthen Illinois farms, making them more resilient to environmental changes and increasing the feasibility of high-yield, cost-effective urban farming solutions. Many students in both rural and urban areas face challenges in accessing advanced STEM education opportunities, making it essential to provide programs that demonstrate clear pathways to future careers. Schools in regions with limited resources--rural or urban--often struggle to provide robust STEM learning experiences. To address this, non-formal programs that run throughout the summer offer hands-on, experiential learning opportunities that encourage student engagement in STEM fields. Our rural program site in Waterloo, IL primarily served students from the surrounding agricultural community (21 participants). Both female (31) and male (32) students participated across all three years from the community. Many rural areas experience workforce migration as students pursue career opportunities in larger metropolitan areas. At the same time, agriculture is adapting to new challenges, including the need for predictive models to mitigate crop losses and the development of new crop varieties to remain competitive in a global market. By fostering locally based agricultural expertise, rural communities can cultivate homegrown researchers and consultants who support sustainable farming practices and economic development. At our urban site, the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St. Louis, IL, we served 40 participants from the surrounding community over the three-year period. East St. Louis has historically faced economic challenges, contributing to reduced access to fresh food options. Business relocation trends have impacted food availability in urban areas, prompting increased interest in urban farming as a sustainable solution. Urban agriculture initiatives can enhance food access while providing valuable STEM-based learning experiences for youth. By bringing together participants from different geographic regions, our program created a dynamic learning environment where students exchanged ideas and explored agricultural technologies relevant to their communities. This cross-site engagement helped students connect scientific principles to real-world applications in both rural and urban settings. ? Changes/Problems:Changes in Evaluation and Assessment Plan Refinement of Evaluation Methods In the first year, existing survey instruments were used to assess learning outcomes. Limitations in vocabulary comprehension and tool validation for the participant group were identified. Adjustments in years 2 and 3 included more engaging and developmentally appropriate assessment methods: Interviews Interactive activity worksheets (social network analysis) Drawing activities Reflective postcard exercises to reduce survey fatigue Adjustments to Bioengineering Instruction The core goal of introducing agricultural science and fostering collaboration remained unchanged. Additional foundational instruction on agriculture and GM crops was introduced to ensure all participants had the necessary background knowledge. Curriculum adjustments were made to increase engagement and enhance understanding of agricultural topics. Challenges in Curriculum Development The curriculum was initially designed to integrate local issues through participant-led community interviews. Difficulties arose as some participants were unable to follow through with interviews, impacting the incorporation of community-specific topics. Some urban participants had limited prior exposure to agricultural environments, requiring additional efforts to generate interest in agricultural topics. Institutional Review Board (IRB) Protocol Challenges Each location presented distinct logistical hurdles that impacted protocol implementation, including: Unsigned permission slips Difficulty accessing a parent/guardian for required signatures Limited access to students during recruitment efforts These challenges highlighted the need for proactive planning to accommodate location-specific constraints. Coordination Challenges in Multi-Institutional Collaboration While the collaboration brought valuable expertise and resources, scheduling conflicts arose. The summer camp schedule frequently overlapped with pre-planned field trips and events at partner institutions. Adjustments required flexibility, proactive communication, and creative scheduling to ensure all youth participants could fully engage in both the camp and partner-led activities. Impact of Extreme Weather on Data Collection A severe drought in Year 2 created challenges in collecting corn growth data, resulting in: Stunted plant growth Reduced yields Inconsistent datasets Despite these setbacks, participants adapted by analyzing drought resilience strategies, leading to a deeper understanding of agronomic science and environmental factors affecting agriculture. Challenges in Sustaining Urban-Rural Engagement Participation rates fluctuated, with lower engagement from East St. Louis, IL students in Year 1 and Waterloo, IL students in Year 3. These challenges underscored the need for innovative engagement strategies and program formats to sustain participation and expand cross-community collaboration. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate and Undergraduate Training The project provided opportunities for a graduate student to gain experience in education research, assessment, and evaluation while serving as the lead researcher. Undergraduate students (2) and high school interns (5) took on leadership roles as learning and teaching assistants during the summer camp. Professional Development for Educators The project facilitated workshops and bi-monthly team meetings over three years, offering dedicated spaces for educators to collaborate, share ideas, and refine teaching strategies. Educators developed leadership skills, including delegation, teamwork, and time management, while leading agricultural curriculum efforts. Educator's reflection on leadership growth: "I know that I learned a lot as an educator. I have worked in summer camps in the past, but not as upper management. I had to learn between years on not being so controlling... In year 3, I learned to share responsibility with my fellow educators, allowing them to grow and do what they love to do, teach, with the students. I also learned a lot about timing in education." Instructors refined their teaching strategies to engage older students and encourage deeper inquiry. Educator's reflection on refining instruction: "While running this program, I learned how to more effectively develop lesson plans for older participants. I refined my ability to ask probing questions to encourage curiosity and deepen understanding... The ability to connect students with hands-on experiences was key in enhancing their understanding." Exposure to Agricultural Technology & Industry Innovations Instructors gained firsthand experience with advancements in agricultural technology through field trips to global industry facilities. Educator's reflection on industry exposure: "At the Bayer Crop Science Farm, I learned about the latest technological advancements being implemented in modern farms. This experience was eye-opening... Together with the symposium experience, these events enhanced my ability to connect classroom lessons with real-world agricultural science and research." The project provided training in using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), including imaging drones, for precision agriculture. Instructors developed skills in drone navigation, maintenance, and applications in modern farming practices. Educators were introduced to cutting-edge agricultural tools, including: PheNode, an adaptable environmental sensor platform that allows users to develop customized solutions for agricultural monitoring. FarmBot, an automated agricultural system that integrates robotics for efficient crop management and hands-on student learning. Networking & Cross-Program Collaboration Educators formed professional connections that extended beyond the project, leading to new collaborations in different educational programs and events. Example: One educator recruited a fellow participant as a subject matter expert for a conservation day program in their county. Expanding Instructional Experience & Knowledge Retention The program reinforced educators' knowledge through hands-on teaching, unexpected student questions, and revisiting scientific concepts they did not regularly cover in their usual work. Educator's reflection on instructional refreshers: "...because a lot of my work is with younger kids, so we don't delve into making posters and using the scientific method and making graphs. It was good to go back to some of those things." Awareness of Practical Considerations in Community Engagement The project heightened educators' awareness of different logistical and social considerations in community-based learning. Instructors adapted to new challenges, including evaluating transportation safety concerns and considering whether students had prior experience working with educators from different backgrounds. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Findings have been disseminated to the public as a blog on the DDPSC website and have been disseminated at multiple conferences listed below: Poster presentation at the annual scientific retreat at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, (June 8-9, 2023, St. Louis, MO). Poster presentation at the annual conference of the American Association for Agricultural Education (AAAE) (May 15-18, 2023, Raleigh, NC). Poster presentation at the annual international conference of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) (April 18-21, 2023, Chicago, IL). Findings have also been disseminated to diverse audiences through talks such as: Seminar at the University of North Texas, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2024. Part of a keynote at the National Plant Breeders Association 2024. Part of a keynote on stage at the World Food Prize, 2024. Updates to the JJK FAN board of directors, JJK Board of directors, and Danforth Center board of directors. In tours of the JJK FAN to industry leaders from around the world. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Increase youth understanding of the roles that technology and science play in agriculture. O1.1: Provide youth with opportunities to use and critically evaluate novel agricultural technology. O1.2: Introduce youth to the utility of bioengineering by growing and comparing non-GMO and GMO crops. Participants gained exposure to various agricultural technologies used by farmers and agricultural professionals. They had opportunities to observe, use, or learn about these technologies through hands-on activities and guest speakers. Students explored Ag-Tech through drone demonstrations, piloting experiences, and agricultural machinery such as tractors to understand mechanized operations like planting. They also engaged in discussions and interactive exercises evaluating the advantages and challenges of GMOs. Students learned about phenotyping tools and advanced weather monitoring systems, including the PheNode--an adaptable environmental sensor platform that allows users to develop customized solutions for agricultural needs. They also explored the intersection of agriculture and technology by collecting, analyzing, and presenting data generated by precision farming tools. Students explored scientific and technological concepts through newly developed curriculum materials, including plant energy production and the role of different agricultural components in food systems. Engaging in fieldwork, such as planting and measuring crop growth in raised beds, helped students develop research and data collection skills, fostering a deeper understanding of agricultural science. A visit to the Plant Breeders Symposium introduced students to real-world scientific research and professional presentations, strengthening their ability to connect classroom learning to industry applications. The experience expanded their understanding of agricultural research, farming practices, and career opportunities. During a visit to Bayer Crop Science's research farm, students participated in interactive discussions, conducted science-based activities, and explored career pathways in agriculture and related fields. These hands-on experiences allowed participants to envision future career possibilities while enhancing their understanding of research and innovation in the industry. Engaging directly with professionals also helped them refine their project ideas and prepare for their final presentations. Students also toured various agricultural and industry-related facilities, including Benson Hill, KWS, Bayer, and the Melvin Price Lock and Dam. These visits provided opportunities to interact with experts, ask questions, and gain insights into different aspects of the agricultural sector. Goal 2: Foster youth agency to employ STEM innovation to solve agricultural and community problems. O2.1: Develop an authentic research experience program to engage youth in helping to develop a curriculum that answers research questions centered on local ag-science problems. O2.2: Increase student agricultural and scientific interest and self-efficacy (e.g. confidence). Many participants were able to see themselves in potential careers in agriculture and science, expanding their understanding of future career pathways. These experiences enhanced their critical thinking, inquiry skills, and overall confidence in engaging with scientific research. The project's interactive activities, such as the crop and weed watering game, effectively engaged students, increased their knowledge, and improved their perception of agriculture. These positive experiences encouraged students to reflect on agriculture as a possible career. Students showed interest in corn through casual conversations, facts, jokes, and references. Illustrative quote from a participant's parent: "It's exciting to see that my daughter has developed a genuine interest in agricultural science and has even chosen an elective in agriculture at her middle school." Through the project's hands-on curriculum on corn and environmental factors, students were introduced to new concepts they had not previously explored. The experience broadened their understanding of the role of agriculture in daily life and challenged common misconceptions about the field. Many participants discovered career opportunities in agriculture that they were unaware of and realized they could contribute to the field in various ways beyond traditional farming. Students demonstrated their growing knowledge of agriculture, particularly related to corn, through discussions with educators, peers, and family members. Their ability to answer questions and eagerness to share their summer program experiences reflected their increased proficiency. Illustrative quote from a participant's parent:"My daughter, who has been a participant in the program for the last two years, has also shared these outcomes with my mother and at her school." Creating science presentations/poster boards allowed students to take on leadership roles and facilitate discussions about local agricultural topics. Presenting their work gave them a sense of ownership, autonomy, and pride in their accomplishments. Goal 3: Close the rural-urban divide. O3.1: Establish field trips for urban and rural youth to visit each other's summer program growing sites and provide leadership opportunities for youth at the host program. O3.2: Foster collaboration by sharing data and presenting technology and research recommendations at an end-of-summer conference seminar. The project incorporated morning team-building exercises, corn measurement activities, and the creation of poster boards, fostering collaboration and engagement in scientific exploration. Students from different geographic regions had the opportunity to experience both rural and urban environments, broadening their perspectives and understanding of agricultural practices in diverse settings. Instructor's reflection on field trips:"Some of the Waterloo, IL youth (rural) had never been to East St. Louis, IL (urban) and worried their parents may not let them, but they all visited the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St. Louis, IL, and many seemed impressed with the building and environment." By facilitating exchanges between students at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St. Louis, IL, and Baebler Farms in Waterloo, IL, participants gained firsthand insights into how agricultural practices vary across different settings. Students conducted research comparing corn growth in rural and urban locations, observing how environmental factors such as temperature influence crop development. The program created opportunities to challenge assumptions about agricultural experience. For instance, although rural students were often presumed to have extensive farming knowledge, only one participant in the first cohort had more familiarity with agricultural practices than their urban counterparts. The summer camp provided an environment where participants from different locations could build connections, both within their communities and beyond. Students expressed appreciation for working together as a group. Instructor's reflection on student interactions: "Seeing students interact and engage with one another--whether as teammates, playmates, or joking together despite being from different areas--reinforces my hope that simply bringing people into the same space can help address important societal challenges, one student at a time." Teams collaborated on data collection, analysis, and reporting following their observations of GMO and non-GMO corn crops and weather patterns across both locations. The teamwork required for end-of-summer poster presentations encouraged cross-community collaboration and strengthened students' ability to analyze and communicate scientific findings effectively.

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: https://www.danforthcenter.org/news/youth-learn-about-using-plant-science-to-tackle-climate-change-and-urban-food-security-at-agtech-corn-camp/

Progress 11/01/22 to 10/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: Time: The summer camp duration of 2 weeks was perceived as too short for implementation of the 51 lesson STEAM +Ag curriculum Summer camp programming conflicts with collaborative partner schedules e.g. county fairs, training sessions prior to camp constrained engagement of both the adults and youth. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has provided training in STEM Education research and out-of-school time STEAM +Ag learning experiences of rural and urban youth for a graduate student that is currently enrolled at the University of Illinois Urban Champaign, and is interested in research on youth development. Out-of-school time educators (2) and University of Illinois Extension educators (3) were provided opportunities for professional development training in Agriculture and Agriculture technologies during the youth summer camp field trips to Agriculture enterprises and through interactions with Agricultural professionals that visited and engaged the youth during the summer camp. The summer camp also provided 5 high school-age students with opportunities for training in leadership and near-peer teaching by serving as interns in the 2023 Ag -tech summer camp focused on middle school age youth. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Five posters were generated by participant youth and presented to the Danforth Plant Science Center community an end of summer camp, poster session conference in July 2023. Poster were titled; How precipitation amounts affect corn Effects of temperature on corn height and bug presence for GM and Non GM Dent corn How climate change affects the appearance of corn How does climate impact GM versus Non GM corn? How does temperature affect the height and number of ears on GM dent and non GM dent corn? A graduate student poster was prepared and presented to the 2023 American Association for Agricultural Education(AAAE) National Conference, May 15-18, 2023, Raleigh, NC titled; "Conceptions of the Agriculture Industry: How Students Draw Agriculture Professionals". Authors: Dodoo, S., Gill, K., Leman, A., Kaggwa, R., Walsh, L., Callis-Duehl, K. A graduate student poster titled "Youth Experiences at An Ag-Tech Summer Camp," was presented at the annual international conference of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) in Chicago, IL from April 18-21, 2023. Authors: Dodoo, S., Walsh, L., Callis-Duehl, K., Kaggwa, R., Leman, A. A graduate student presentation was delivered at the American Evaluation Association (AEA) Conference in Indianapolis, October 9 - 14, 2023. The presentation was titled; "A Day in the Life of an Agricultural Professional: Telling Stories from the Images Drawn by Middle and High School-Aged Youth." Authors of the presentation: Dodoo, S., Leman, A., Kaggwa, R., Callis-Duehl, K., Walsh, L. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We plan to revise the Ag tech summer camp schedule to 3 weeks long and 4 days a week to avoid conflicts on Fridays. We are iteratively revising the STEAM +Ag summer camp curriculum informed by input from summer camp educators and observations of students. We will also include a buffer week or half week before each week of the summer camp to allow for ample time to prepare for summer camp activities. We plan to include more Farm to table lunch options by identifying local chefs and restaurants to speak to kids about agriculture in their spaces. We are considering inviting parents to the youth end -of-summer camp poster session at Danforth to broaden audiences for dissemination of project results. We have also included the use of interviews of adults and youth as a data source to supplement current tools and instruments.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? O1.1: An all-day, two-week-long Ag tech summer camp was designed and implemented for middle school-age youth (11-15 years old) from rural Illinois (WaterLoo) and urban Illinois (East St. Louis.IL). The camp ran from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, from June 12-16th and July 17-21st, 2023, and was located at the Jackie Joyner Kersee Food Ag and Nutrition Innovation Center on Mondays and Wednesdays and at the Baebler Education Farm, in Waterloo Illinois on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Each Friday of the summer camp, the participant youth were provided with field trips to various Ag enterprises, including the Melvin Locks and Dam in Alton, IL, to explore the logistics of corn transportation along the Mississippi River and to the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville GIS laboratory for exposure to remote sensing and GIS technologies and their applications. Youth were also provided hands-on experiences operating drones and examining their use in agriculture and geography for remote sensing. Participant youth were also provided opportunities for exposure to biotechnology tools and techniques, including tissue culture and genetic engineering, during field trips to the St Louis Community College's Center for Plant and Life Science Lab and to the research facilities of a global Ag seed company, KWS, in St Louis, MO. Youth were given opportunities to engage with and evaluate novel ag technology devices such as the PheNode, a phenotyping device and weather station. Key outcomes: Written reflections submitted by youth indicate that youth valued the learning opportunities given to them to use various agricultural technologies. Selected quotes below demonstrate this: "We got to see how a tractor plants the corn seed in the field" "We worked with drones and talked about how useful they can be in agriculture" O1.2: Participants (21 middle school-age youth, 7 from rural Illinois), and 5 high school interns were provided with opportunities to plant, nurture, and compare GM dent corn and non-GM dent corn in raised bed gardens at the urban location and the field at the rural location. Participant youth compared growth rates and various phenotypes of GM corn versus non-GM corn, such as total plant height and height to first ear, for rain-fed corn plants grown at a rural farm location in Waterloo, IL, and irrigated corn plants grown in raised garden beds at an urban location in East St. Louis, IL. Participant youth in collaborative teams of 4-5 prepared posters to synthesise data collected on the GM and non GM corn. Key outcomes: Youth toured the global Ag seed company KWS in St Louis, MO for hands-on demonstrations of bioengineering processes including tissue culture. Following their corn measurements and data collection, the youth prepared and presented their final posters to scientists at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. O2.1: Participant youth were empowered to contribute to the development of an Ag curriculum that is informed by local Ag- problems in their community through youth-led community interviews. Key outcomes: The curriculum was redesigned from year 1 based on student's experiences and feedback. We developed an "Ag tech community interview guide protocol" that can be used by 9-12th grade youth to interview community members about their knowledge of plants, climate, and the food issues facing their communities Youth were given an opportunity to interview community members to gain knowledge of their local communities on issues of food security and climate change using the newly developed protocol. The findings of the interviews will inform changes in future curriculum. 5 youth successfully conducted interviews with members of their local communities gaining agency in solving their local Ag challenges as well as skills in qualitative data collection. We developed a 51-lesson STEAM +Ag curriculum for out-of-school focused on corn, tech and climate change O2.2: All participant youth were provided opportunities for interaction with STEM and Ag professionals each day of the two-week-long summer camps that included Ag Breeders, technology inventors, drone specialists, local extension Ag educators, Ag phenotyping experts, and an entomologist to share their enthusiasm for science and Ag and their career trajectories, to increase the participant youth's interest in Ag and science. In addition, participant youth were provided field trips to diverse Ag enterprises such as biotechnology laboratories, Ag transportation facility, GIS and remote sensing lab, for experiential learning opportunities. Key outcomes: From written reflections, youth reported gains in data collection, research skills and interest in agricultural science. These gains are attributed to the hands-on experiences youth had to collect data and to take ownership and care for a corn plant as an off-site home activity. Selected quotes reflect this: · "Measuring and taking data about the corn growth. I loved being able to measure the corn and take notes on it. It showed me how to take data and use it." · "Taking care of the corn has impacted me because I now know what and what not to do with home-grown corn." We had multiple students return to participate in the summer year 2 as alumni. Two urban youth participants from year one returned and served as interns for this year's camp while four rural youth and one urban youth returned as participants again this year due to their interest in the camp. One participant from the 2022 Ag tech summer camp was inspired to conduct an Ag research project focused on corn leaf angles and competed in the Illinois State Science Fair following their summer camp experience. O3.1: The Ag tech summer camp (2023), schedule was adjusted to provide for more contact hours of collaboration and interaction between the rural and urban youth participants enrolled in the summer camp to facilitate the bridging of the rural-urban divide. Thus all participant youth (rural and urban) were hosted at the same location each day for the two weeks of the camp, urban site at the Jackie Joyner Kersee Food Ag and Nutrition Innovation Center in East St. Louis, IL and the rural farm site, Baebler Educational Farm in Waterloo, IL to allow youth to acquaint themselves with one another's community and environment. Key outcomes. Intentionally structured team activities fostered friendships and connections among youth throughout the camp. Staff observations revealed different pairs of urban-rural friendships that blossomed throughout the camp, see illustrative quotes below; " The kids got more opportunity to be together and interact this year" "Rural and urban kids formed groups , worked on team posters together, GMO debate e.t.c." O3.2: On the final day of the 2023 Ag-tech summer camp, participant youth were hosted at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center for an End-of-summer camp poster session conference. Students had opportunities to present posters in collaborative teams of both rural and urban youth, to share findings with their peers and with STEM and Ag professionals from the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. Key outcomes. Youth in collaborative teams generated and presented five posters to their peers and to scientists at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. Students posters included data collected from routine measurements of their corn plants and from the PheNode, and innovative Ag tech device that comprises a weather station. Posters were titled; How precipitation amounts affect corn Effects of temperature on corn height and bug presence for GM and Non-GM Dent corn How climate change affects the appearance of corn How does climate impact GM versus Non-GM corn? How does temperature affect the height and number of ears on GM dent and non-GM dent corn?

Publications

Progress 11/01/21 to 10/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project included students who were actively participating in the project, education professionals who worked collaboratively to design and implement the project, scientists who can use the data collected by the students on the project and ultimately, farmers who can use the results of the data to make informed decisions around how climate change could impact their corn yields. Education professionals: Educational experts and instructors from the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, the University of Illinois Extension office, and the Jackie-Joyner Kersee Foundation worked together to design an informal education curriculum around agtech, corn, and climate change. During regular (monthly, then weekly) meetings, the three teams of educators collaborated on everything from recruitment strategies for student participants, to deciding and ordering supplies, to creating lessons and activities, to deciding on invited speakers. The three groups of educators had never worked together previously and the efforts of this project brought a true collaboration where each entity was learning from each other entity. Student participants: This project recruited middle and high school age youth (11-15 yrs) to participate in the agricultural science summer camp. This included 8 racialized minority (African American) urban youth from East St. Louis, Illinois, an economically disadvantaged community. It also included 12 youth from the rural agricultural community in WaterLoo, Illinois as participants in a Ag summer camp. Summer camp participants attended camp twice a week (3 hours per day) for eight weeks to receive informal instruction in Agriculture, focused on corn, technology, and climate change. Informal instruction included indoor Ag science lectures, activities and games, question and answer sessions with local scientists and Ag professionals, outdoor planting of three corn types, sweet corn, GM Dent corn, and Non GM Dent; outdoor monitoring and measuring of corn plants, UAV (drone) use, poster development and presentations, and field trips. Other stakeholders: The data collected from the students and by the students has been disseminated to agriculture professionals and researchers. Changes/Problems: Specific Ag technology equipment such as the Phenode could not be acquired for participants' use during the summer camp as previously planned due to global delays in the supply chain that hindered manufacturing. We instead acquired alternate technology devices including a weather station and drone. Hazardous Weather (severe flooding) led to the cancellation of a previously scheduled second field trip for youth participants from the urban location (East St Louis) to Waterloo, IL, the rural location. High attrition of participant youth from the urban location East St Louis, IL due to conflicts with previously scheduled summer plans resulted into smaller numbers than planned. Participants at the rural location also were inconsistent in attending the summer camps due to conflicts with previously scheduled summer plans.To address these conflicts and attrition, we have adjusted the summer camp schedule to a compressed 2 week, full day schedule for Summer 2023 instead of spreading it over the course of 8 weeks as in Summer 2022. Human Resources issues and concerns with the summer 2022 instructor have led us to hire a new instructor for this coming summer 2023. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Sarah Dodoo was hired by the Danforth Plant Science Center as a graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, to help with data analysis of the project participant youth outcomes and experiences. She has been doing the data analysis on the 2022 summer data and has submitted a paper for a poster presentation of results from the project's Summer camp 2022 at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching( NARST) 2023 Annual conference. An undergraduate intern, from the University of Tennessee and funded by the Danforth Center, became an educational assistant on the project for the summer, helping with curriculum design and implementation, classroom management, and fostering interactions between students. The project has also funded UAV/ Drone training for 3 instructors. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Students presented data from their experiences to Ag professionals at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center through poster boards over a one day end of summer camp conference. This mini-conference was attended by over 30 Danforth Center Scientists, two Bayer scientists, and several other ag professionals, along with Jackie Joyner-Kersee, herself. Students had posters in the main center of the Danforth Center, and attendees circulated, asking questions of the students and chatting about their summer experience. Results are being prepared to be submitted as a paper for a poster presentation and dissemination at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching( NARST) 2023 Annual conference. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? To increase opportunities for students to interact with one another, collaborate towards achieving goal 3 and objectives 3.1 and 3.2, the Summer camp structure and schedule has been adjusted to combine all participant youth from the rural and urban locations at the same location for a full week (5 days) of summer camp learning. The new schedule will allow for flexibility of participants who have other summer obligations and the contact time with students will go from 46 contact hours to 60 contact hours. Additionally, the new schedule will have the rural and urban students together every day during the two weeks of the camp, providing them additional opportunities to engage with each other - a request the students from 2022 communicated. We have also added new data collection instruments and tools to expand assessment of participant outcomes that include A STEM Identity survey A Community Engagement Survey Ag Literacy Surveys (Judd-Murray, 2019) Drawings of urban versus rural community representations Plans are also underway to disseminate findings to both traditional professional audiences at societal meetings and to local non-traditional audiences at gatherings of out-of -school time program stakeholders. As technology is forever changing, we are adding new pieces of technology such as an updated PheNODE sensor, for students to use and experience.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? G1) O1.1 1) Major activities completed / experiments conducted; A Corn and Ag Tech Summer camp was designed from November 2021 to May 2022 and implemented in Summer 2022, from June 13th to Aug 4th. During each 3-hour camp day, youth used Ag technology devices that included a planter, farm bot, drones, and a weather station. Visiting scientists also introduced students to a porometer, and soil moisture and temperature meters. 2) Data collected; changes in participant youth attitudes to STEM, using the STEM semantics survey (Tyler-Wood et al. 2010) prior to and after participation in the summer camp and written weekly reflections with guided prompts. Findings showed increases in participant youth's perceptions of the importance of technology. Sample quotes from the participant youth's weekly reflections included: "We used a drone to gather data about our corn field" "I enjoyed learning about the farmbot" 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results Findings demonstrate the value of opportunities to experience Ag technology on improving youth's perceptions. For the majority of our participant youth, the summer camp provided novel experiences that ignited interest in technology. 4) Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized.Participant youth interest and awareness of Ag technology was increased. G1) O1.2 1) Major activities completed / experiments conducted; Participant youth were provided with opportunities to grow, measure, harvest and compare GM and non-GMO corn in their locations East St. Louis and Waterloo, Illinois over the course of the summer camp. 2) Data collected; Weekly data on plant height, number of leaves, and at harvest corn ear length, number of corn ears per plant and corn ear health for the three types of corn (GM Dent, Non-GM Dent, Sweet corn) and at both locations. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: GM Corn had healthier ears, the percentage of ear damage by pests for each corn type was per ear was, 20-70% for sweet corn, 1-100% for Non GM dent corn and GM Dent (0-30%).Participant youth observed the utility of bioengineering by comparing the corn ear health of GM Dent corn with Non-GM Dent corn plants. 4) Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized. Participant youth's awareness and knowledge of bioengineering and GM corn was increased. G2) O2.1 1) Major activities completed / experiments conducted; A 25 lesson Corn and Ag Tech focused STEAM + Ag curriculum was drafted and piloted with youth during the camp and feedback on the curriculum solicited from participant youth and instructors using weekly reflections and project team meetings. 2) Data collected; a Community-based learning impact scale survey (Carlisle et al. 2017) was used.Participants indicated high levels of agreement to items from the survey such as; "The summer program has increased the likelihood that I will pursue more experiences with community-based research," (57% indicated they were 'Somewhat Likely"). 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results Participant youth reported positive changes in their connection to local ag science problems after participating in the project's Ag-tech summer camp suggesting that their experiences contributed to nurturing interest in community engagement. 4) Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized. This project provided a new curriculum on corn Ag Tech and climate change to contribute to improvements in K-12th Ag teaching at an urban out-of-school time Center. G2) O2.2 1) Major activities completed / experiments conducted; Participant youth were provided opportunities to engage in agricultural activities such as planting, use of ag technology devices, harvesting, interactions with Ag professionals 2) Data collected; Changes in participant youth's self efficacy before and after summer camp were measured using the General self efficacy scale (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995). Changes in participant youth's attitudes and interest in STEM and agriculture were measured using the STEM semantics survey (Tyler -Wood et al.2010). 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results. Data from participant youth at the urban location indicated an increase in general self efficacy after the summer camp, compared to the start of the summer camp. Compiled data from the STEM semantics survey revealed a change in participant youth's perceptions of the importance of agriculture. These results suggest that approaches such as Ag focused summer camps are effective in improving youth's perceptions of Agriculture, and self efficacy. 4) Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized. Participant youth demonstrated changes in interest in agriculture and science as shown by their survey response data. G3) O3.1 1) Major activities completed / experiments conducted; Participant youth were provided with field trip opportunities to visit each other's community and interact with one another. Rural youth from Waterloo, IL visited the Jackie Joyner Kersee center, an urban out of school time program in East St. Louis, IL. and urban youth visited the Baebler Farm in Waterloo, IL. 2) Data collected; Participant youth's experiences of visiting rural/urban locations and leadership were assessed using weekly written reflections at the end of each summer camp week. Participant youth's reflections included; "This week was really fun because we got to go to JJK Center and meet the other kids" "Interacting with other students and hearing their ideas made me feel like i learn more from other people" 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results Participant youth enjoyed visiting new places, meeting and learning from new people at a different location. The field trips thus a successful initial approach in exposing youth from disparate locations to one another's community, helping to bridge the rural urban divide. 4) Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized. Findings indicate an improved exposure and awareness of rural and urban Ag environments and demographics. G3) O3.2 1) Major activities completed / experiments conducted; Participant youth shared data and research recommendations from their Ag tech summer camp experiences with one another and with Ag professionals through poster presentations at the end of summer camp conference hosted at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. 2) Data collected; Participant youth poster presentations, video recordings and end of summer camp written reflections such as shown below: "Talking to the scientist and the Danforth center about the boards I made" "I loved learning how corn grows and presenting the boards we made" 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results. Participant youth shared their data and summer camp experiences with one another and with professional STEM and Ag professionals using posters and enjoyed the opportunities for interacting with one another. 4) Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized. Participants gained knowledge on scientific data analysis, presentation and science communication skills in presenting their data

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Dodoo, S.Walsh, L. Callis-Duehl, K, Kaggwa, R and Leman A.M. et al.2023 Applying Situativity Theory to Assess Urban and Rural Adolescents Experiences at An Ag-Tech Summer Camp