Progress 08/15/24 to 08/14/25

Outputs
Target Audience: Justice-involved Youth (Youth) that have been released from residential detention centers. School-age children who may or may not have been justice involved. Community Leaders and Members. Changes/Problems:4-H and Hort sessions were held during high temperature peak afternoon hours which significantly impacted participation and engagement. To address this, the plan is to reschedule future sessions to earlier times in the day when temperatures are lower and conditions are more favorable for outdoor activities. The garden's drip irrigation system was not delivering sufficient water due to low pressure from a rainwater collection tank. This affected plant health and growth. As a temporary solution, a transition was made to using two oscillating sprinklers to ensure adequate water coverage. This change will remain in place until the water pressure issue is resolved or an alternative irrigation system is implemented. EFNEP offered the program in the fall as a weekly session for six weeks but noticed a high drop-off rate due to unavoidable circumstances. It was adapted to offer it as two-hour sessions weekly for three weeks, which helped to retain youth. The "Healthy Bites, Healthy Moves" program is currently on hold due to low attendance and site issues. Plans are being developed to change the schedule to a better site and offer participants incentives for weekly attendance. UHBio was initially delayed due to an administrative delay in setting up the official project account, which temporarily impacted on ability to access and spend the allocated funds. Despite this challenge, UHBio remained committed to meeting project milestones and ensuring continuity in planned activities. To address the delay, discretionary funds were used to purchase the necessary training kits and educational materials required for the program. This proactive approach allowed moving forward without interruption and successfully implement the training modules and outreach events as scheduled. As a result, the objectives were fulfilled and the quality and timeline of the delivery project were maintained. REMIX attendance and classroom engagement continues to be an area for improvement. Increased attendance will assist with gaining more desirable outcomes for the program. The Opportunity Center offers various competing vocational options which can limit the number of youth students who enroll in the program. Increasing classroom engagement and promoting program success will help the overall exposure of the program and increase youth involvement during the upcoming school year. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The UBEAM Program has provided training to 15 adult volunteers at a community-wide event where youth shared their knowledge through presentations, family engagement, and peer-led discussions. Additionally, UBEAM has offered ongoing horticultural education to staff at the Opportunity Center, addressing practical questions related to plant care and sustainable gardening and is interpreting and presenting the goals and impact of the grant to Master Gardeners and at a Women in Agriculture conference, expanding awareness and fostering collaboration within the agricultural education community. EFNEP has provided training to EFNEP paraprofessionals and Opportunity Center staff related to the curriculum that is being offered to foment additional support for UBEAM. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Progress and programs of the project have been distributed through the Quarterly Newsletters by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and discussed in the breakout sessions of the Partnership Symposium held on April 22-23rd with community partners that directly serve youth and justice-involved youth. 4-H and Hort have actively engaged with community stakeholders to share the objectives and activities of their youth education initiatives. Through outreach efforts, they have built partnerships with local organizations such as Hermann Park, Jesse Jones Park and Nature Center, and the Master Gardeners, all of whom have shown strong interest in supporting youth through hands-on field experiences. Additionally, the team collaborated with Axess North America, a company in the oil and gas sector, which contributed financial support and volunteer hours to a community event. The company also expressed interest in providing training opportunities for students to prepare them for careers in their industry. These efforts have helped increase community engagement and support professional development for individuals involved in environmental education and public service. Through these strategic partnerships and outreach activities, the 4-H and Horticulture team has effectively disseminated program results and expanded its impact within the community. EFNEP has met educators from three different organizations, i.e., Journey Through Life, Burnett Bayland Park, Neighborhood Schools, and Project Grad Houston, who are potential community contacts that also serve the youth and families of the justice-involved youth at the Opportunity Center. Virtual meetings were held to interpret the mission of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension program and the EFNEP program. The UBEAM grant mission and partnership were highlighted. Due to Journey through Life's continued interest in continued collaboration to offer adult and youth programs to their clients, an in-person presentation was provided by the EFNEP Agent to their 40 staff members. UHBio has actively disseminated UBEAM to communities of interest through hands-on educational outreach and direct engagement with students. The implementation of seven sustainable biotechnology training modules at the Juvenile Opportunity Center not only provided skills-building opportunities for participating students but also served as a model shared with educators and community leaders to promote workforce development. To further expand community impact, in January 2025, the University of Houston hosted approximately 100 high school students from Aristoi Classical Academy for an on-campus biotechnology experience. Through lab tours, demonstrations, and career discussions, these students were introduced to cutting-edge research and practical applications of biotechnology. These outreach efforts have helped raise awareness about sustainable biotechnology among youth, educators, and community stakeholders, fostering interest in STEM careers and encouraging adoption of similar training models across educational settings. REMIX, through the Opportunity Center serves youth from over 25 different zip codes in Harris County. Youth that are participating in UBEAM are serving as ambassadors because they have received hands-on experiences and acquired knowledge to share with theirrespective communities. In partnership with Harris County Juvenile Probation, the results and accomplishments from the program are shared via The Communication Team, including social media, internal newsletters, and digital spotlight opportunities. Youth have the opportunity to showcase completed projects and display skills they have received as part of the program which increases exposure to the various communities across Harris County. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?4-H and Hort plans to continue expanding hands-on educational opportunities for youth. These activities will focus on gardening, coding, engineering design, teamwork, and leadership development. The team will organize site visits to agricultural operations and local gardens to provide students with real-world exposure to environmental and agricultural practices. In addition to educational programming, the group will host more community-based events to foster engagement and service learning. One such event is Volunteer Day, scheduled for August 16, 2025, where participants will help clear and prepare the greenhouse for upcoming youth gardening projects. These efforts aim to strengthen community involvement, enhance experiential learning, and support the overall goals of youth development and environmental education. EFNEP educators are planning to resume "Healthy Bites, Healthy Moves" programming with "Journey Through Life" in fall 2025. Burnett Bayland is currently marketing the adult program to their community members which is scheduled to also start in fall 2025. Also, "Teen Cuisine" will be offered to the justice-involved youth at the Opportunity Center during fall 2025. UHBio plans to expand outreach and training efforts through several key initiatives, including a two-day summer camp for approximately 100 students, introducing them and their parents to various undergraduate programs at the University of Houston in food, nutrition, and agricultural biotechnology. Additionally, five high school students will be selected for a four-week summer research training program, each receiving a $500 stipend to support their participation in immersive, project-based learning. In fall 2025, hands-on biotechnology activities will be delivered to students at three local high schools to foster early interest in STEM. It is expected that UHBio will bring over 300 students from three different high schools to visit the University of Houston, Sugar Land campus, giving them direct exposure to research labs and real-world biotechnology applications. These efforts aim to build foundational skills, spark curiosity, and inspire students to pursue careers in science and innovation. REMIX plans to continue with being efficient with selecting the best youth for the program to increase the desired outcomes from the program. Remix will continue to complete interview sessions with students before joining the program to ensure the student is the best fit for the program as well as provide job interview skills feedback to the youth. A key goal is to increase the number of students in the program from the last reporting period. An additional goal for the next period is to increase job employment outcomes as part of the program and assist students with gaining employment outside of The Opportunity Center.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Four overlapping and complementary sets of activities comprise UBEAM: (1) 4-H Youth Development and Horticulture (4-H and Hort) and (2) Expanded Food Nutrition and Education Program (EFNEP) of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, (3) Principles and Safe Use of Biotechnology led by the University of Houston, Sugarland (UHBio), and (4) Introduction and Application of Entrepreneurship (REMIX) led by the Opportunity Center. Embedded in all these sets of activities are purposeful lecture and hands-on exercises to develop professional character and attributes, e.g., developing leadership, communication, and teamwork skills. 4-H and Hort conducted sessions with justice-involved youth in fall 2024 and spring 2025, engaging 19 youth in a series of hands-on biotechnology and STEM activities that focused on safe food production and natural resource conservation. The sessions required site inspections, garden and curriculum planning, promotional materials, indoor and outdoor hands-on activities, construction of garden beds, instruction about plant propagation, planting, and maintenance. The youth developed STEM skills through Lego Spike Prime Robotics, applying coding and engineering concepts to real-world agricultural challenges, and gaining practical experience by installing drip irrigation lines, managing water-efficient farming techniques. Leadership and communication skills were strengthened through team-based projects, public speaking workshops, and mentorship sessions that connected classroom learning to real-life career paths in biotechnology and agriculture. EFNEP conducted their Teen Cuisine Program in fall 2024 and Summer 2025, engaging 17 youth in a fast-moving and dynamic hands-on experiential learning approach that included nutrition information, food preparation, cooking, and serving in five 2-hour sessions that covered six lessons. In fall 2024, 10 youths completed the program. Pre/Post surveys that were administered to assess changes in diet quality, food safety, and physical activity behavior revealed that 50% of the youth adopted and are practicing one or more behavior(s) necessary to handle food safely, 50% of the youth improved their abilities to choose foods according to Federal Dietary Recommendations or gain knowledge about improved diets, and 100% of the youth improved their physical activity practices or gain knowledge about such practices. In summer 2025, 7youthenrolled in the program. Their Pre/Post surveys revealed that 100% of the youth adopted and are practicing orimproved food selection behavior(s) consistent with Federal Dietary Guideline recommendations, 50% of the youth adopted or improved one or more habit(s) or behaviors related to physical activity, 83% of youth adopted and are practicing one or more behavior(s) necessary to handle food safely, 67% of the youth adopted or are improving one or more knowledge or skill(s) necessary to prepare simple, nutritious, and affordable food. Anecdotally, EFNEP is impacting the youth and their families. For example, 1youth reported that his dad owns a food truck and that he is now better able to help his dad by practicing skills chopping onions that he acquired through the hands-on food demoof the program. EFNEP has also made significant contacts and progress to expand this biotechnology-based nutrition program with such community-based organizations as "Journey through Life," "Neighborhood schools," Burnett Bayland Park," and "Project Grad Houston." UHBio conducted two complementary sessions with ten justice-involved youth in spring and summer 2025. The first session covered plant biotechnology topics, e.g., plant food and related products, hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponic, harvesting, and quality control of produce, packaging, and marketing of economically important plants and algal biotechnology topics such as microalga types, culturing spirulina at laboratory and commercial scales, harvesting and checking the quality of spirulina, and the different food products made using spirulina. The second session was a hands-on and high impact experience to produce and harvest plants where youth learn how to grow microgreens, leaf greens, and medicinal herbs using hydroponic, aeroponic, and aquaponics methods. Techniques such as seed germination, growth measurements, harvesting produce and checking quality before packaging and distributing to market are covered, including how to commercially produce spirulina using photopic, autotropic, and mixotrophic conditions. Techniques such as culture media preparation, algae culture inoculation, maintaining and monitoring their growth, separation from water, quality control, and use in various culinary dishes are also covered. Theoretical instruction involved lecture presentations and video demonstrations, while practical sessions offered hands-on training across various techniques and systems. As a result of this program, the students gained valuable knowledge in applying sustainable biotechnological practices to produce high-value crops and bio-based products in urban environments. The youth will also get an opportunity to tour a commercial algae and have an opportunity to make oral presentations to share their experiences at an Open House at the Opportunity Center upon completion of the program and will receive a certificate for training completion. In January 2025, approximately 100 students, including 9th-grade Biology and 11th- and 12th-grade Anatomy and Physiology classes from Aristoi Classical Academy, a public charter school in Katy, TX, visited the University of Houston, Sugar Land campus for a 4- hour educational tour. During the visit, students were introduced to the university's Biotechnology program and explored various career opportunities in the field. Divided into small groups, they toured multiple biotechnology research labs focused on areas such as microbial products, plant biotechnology, metabolic engineering of microorganisms, and stem cell research. Additionally, students gained hands-on exposure to techniques like gel electrophoresis used for protein separation. REMIX enrolled 33 justice-involved youth in the Project Remix Ventures' Endeavors in Entrepreneurship class. Of these, 9youth enrolled in the UBEAM Abbreviated Business Plan Competition, an additional component added todevelop their knowledge of agricultural entrepreneurship pathways. Through UBEAM the youth received instruction and coaching on branding and marketing, financial planning, product development, public speaking, and teamwork. In sum, justice-involved youth have earned internship opportunities and paid experiences for participation in the program. They have received adult-guided mentorship in the areas of professionalism and how to interact with others in the work force. For example, youth are expected to clock in and clock out for the program and are expected to serve as leaders during the interactive instruction. Once a week, students receive live feedback on their work performance and get professional feedback to improve on their skills for the following week. Youth get mentored experience in developing and completing class projects to tap into critical thinking skills and analytical perspective abilities. The expectation is that youth that enter into the program complete a job interview process in which they are expected to dress in a professional manner and display job interviewing skills in front of professional adult staff members. Youth receive feedback on their job interview skills to assist with their professional development. In summary, during this reporting, UBEAM produced 4 robotic lessons (4-H and Hort) and seven biotechnology modules (UHBio) and numerous outreach materials by all UBEAM areas, e.g., flyers, newsletters, and websites; directly reached 179 justice-involved youth; directly reached 179 youth supported by the grant: and indirectly reached approximately over 200 other youth using materials from the project.

Publications