Progress 09/15/23 to 08/04/25

Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audience for this project was high school students enrolled in agriculture courses at Wheatland Union High School (WUHS) in rural Yuba County, California. These students, primarily aged 14-18, represent a diverse and historically underserved population. Approximately 80% of WUHS students are classified as unduplicated pupils, including low-income, English learners, and foster youth. Many come from rural agricultural communities and share a common interest in Future Farmers of America (FFA) activities, work-based learning, and careers in agriculture and related fields. The project focused on enhancing their exposure to agricultural career pathways, increasing college and career readiness, and strengthening leadership and technical skills through mentorship, leadership development, and work-based learning. Specifically, the students served were those enrolled in one of six Career and Technical Education (CTE) agriculture pathways offered by WUHS: Agriscience, Animal Science, Plant Science, Floral Design, Metal Fabrication, and Construction Arts. Collectively, these programs serve over 400 students annually. These pathways are designed to give students practical, hands-on experience aligned with the regional economy and postsecondary education in agriculture or consumer science. However, prior to this grant, there were limited opportunities for students to engage in structured internships or career mentoring experiences, leaving a significant gap in work-based learning. Students targeted by the program included both beginning and advanced agriculture students, with particular attention given to those preparing to enter the workforce or postsecondary education within the next 1-2 years. This included juniors and seniors in capstone courses, many of whom are eligible for dual enrollment with Yuba College. These students were prioritized for participation in the new summer leadership institute and mentoring components due to their proximity to graduation and career decision-making. In addition to students, the project also engaged local agriculture industry professionals as mentors. These individuals were carefully selected to provide insight into the wide range of careers available in agriculture--from production and marketing to research, sustainability, and agri-business. Mentors played a vital role in shaping students' understanding of real-world agricultural careers and the educational pathways required to access them. Many of these professionals were long-standing community partners or alumni of WUHS, which enhanced their ability to connect with and inspire students. The project also served the four WUHS agriculture teachers who were responsible for planning and implementing the summer leadership institute, designing mentoring activities, and working with industry partners. These teachers received dedicated time for collaborative planning and professional development. This not only enhanced their instructional practices and mentorship strategies but also allowed them to integrate the project goals into their year-round curriculum and advisory committee work. Their involvement ensured sustainability of the program beyond the grant period. The community context of the target audience played a critical role in shaping the design and implementation of the project. Yuba County, where WUHS is located, is the poorest county in California and deeply rooted in agriculture. The region is known for its production of rice, walnuts, peaches, and other tree crops that require highly specialized knowledge and agricultural techniques. Many WUHS students come from families who work in agriculture, but few had opportunities for structured work-based learning or direct mentorship prior to this grant. By engaging these students and connecting them with local professionals, the program addressed a critical equity gap in access to experiential learning. Although planned student internships faced unforeseen challenges--particularly legal and logistical barriers related to fingerprinting and workers' compensation--the target audience still benefited substantially through a restructured approach. Students were paired with agricultural mentors, participated in career exploration conversations, and engaged in workshops, guest speaker sessions, and fair project development supported by their mentors. These experiences expanded students' understanding of agriculture as a dynamic and multifaceted industry, and helped them explore viable college and career pathways. Students participating in the leadership institute also gained critical personal and professional development. Through team-building exercises, communication workshops, decision-making simulations, and structured reflection sessions, students developed leadership and soft skills applicable to both agriculture and broader workforce contexts. These efforts were especially important for students with limited prior exposure to leadership development opportunities or structured postsecondary planning. In summary, the project successfully targeted and served a diverse group of high school students who are underrepresented in agricultural career pathways. It created meaningful opportunities for career exploration, leadership development, and mentorship despite challenges with internship placement. The program also supported the professional development of agriculture educators and fostered deeper engagement with local industry, ensuring long-term benefits to students, educators, and the regional agriculture economy. Future efforts will continue to focus on expanding direct work-based learning placements while building upon the strong mentorship and leadership components piloted during this grant cycle. Changes/Problems:During the initial implementation phase of the Agriculture Work-Based Learning and Leadership Project, a significant challenge emerged related to one of the project's central goals: the development and placement of students in summer internships and field-based work experiences with local agricultural producers. While the project team developed strong partnerships and identified willing employer participants, unforeseen state-level regulatory barriers prevented the full execution of this component as originally planned. The primary issue involved two key compliance challenges: Fingerprinting Requirements for Employers: In California, businesses hosting minors for work-based learning may be required to undergo background checks or fingerprinting processes. These requirements created hesitation among some local employers--particularly smaller, family-owned operations--who were either unfamiliar with the procedures or unwilling to undergo additional administrative steps without clear legal guidance or liability coverage. Workers' Compensation Coverage for Student Interns: The lack of an existing infrastructure to provide workers' compensation insurance for students in unpaid internship roles also became a substantial barrier. Employers were understandably concerned about potential liability, and the school district faced logistical and budgetary constraints in attempting to provide coverage directly. Together, these factors significantly limited the number of businesses willing to host student interns during the project's first summer, leading to a necessary shift in strategy. Adjusted Approach In response, the project team pivoted from traditional internship placements to a structured career mentoring model that preserved the project's core intent--connecting students with industry professionals and enhancing their awareness of agricultural careers. Students were matched with mentors based on their career interests and engaged in a series of guided conversations, project-based learning experiences (such as preparation for county fair entries), and informational interviews with professionals in agriculture. These mentorships provided students with valuable career insights, skill-building feedback, and opportunities for relationship-building with local industry experts. In addition to one-on-one mentoring, the program also organized guest speaker sessions and industry panels to ensure broad student exposure to various agricultural careers and postsecondary pathways. These activities served as a meaningful substitute for internships and were well received by both students and partners. While these changes represented a departure from the original work-based learning structure, the alternative approach successfully met the spirit of the project goals. Students still engaged with professionals, explored real-world applications of classroom learning, and began to develop a clearer understanding of career expectations within the agriculture industry. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project provided meaningful and targeted professional development opportunities for the agriculture teaching team at Wheatland Union High School. Four agriculture teachers, including the project director, were directly involved in the planning and implementation of the program's mentoring structure and summer leadership institute. To support this work, the grant funded dedicated collaborative planning time, which enabled teachers to focus on designing high-quality, student-centered programming aligned with the goals of the grant and the broader objectives of the district's agriculture CTE pathways. During this structured planning period, teachers engaged in a collaborative process to: Develop the framework for the summer leadership institute, including workshop content, reflection activities, and guest speaker coordination; Design and implement a career mentoring model that allowed students to connect with agricultural professionals despite the inability to offer formal internships; Strategize outreach efforts to local producers and industry partners to support future student placements and industry engagement. This professional development time allowed teachers to strengthen their capacity in curriculum design, leadership instruction, and work-based learning implementation. It also created space for deeper reflection on instructional practices and facilitated the integration of leadership and career readiness skills into existing agriculture courses. The collaborative nature of this work fostered a culture of continuous improvement within the agriculture department. Teachers were able to share best practices, align efforts across different CTE pathways, and build a more cohesive, vertically integrated experience for students. As a result, the department has grown stronger in its ability to support students not only in acquiring technical skills but also in developing the leadership and career competencies necessary for success in the agriculture industry. In addition to internal collaboration, the project also provided informal professional learning through increased engagement with local industry partners. Teachers expanded their professional networks and gained current insights into industry trends, expectations, and opportunities by coordinating with mentors and guest speakers. These interactions enriched the teachers' understanding of the agricultural workforce and informed instructional planning for both summer and school-year activities. Overall, the project created valuable opportunities for agriculture educators to develop professionally, collaborate strategically, and align their efforts with real-world expectations--contributing to stronger programming and more impactful student experiences both during and beyond the life of the grant. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of this project have been shared with key educational and industry stakeholders through existing partnership structures and advisory forums. Most notably, outcomes from the first year of implementation--including the development of the summer leadership institute and the success of the career mentoring framework--were presented to the Wheatland Union High School Agriculture Advisory Council, which includes local agricultural producers, industry professionals, college partners, and school administrators. The council provided feedback on program effectiveness and offered recommendations to support continued growth and refinement in future years. Additionally, district and site leadership were kept informed of the project's progress through regular updates, and results were discussed in meetings with our educational partners, including representatives from Yuba College and other collaborators supporting CTE pathway development. These conversations helped contextualize the project within the broader college and career readiness efforts of the district and reinforced support for sustaining and scaling the program beyond the grant period. While broader dissemination through formal publications or public-facing resources has not yet occurred, the project team plans to continue sharing findings and promising practices with regional partners and through advisory meetings. These efforts will ensure that lessons learned can inform similar initiatives in agricultural education and work-based learning at both the local and regional levels. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? During the reporting period, the Agriculture Work-Based Learning and Leadership Project made significant progress in advancing both of its primary goals: developing meaningful work-based learning and career mentoring opportunities for high school agriculture students, and designing and implementing a summer leadership development institute. While challenges arose in placing students into formal internships due to state-level fingerprinting requirements and workers' compensation limitations, the project team responded with a flexible and student-centered approach that preserved the program's core intent and impact. A key accomplishment under this grant was the development and implementation of a structured career mentoring model. This framework paired students with experienced professionals from the local agricultural industry, many of whom had long-standing connections to the school community. Through these mentorships, students received personalized guidance as they worked on agricultural projects--including those for the county fair--and gained exposure to the breadth of careers available in the agriculture sector. Mentors offered insight into industry trends, workforce expectations, and educational pathways, which helped students make more informed decisions about their futures. Though internships were not feasible during the first summer, this mentorship model effectively bridged the gap between classroom learning and real-world application. In addition to one-on-one mentoring, the program hosted a series of guest speaker events and industry panels. These experiences introduced students to a range of agricultural careers in areas such as crop production, agribusiness, technology, and environmental stewardship. These interactions gave students a practical look at the skills and qualifications needed in today's workforce and encouraged them to consider a variety of future career paths in agriculture. The second major accomplishment of the project was the creation and successful pilot of a week-long Agriculture Leadership Institute. Designed and led by WUHS agriculture teachers, the institute provided students with engaging, hands-on experiences focused on leadership skill development. Through a series of workshops, team-building activities, and scenario-based exercises, students strengthened their abilities in communication, collaboration, decision-making, and problem-solving. Students also participated in guided reflection sessions where they identified their personal leadership strengths, set goals for improvement, and developed actionable plans for growth. The institute created a supportive environment that encouraged students to step into leadership roles and prepared them to be effective contributors in both academic and professional settings. To support program development and ensure alignment with industry expectations, the project also provided dedicated collaborative planning time for the WUHS agriculture teaching team. This time allowed teachers to refine curriculum, design mentorship activities, plan guest speaker sessions, and develop strategies for future work-based learning placements. These efforts not only enhanced the quality of the summer programming but also supported professional growth among staff and positioned the program for sustainability and expansion in future years. Despite the initial barriers to internship implementation, the project achieved meaningful outcomes. Students engaged in career exploration, gained access to professional mentors, and participated in an enriching leadership development experience. The mentoring framework and summer leadership institute--together with the associated planning resources--were identified as the primary products of the grant. These products will be integrated into the school's agriculture pathway programming moving forward and have already strengthened connections between students, educators, and the local agriculture industry. Through creative problem-solving and intentional design, this project delivered on its commitment to preparing students for success in agriculture-related college and career pathways. The foundation laid during this first year will serve as a catalyst for continued growth, with future efforts focused on overcoming logistical barriers and expanding hands-on work-based learning opportunities for all interested students.

Publications

Progress 09/15/23 to 09/14/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this NIFA grant project was high school students actively involved in Future Farmers of America (FFA) programs. These students, typically aged 14-18, come from diverse cultural backgrounds, primarily rural, and share an interest in agriculture and related career pathways. The program primarily reached students who were interested in enhancing their practical agricultural skills and exploring career opportunities in the field. The target audience also included FFA members looking to gain hands-on experience with agricultural projects, develop technical and leadership skills, and strengthen their connections within the agricultural community. Many of these students aimed to expand their knowledge in areas such as livestock management, crop cultivation, agricultural business, and environmental stewardship. Additionally, the project engaged mentors and professionals in the agriculture industry who were dedicated to guiding and educating the next generation. Through mentorship, these professionals provided students with insights into real-world applications of agricultural practices, career advice, and personalized support for their FFA fair projects. This engagement fostered a supportive learning environment that encouraged skill development, resilience, and confidence among students. ? Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project created valuable opportunities for training and professional development by allocating dedicated department time for agriculture teachers to plan and organize the summer program. This structured time allowed teachers to collaborate, share best practices, and develop strategies for implementing work-based learning activities that aligned with project goals. Through this collaboration, teachers were able to craft a comprehensive program that integrated hands-on agricultural projects with leadership development and mentorship, setting a solid foundation for the summer experience. During these planning sessions, teachers refined their approaches to mentorship by discussing ways to engage industry professionals and enhance the mentorship experience for students. This collaborative planning also helped teachers identify effective strategies for developing students' leadership skills, creating a framework of workshops and reflection activities to build critical skills like communication, problem-solving, and decision-making. By having the opportunity to work together on program design and structure, agriculture teachers strengthened their own skills in curriculum development and program organization, which in turn enhanced the quality and impact of the student experience. Overall, this professional development time not only supported teachers in successfully organizing and implementing the summer program but also fostered a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement within the department. It provided teachers with the opportunity to grow professionally while enhancing their ability to deliver high-quality, career-focused agricultural education. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, our primary focus will be on addressing and overcoming the barriers to securing internships for students. This past summer, we encountered significant challenges related to State-level requirements, such as mandated fingerprinting for employers and the complexities of providing workers' compensation for student interns. These legal and logistical requirements led to hesitation among potential employers, ultimately limiting internship opportunities for students. To tackle these obstacles, we plan to explore options for streamlining the internship process. This may involve collaborating with State agencies or local organizations to identify ways to simplify compliance with fingerprinting requirements and to better understand potential pathways for offering workers' compensation coverage for student interns. By proactively addressing these challenges, we hope to create a clearer, more accessible route for employers to engage in the internship program and for students to participate in these valuable hands-on experiences. However, if these barriers prove too difficult to overcome within the current reporting period, we will continue to focus on strengthening our mentorship program as an alternative means of achieving our goals. Based on the success of last summer's mentorship activities, we will build on this approach by expanding the involvement of industry mentors, who can provide students with valuable insights, guidance, and real-world knowledge. Through structured mentorship, we can still offer students meaningful exposure to the agricultural industry, even without traditional internships. Ultimately, our commitment remains to provide students with impactful, career-focused experiences in agriculture, whether through internships or through enriched mentorship opportunities. ?

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This summer, the project made notable strides toward its goals of offering high school students meaningful work-based learning experiences, fostering a career mentoring program, and developing a summer leadership initiative, despite challenges in securing internships. Through a structured mentorship program, students were paired with experienced professionals across various fields within agriculture. These mentorships allowed students to explore a wide range of career pathways, directly supporting the project's objective to broaden students' awareness of the opportunities available in agriculture. Even without formal internships, students benefited from their mentors' expertise and guidance, especially as they worked on projects for the county fair. To further enrich students' understanding of agricultural careers, we organized alternative activities, including guest speaker sessions, and informational meetings with industry professionals. These interactions introduced students to different roles within agriculture, allowing them to engage with experts about the skills and educational pathways required for various careers. Although these experiences did not replace the hands-on aspect of internships, they still provided a valuable foundation of career knowledge, helping students make more informed decisions about their futures. The leadership development component of the program was also highly successful. Through workshops, students engaged in team-building exercises, role-playing scenarios that simulated real-life agricultural challenges, and peer-led activities that encouraged collaboration and problem-solving. The workshops helped students strengthen their communication, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities, crucial skills for future leaders in agriculture. Additionally, students participated in guided reflection sessions where they identified their personal strengths and areas for growth, set leadership goals, and created actionable plans for skill enhancement. This structured approach fostered self-awareness and allowed students to cultivate a growth mindset. Overall, while internships were not feasible this summer, the mentoring and leadership components achieved significant outcomes by strengthening students' agricultural knowledge, leadership abilities, and industry connections. These experiences have set a solid foundation for students, equipping them with the confidence and skills needed to pursue future opportunities in agriculture and preparing them for impactful careers in the field. ?

Publications