Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
(N/A)
LINCOLN,NE 68583
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Cultivate ACCESS to Data Science in Agriculture aims to equip young people with skills andknowledge to tackle climate change, limited natural resources, and a growing population bybalancing agricultural production with responsible natural resource management. Using anintegrated systems thinking approach, virtual near-peer mentoring, and community influencing, theprogram aims to empower youth with an expanded vision for data-infused agricultural technologieswhile encouraging participation of underrepresented student populations.The program will focus on advanced data science transformative technologies such as GIS,artificial intelligence, and image processing, and is expected to reach 60 high school-aged youthand 15 college students over the 4-year funding period.The long-term goal of Cultivate ACCESS to Data Science in Agriculture is to promote youthacquisition of systems thinking skills, cultivation of teamwork and resiliency skills, development ofcollective action skills, and awareness and understanding of STEM-related careers. The programaims to achieve this goal by expanding the USDA-NIFA-funded Cultivate ACCESS virtualmentoring program to include learning modules and games that support participants in sharing theirknowledge through social media and other community action activities.The objectives of Cultivate ACCESS to Data Science in Agriculture include providing youth withnear-peer mentoring through the Cultivate ACCESS program, developing and curating anintegrated suite of asynchronous modules and games that broaden participation of underrepresentedyouth in STEM, and fostering a community of learners to share their gained knowledge throughcommunity action such as social media campaigns, op-ed writing, and video creation.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The long-term goal of Cultivate Access to Data Science in Agriculture is to promote youth a) acquisition of systems thinking (ST) skills, b) cultivation of teamwork and resiliency skills, c) development of collective action skills to enhance consumer confidence in ag technologies, and d) awareness and understanding of STEM-related careers.?We aim to achieve this goal through the expansion of the USDA-NIFA funded Cultivate ACCESS virtual mentoring program to include learning modules and games to support participants in sharing their knowledge through social media and other community action activities.The objectives of Cultivate Data Science are to:Provide youth near-peer mentoring through the Cultivate ACCESS program.Develop and curate an integrated suite of asynchronous modules and games that connect data-infused agricultural technologies with complex systems thinking skills.Foster a community of learners to share their gained knowledge through community action such as social media campaigns, op ed writing, and video creation.?
Project Methods
We will create a Cultivate Data Science online portal that houses the developed interactive resources and game. Instructional materials, such as self-guided learning modules, game tutorials, reflection exercises, and project-based learning prompts, will target grades 9-12. Learning outcomes include describing complex agroecosystems, analyzing gameplay decisions to compare outcomes and identify leverage points within the system, and recognizing long-term economic and ecological value of cooperative management strategies. Playing the game and experiencing interactive resources will create interest and build public confidence in the safe and enhanced use of technology in agriculture, the environment, and food systems.A student media competition will invite students to research and produce multimedia stories and marketing plans to clearly communicate the benefits of agricultural technologies in their local communities. Students will draw on information gained from conversations with their Cultivate ACCESS mentor and experiences using the provided educational game and interactive resources. Student projects will share information via text, photography, or videos on any relevant topics (e.g., impact of Eastern redcedar on aquifer levels, nitrates in well water, etc.). Judging will consider both content quality and impact. Each year, the top three winners in each category will receive a $100 award.