Progress 06/01/23 to 05/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Rhodes State College successfully reached two key target audience groups during Year 1 of the Ag REACH Grant. The groups engaged in this reporting period were: High School Students (including dual enrollment students, non-dual enrollment students, and those seeking alternative graduation credits) Community Members The following efforts were undertaken to connect with each of these target audiences in Year 1: High School Students: Attended Educational Service Center (ESC) principal meetings across Rhodes State College's 10-county service area. Built and strengthened relationships with high schools within the 10-county region to introduce the Ag REACH Program to their students. Developed and implemented the Year 1 Pilot Program, which included the Agricultural Commodity Tester and Commercial Pesticide Applicator modules. Eight high schools participated in the Pilot Program. Community Members: Marketed Community Training Modules (Short Courses) to attract local community members interested in upskilling or earning new credentials. Developed and executed the Year 1 Pilot Program, offering the Agricultural Commodity Tester and Commercial Pesticide Applicator courses. Changes/Problems:Problem #1 Identified: Not all students who participated in the training module opted to take the credential exam. For example, one school district had 39 students complete the Agricultural Commodity Training Module, but only 10 students took the credential exam. Potential Solution for Problem #1: Encourage school districts to allow only students who are motivated to complete the Industry-Recognized Credential to participate. This approach aligns student participation with their career interests and may increase exam completion rates. By ensuring that students are committed to obtaining the credential, we can avoid having large training module classes with low exam participation. Change #1: Removal of FANUC Robot Certification Due to restrictions imposed by FANUC Corporation and the lack of a sufficient number of certified instructors at Rhodes State College, the FANUC Robot Certification will be removed from the Ag REACH Curriculum. Originally, the RSC Mobile Lab Technician was attempting to obtain certification but was unsuccessful. As a result, RSC had only one certified instructor, whose heavy workload with engineering classes prevented adequate time for Ag REACH instruction. Additionally, FANUC increased the required instructional hours to 32 hours, further complicating the feasibility of offering this certification. Change #2: Reduction of Paid Attempts for Part 107: Remote Pilot Certification In response to the growing popularity of the Ag REACH Program and increasing student participation, RSC will reduce the number of paid attempts for the Part 107: Remote Pilot Certification from 2 attempts to 1. Each attempt costs $175, and limiting the number of attempts will help allocate the credentialing fees budget more effectively, enabling us to provide credentials to a larger number of students within our 10-county service area. Change #3: Potential Addition of Two New Credentials Rhodes State College is applying to the Ohio Department of Education to add two new credentials to the approved IRC list and secure alternative graduation points for each: NRCS Fundamentals of Conservation & Sustainability in Agriculture Certification SFMA Turfgrass Science Certification What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The professional development provided by this project in Year 1 included an opportunity for the Project Director (PD) to attend the Project Directors' Meeting in Kansas City, MO. During this event, the PD presented on the progress of the Ag REACH Grant for Year 1 and gained valuable knowledge and skills to support the continued success of the grant over the next two years. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During the first year of the Ag REACH grant, Rhodes State College employed the following strategies to disseminate results to the communities of interest: RSC's Agricultural Technology Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) Committee The PD presented the progress of Year 1's pilot program to the BILT committee. Many team members are industry leaders currently hiring large numbers of entry-level positions aligned with the Agricultural Commodity and Commercial Pesticide Applicator credentials. RSC Board of Trustees Results were documented and reported at the monthly Board of Trustees meetings. Putnam County Educational Service Center (ESC) The PD shared results with principals and administrators in Putnam County through presentations at meetings hosted by the Putnam County ESC. The Ag REACH Program also participated in a case study conducted by the Ohio Department of Education, overseen by the Putnam County ESC. The ESC collected data on passage rates and student success through the Ag REACH grant to forecast outcomes across the county. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, RSC plans to implement the following strategies to continue meeting the goals outlined in the grant narrative: Goal 1 - Planned Actions: RSC faculty will complete the integration of the Commercial Pesticide Applicator and BASF Plant Science curricula into the AGR 1401, 1402, 1403, and 1404 courses. Throughout Year 2, RSC faculty will evaluate the embedded curricula to identify any areas of improvement. If any weaknesses are found, the PD and faculty will collaborate to enhance these areas, ensuring the continued expansion and effectiveness of the Agricultural Technology Associate Degree curriculum. Goal 2 - Planned Actions: RSC will actively market the Ag REACH Program to additional school districts, aiming to expand participation in Year 2 beyond the initial eight pilot districts. The program will also broaden the range of credentials offered, adding the Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification, BASF Plant Science, SFMA Turfgrass Management and NRCS Fundamentals of Conservation & Sustainability in Agriculture (reference the problems/changes section for more detail) to complement the Agricultural Commodity Tester and Commercial Pesticide Applicator credentials introduced during the pilot phase. Goal 3 - Plans for Accomplishment: Develop and pilot the remaining Industry Recognized Credential Community Courses. Remaining courses to be developed and piloted: Part 107 Remote Pilot Community Course, BASF Plant Science Community Course, SFMA Turfgrass Management and NRCS Fundamentals of Conservation & Sustainability in Agriculture (reference the problems/changes section for more detail). Hold additional community courses throughout Year 2 for Ag Commodity Tester and Commercial Pesticide Applicator Community Courses.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1 Accomplishments: Agriculture Commodity Tester Rhodes State College (RSC) developed, implemented, and refined the curriculum for the Agricultural Commodity Tester training module during the first-year reporting period. This module was a part of a pilot program, enabling the Project Director (PD) and RSC faculty to assess the curriculum's effectiveness and make necessary adjustments to better align with student needs. RSC faculty have embedded the Agricultural Commodity Tester curriculum into the AGR 1000 course, which will be taught to students in Years 2 and 3. Embedding this curriculum into the AGR 1000 course offers students the opportunity to earn a certificate within their program of choice, thereby enhancing their agricultural portfolios for future career advancement or entry- level positions, while pursuing their associate degrees. Commercial Pesticide Applicator License RSC developed, implemented, and refined the curriculum for the Commercial Pesticide Applicator License Training Module during the first-year reporting period. This module, also part of the pilot program, allowed the PD and RSC faculty to evaluate and adjust the curriculum to better meet the student needs. The curriculum for the Commercial Pesticide Applicator License will be integrated into AGR 1401, 1402, 1403, and 1404 courses in Year 2. Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification RSC faculty enhanced the existing curriculum within the AVI 1000 course, part of the Agriculture Technology Associate Degree program, for implementation in Years 2 and 3. This revised curriculum will be integrated into a piloted community course offered in the summer of Year 2. BASF Plant Science RSC faculty developed the BASF Plant Science Training Module Curriculum. The BASF Plant Science curriculum will be integrated into AGR1401, 1402, 1403, and 1404 courses in Year 2. Goal 2 Accomplishments: Rhodes State College developed and implemented a pilot program in the spring of Year 1, enabling select school districts to offer two industry-recognized credentials (IRCs) to their students through the Ag REACH Program. Eight school districts were selected based on their level of interest to participate in the pilot program. Each school district had the flexibility to select one or both of the offered IRCs for their students. The two IRCs available to the pilot schools were: Agricultural Commodity Tester Commercial Pesticide Applicator The results of the pilot for each IRC are as follows: Agricultural Commodity Tester Eight School Districts Participated in the Pilot: A total of 115 students from these districts completed the training module. Of these 115 students, 86 students took the Ag Commodity Tester Exam. One of the eight school districts did not require students to take the exam, resulting in 29 students who did not participate in the assessment. 63 students obtained their Agricultural Commodity Tester Certificate 61 Students obtained their Certificate on their first exam attempt. 2 Students obtained their Certificate on their second exam attempt. Commercial Pesticide Applicator Two school districts participated in the Pilot: Six students from the two school districts participated in the training module. One student did not participate in Commercial Pesticide Applicator Exam. Five students participated in the Commercial Pesticide Applicator Exam Four Students obtained their Commercial Pesticide Applicator License All Four students obtained their license on the first exam attempt. Goal 3 Accomplishments: Rhodes State College developed and piloted community training modules for the following Industry Recognized Credentials (IRC): Agricultural Commodity Tester Commercial Pesticide Applicator The results of the pilot for each IRC are as follows: Agricultural Commodity Tester Four community members participated in the Agricultural Commodity Tester Training Module Four community members obtained their certificate on their first exam attempt. Commercial Pesticide Applicator Seven community members participated in the Commercial Pesticide Applicator License Training Module Seven community members obtained their Commercial Pesticide Applicator License Six community members obtained their license on the first exam attempt. One community member obtained their license on the second exam attempt.

Publications