Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The Indiana poultry industry is nationally ranked in the top five for duck, egg, and turkey production. Despite numerous job opportunities, there is a shortage of college graduates to meet employment demands in the poultry industry, especially with underrepresented backgrounds. There is a need to provide students with opportunities and exposures to the poultry industry and promote skills needed to be successful in the industry. Additionally, the industry is seeking graduates with the skill sets to communicate effectively, interact with diverse audiences, and lead teams. The proposed REACH (Research, Engagement, Activity, Culture, and Hen) program targets students from diverse backgrounds to promote leadership, intercultural, and essential skill development in the context of poultry science. The specific objectives for this proposal are to: 1) develop a mentoring and support system to recruit and retain five American students from Burmese, Haitian, and/or Latino communities; 2) train REACH scholars in key poultry-related technical skills, increase industry exposure, and promote development of essential skills through the creation of an internship experience; 3) broaden critical thinking and problem-solving skills through scholar participation in course-based undergraduate research experiences; 4) enhance REACH scholars' leadership skills through scholar-created outreach programming and delivery for high school students; 5) develop REACH scholars' intercultural competence through creation of international and on-campus opportunities. The long-term goal of this project is to create a pipeline of graduates from underrepresented backgrounds who are prepared to be successful in the poultry industry.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The overarching goal of this grant is to create a a REACH (Research, Engagement, Activity, Culture, and Hen) program that will develop leadership, intercultural, and interpersonal skills in a poultry science context. The specific objectives for this proposal are to:Objective #1:Develop a mentoring and support system to recruit and retain five American students (REACH scholars) from Burmese (Myanmmar), Haitian, and/or Latino communities.Objective #2:Train REACH scholars in key poultry-related technical skills, increase industry exposure, and promote development of essential skills through the creation of an internship experience.Objective #3:Broaden critical thinking and problem-solving skills through scholar participation in course-based undergraduate research experiences.Objective #4:Enhance REACH scholars' leadership skills through scholar-created outreach programming and delivery for high school studentsObjective #5:Develop REACH scholars' intercultural competence through creation of international and on-campus opportunities
Project Methods
Objective 1:develop a mentoring and support system to recruit and retain five American students from Burmese, Haitian, and/or Latino communities.We will work with County Extension Offices in Indiana to generate a local connection with the community. Maple Leaf Farms and Perdue Farms will share information regarding the REACH program with employees. Materials will be disseminated in both English and Spanish. A selection committee will consist of the following members: Department of Animal Sciences, representatives from the College of Agriculture's Office of Academic Programming and the Office of Multicultural Programs, and the project directors.The application materials will include the following: written reflection on the role of the poultry industry in helping to feed the community, unofficial transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and extracurricular activities. The selection committee will review all applicants and invite those with the greatest potential for an interview. In addition to questions from the committee, applicants will have the opportunity to ask any questions they might have about the program. Two alternate students will be selected.A mentoring agreement will be mutually created for each scholar to help identify goals, guide interactions, and establish clear expectations. Each member of the project team will serve as a mentor to one or two scholars. Each scholar will be assigned two mentors. During the first few meetings, scholar's goals will be identified and subsequent meetings will review progress towards the defined goals. In addition to a member of the project team, each REACH scholar will be assigned a second mentor from the College of Agriculture (COA) that includes a staff or faculty member from underrepresented minority groups. All mentors, including project directors, will participate in a mentor training session facilitated by the Purdue COA of Multicultural Programs. Scholars and all mentors will meet one time each month for informal discussion.Objective 2:train REACH scholars in key poultry-related technical skills, increase industry exposure, and promote development of essential skills through the creation of an internship experience.During the summer between junior and senior year, scholars will participate in a paid 10-week internship program with an Indiana poultry company. The internships will allow scholars opportunities to engage with industry professionals and to better understand the complexity of poultry production. The project team will work closely with each internship supervisor to establish objectives for the experience. Scholars will submit weekly reflections and will have bimonthly meetings with one of the project directors. A project director will visit the internship location once during the program to meet with the scholar and supervisor. Scholars will share presentations about their experiences with students in introduction to animal agriculture.Objective 3:broaden critical thinking and problem-solving skills through scholar participation in course-based undergraduate research experiences.Poultry stakeholders who hire college graduates have indicated their desire that potential employees have a better understanding of production, animal welfare and the ability to handle birds. A course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) is an excellent opportunity to provide students with information about physiology and management, while applying this knowledge during two, 3-hour laboratory sessions each week. Drs. Fraley and Karcher will develop, implement, and assess the CURE program. Laboratory exercises will include open-ended experiences that investigate impacts of management decisions on production outcomes. The CURE will challenge the scholars to work collaboratively with peers and project directors to determine solutions for real-world issues. Specific learning outcomes for the CURE experience include: 1) identify an important research question regarding poultry production and welfare and define objectives; 2) develop appropriate methodology to answer research objectives; 3) work collaboratively as a team;4) interpret data to make conclusions; and 5) create abstracts and posters to present at Purdue and/or national conferences.Objective 4:enhance REACH scholars' leadership skills through scholar-created outreach programming and delivery for high school students.We will develop scholars' leadership skills by challenging them to create a 75-minute program integrating STEM with poultry science. The program will specifically target high school students. We anticipate that the program will be delivered to 300 students across four Indiana high schools. We will target schools from multiple regions in the state, including locations from scholars' communities. Each scholar will create one station. Station topics will be based on individual scholar interest, but may include activities related to the following: factors impacting egg production and composition, poultry products, global differences in management practices, and poultry health. High school students will rotate in groups through each station. Using a backward design approach, the project directors will work with the scholars during all aspects of program preparation: idea conception, learning outcome development, curriculum design, and implementation.Objective 5:develop REACH scholars' intercultural competence through creation of international and on-campus opportunities. The long-term goal of this project is to create a pipeline of graduates from underrepresented backgrounds who are prepared to be successful in the poultry industry.REACH scholars will participate in a 10-day international experience the summer immediately after the completion of their junior year. This experience is designed to enhance student understanding of culture, opportunities, and challenges in international poultry production as a means for improving students' ability to locally address global issues. Prior to this experience, scholars will meet for three meetings to engage in discussions that will be designed to promote intercultural development. Scholars will engage with agricultural students at Dutch universities, industry professionals, and Dutch poultry producers. They will also experience living with a host family where they will assist in the daily operations of the families' farms.Measurable Objectives:Intercultural Learning: 1) identify cultural differences and process those differences by establishing cross-cultural ideas; 2) identify values and beliefs and determine how they have shaped their own culture; and 3) discuss how culture differences influence agricultural practices. Specifically, intercultural development, as a result of the international experience's activities and written reflections, will be measured using theIntercultural Development Inventory(IDI).Poultry Content: 1) compare and contrast poultry management between the U.S. and the Netherlands; 2) describe how animal welfare laws impact poultry practices; and 3) identify challenges in poultry production and impact on global animal agriculture issues.Evaluation and Assessment.Both formative and summative evaluations will be conducted to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the program's processes and outcomes. We will ask several questions to determine the success of the REACH program: 1) is the program successful at recruiting and retaining underserved students in Animal Sciences; 2) is the program effective at generating interest and awareness of the poultry industry; 3) does the program develop students self-awareness, self-motivation, and essential skills (such as communication, problem solving, empathy, efficient work habits, teamwork, professionalism, and leadership); 4) are REACH program graduates more likely to obtain careers in the poultry industry; and 5) do scholars see value in the REACH program.