Non Technical Summary
This proposed project aims to cultivate and develop future leaders in agricultural commodity marketing and risk management by providing them with summer research and extension experiences at the University of Idaho (UI). Specifically, we will (1) engage 10 motivated undergraduate Fellows each year, 50 in total over five years, to participate in an 8-week summer program; (2) equip selected Fellows with fundamental knowledge on agricultural commodity marketing, risk management, and data analysis tool; and (3) mentor Fellows to conduct hands-on research and extension activities that address pressing challenges faced by the agricultural industry in Idaho and the region.Students will be primarily recruited from UI, College of Western Idaho (CWI), College of Southern Idaho (CSI), and Brigham Young Unviersity-Idaho (BYUI), which is either Hispanic-serving institution (CSI), or have significant populations of underrepresented students (UI, CWI, BYUI).Through training modules, mentored research/extension projects, guest lectures, interaction with industry professionals, field trips, a marketing tour to Portland, and simulated conference presentations, the program will prepare 50 Fellows with practical skills and expertise to effectively navigate the complexities of marketing agricultural products and managing associated risks. Additionally, the project will establish the initial collaborative capacity between UI and partner organizations to continue attracting students to ag marketing and risk management research/extension. This effort will further strengthen UI's institutional ability to sustainably provide quality, dynamic, and innovative research and outreach in the agricultural sector, fostering opportunities for agricultural economic growth and advancing higher education development in Idaho and the Pacific Northwest.

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
603	6199	3010	100%

Knowledge Area
603 - Market Economics;

Subject Of Investigation
6199 - Economy, general/other;

Field Of Science
3010 - Economics;

Goals / Objectives
This proposed project aims to cultivate and develop future leaders in agricultural commodity marketing and risk management by providing them with summer research and extension experiences at the University of Idaho (UI). Specifically, we aim to:Objective 1. Engage and enroll 10 motivated undergraduate Fellows each year, 50 in total over the span of five years, to participate in the proposed 8-week summer program.Objective 2. Equip selected Fellows with fundamental knowledge on ag commodity marketing and risk management, alongside proficiency in pertinent data analysis tools.Objective 3. Mentor Fellows to conduct hands-on research and extension activities that address pressing challenges faced by the agricultural industry in Idaho and the region.

Project Methods
Each year, we will assemble a diverse and highly motivated cohort of 10 undergraduate Fellows to work with 5 mentors. A total of 50 Fellows will be recruited over the course of 5 years. Recruitment efforts will primarily focus on UI and three partnering Idaho organizations: College of Southern Idaho, College of Western Idaho, and Brigham Young University-Idaho.Within the first two months of the project, we will finalize the selection criteria.We will also develop recruiting materials to recruit students.Students will spend 8 weeks in the program. Student activities will consist of orientations, training modules (commodity marketing, risk management, and data analytics), guest lectures by industry experts, weekly group meetings, mentored research/extension projects, frequent faculty mentor-Fellow meetings, field trips, a marketing tour to Portland, Oregon, and simulated conference presentations. Each Fellow will be paired with a faculty mentor based on their research/extension interests and goals.By the end of the project, we will have engaged a total of 50 motivated undergraduate students over 5 years (Obj. 1), equipped the selected Fellows with fundamental knowledge on agricultural commodity marketing, risk management, and relevant data analysis tools (Obj. 2), and guided Fellows to conduct hands-on research and extension/outreach activities that address pressing challenges faced by the agricultural industry in Idaho and PNW (Obj. 3)Evaluation will focus on the following student-centered learning outcomes: (1) number of students engaged; (2) change in knowledge in marketing, risk management, price analysis, data analysis, modeling, and communication skills; (3) number of presentations made; (4) number of peer-review manuscripts generated; (5) number of extension publications completed; (6) graduate rate of the program; and (7) number of students pursuing graduate school or land jobs in the subject field. The chosen outcome measures align with the project goals and objectives. Evaluation outcomes (2)-(6) measure the academic and professional growth of the Fellows, while the last one reflects the program's impact on Fellows' career trajectories.To ensure the long-term success of Fellows and evaluate their progress beyond the project period, we will employ a comprehensive longitudinal tracking system, including a tracking sheet recording all participant details, social media updates, and alumni speakers in years 2-5.