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

Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting cycle, the Smart Agriculture Summer Camp reached its primary target population of middle and high school students from the Detroit metropolitan area, along with a diverse network of academic, industry, municipal, and community stakeholders. A total of 47 students participated in the two-week camp hosted at Wayne State University in July 2025. Participants were recruited through the C2 Pipeline network, which partners with 24 high schools across Detroit. The cohort represented broad demographic diversity in alignment with the program's commitment to STEM and agricultural education. In terms of racial and ethnic composition, the student population consisted of 77.3% Black or African American, 6.8% Asian, 4.5% Middle Eastern or North African, 2.3% White, 2.3% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 4.5% identifying as other or multiracial. With respect to gender, 59.1% identified as male, 38.6% as female, and 2.3% as nonbinary or preferred not to disclose. The average age of participants was 15.14 years (SD = 1.08), corresponding primarily to high school sophomores and juniors. This demographic profile reflects the program's targeted outreach to diverse urban youth and highlights its success in broadening participation among groups historically underrepresented in agricultural science and technology fields. The camp's curriculum immersed students in four themed modules: Indoor and Outdoor Farming Sensors, Sensor Networks, and Internet of Things Data Processing and Visualization Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture To ensure equitable access, all participants received transportation, meals, and instructional materials at no cost. Students engaged in hands-on activities such as Arduino-based IoT experiments, Python data analysis, and plant propagation projects. Field experiences were central to the camp's design, with site visits to Planted Detroit, Liberated Farms, Admah Farm Central Detroit, and a visit from Make Food Not Waste, where students explored automation, sustainability, and innovation in real-world agricultural environments. Although the original proposal envisioned participation from local school teachers, scheduling conflicts prevented teacher involvement in this cycle. To maintain mentorship continuity, the instructional team engaged Cathleen Laporte, Jasmine Roberson, Abbas Alwishah, and Robert Alexander-Jordan, experienced youth outreach professionals who supported recruitment, facilitation, and reflection activities. Their expertise ensured that the program remained inclusive, engaging, and developmentally appropriate. The instructional team also included three Ph.D. students and one master's student who mentored student teams during technical exercises and reflection sessions. The secondary audience comprised members of the project's Advisory Board and stakeholder network, representing academia, government, and industry. These partners contributed expertise in agricultural science, engineering, sustainability, and workforce development. The full stakeholder group included: Project PDs: Drs. Sara Masoud, Kenneth Chelst, and Jeremy Rickli (Industrial & Systems Engineering); Dr. Meina Zhu (Learning Design and Technology); and Dr. Alyssa Beavers (Nutrition and Food Science). Evaluation Team: Mr. Robert Mahu and Ms. Charo Hulleza. Student Mentors: Ms. Elnaz Alinezhad, Mr. Roohollah Jahanmahin, Mr. Aeneas Koosis, and Ms. Mythri Palla. Mentors: Ms. Cathleen Laporte, Ms. Jasmine Roberson, Mr. Abbas Alwishah, and Mr. Robert Alexander-Jordan Academic Members: Drs. Chieri Kubota (Controlled Environment Agriculture, The Ohio State University), Ricardo Hernandez (Horticultural Lighting and Systems Engineering, North Carolina State University), Russell Tronstad (Agricultural Economics, University of Arizona), and Eshwar Ravishankar (Horticultural Automation, Cal Poly Pomona). Industry and Community Partners: Liberated Farms, HortAmericas, Planted Detroit, Admah Farm Central Detroit, Make Food Not Waste, and GraftedGrowers. Municipal Partner: Patrice Brown, Deputy Director of Urban Agriculture and Nature-Based Solutions, City of Detroit. In total, the 2025 camp directly engaged 47 students, four student mentors, and over 15 academic and community stakeholders, while indirectly reaching approximately 50 additional individuals through the public presentation, community outreach events, and partner dissemination activities. Changes/Problems:During this reporting cycle, two major modifications were made to the original project plan, along with several minor adjustments, all designed to maintain program accessibility, quality, and sustainability under evolving logistical and economic conditions. 1. Camp Duration Adjusted from Four Weeks to Two Weeks:Originally, the Smart Agriculture Summer Camp was proposed as a four-week program designed to deliver the full cycle of experiential learning activities (ELA1-ELA4). After consulting with outreach specialists and reviewing student and family availability, the team determined that a two-week model would be more feasible and equitable for the target population. Many Detroit-area students rely on summer employment or other enrichment programs, limiting their ability to commit to a four-week, full-day schedule. Reducing the duration to two weeks significantly improved recruitment and retention while maintaining full enrollment (47 students) throughout the program. The adjustment also ensured that the camp remained free of charge to all participants despite the impact of inflation and increased supply, food, and transportation costs. The shortened format allowed the project to sustain program quality and deliverables without introducing participation fees. All four educational modules (Indoor/Outdoor Farming, Sensors and IoT, Data Processing, and Machine Learning & AI) were successfully condensed and integrated within the two-week schedule, maintaining pedagogical integrity while optimizing engagement. 2. Replacement of Teacher Mentors with Outreach Specialists:The original plan included hiring five high-school teachers to participate in a preparatory workshop and serve as in-class mentors. Despite multiple recruitment efforts, most teachers were unavailable during the camp period due to conflicting school-year and summer teaching commitments. To maintain the multi-mentor structure, the project instead engaged three experienced youth-outreach specialists from Wayne State University--Cathleen Laporte, Jasmine Roberson, and Robert Alexander-Jordan--who work year-round with Detroit Public Schools through the C2 Pipeline and related programs. These specialists effectively filled the intended mentoring and facilitation roles. Their expertise in youth engagement, inclusive education, and program coordination contributed to a safe, positive, and developmentally supportive environment. This substitution also expanded the project's connection to existing outreach infrastructure, improving student support and ensuring continuity in recruitment and communication with local schools. 3. Adjustment of Curriculum Delivery to Reflect Time and Resource Constraints:To accommodate the reduced camp length, daily modules were restructured to balance theory, practice, and reflection within compressed timeframes. Additional reflection components were integrated into lunch and end-of-day sessions rather than separate half-days, allowing all core learning objectives to be met. Some advanced machine-learning topics were simplified for accessibility, with plans to reintroduce them at a deeper level in future cycles. 4. Reallocation of Budget to Offset Inflation:Rising costs in meals, transportation, and supplies required minor internal budget adjustments. Funds originally reserved for extended programming and teacher stipends were reallocated to maintain full support for student meals, transportation, and lab materials. This ensured that all participants continued to receive the camp free of charge, consistent with the project's equity and inclusion goals. 5. Technology and Logistics Adjustments:Due to variability in laptop access among students, some coding and data visualization sessions were conducted using paired or group-based activities to maximize available resources. The team recommended the purchase of additional laptops and tablets for the next reporting cycle to ensure individual computing access. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During this reporting cycle, the Smart Agriculture Summer Camp provided comprehensive training and professional-development opportunities for students, graduate mentors, outreach professionals, faculty, and community collaborators. These activities strengthened technical, pedagogical, and leadership skills while advancing the project's overarching goal of preparing a diverse, technology-literate agricultural workforce. 1. Training Opportunities for Students:The two-week camp delivered structured, hands-on learning experiences for 47 Detroit-area high-school students. Through four integrated modules, Indoor and Outdoor Farming; Sensors and IoT; Data Processing and Visualization; and Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture--participants gained foundational competencies in: IoT system design and sensor calibration using Arduino microcontrollers, Data cleaning, analysis, and visualization using Python, Machine-learning principles applied to agricultural data, and Sustainable growing practices through site visits to Planted Detroit, Liberated Farms, Admah Farm Central Detroit, and Make Food Not Waste. Students developed teamwork, problem-solving, and reflection skills while producing functional sensor prototypes and data-driven insights. Pre- and post-assessment analyses confirmed statistically significant gains (p < 0.05) in agricultural technology knowledge, self-efficacy, and awareness of STEM career pathways. These findings indicate strong success in exposing underrepresented urban youth to advanced agricultural technologies. At the end, we provided certificates to participating students, acknowledging their efforts and learning. 2. Professional Development for Graduate and Undergraduate Mentors:The project engaged three Ph.D. students and one master's student from Wayne State University's College of Engineering as near-peer mentors. These mentors were integral to the camp's daily operation, guiding students through coding, data analysis, and sensor-building activities. To ensure professional and ethical readiness, mentors completed a suite of formal training offered through Wayne State University, including: Bullying Prevention, emphasizing conflict resolution and safe youth interactions, Child Safety, ensuring compliance with federal and institutional policies for working with minors, Social Media and Professionalism, covering responsible communication, representation, and privacy awareness, and Campus Safety, highlighting emergency response, mandated reporting, and protective behavior standards. These trainings, combined with their hands-on teaching experience, significantly enhanced mentors' professional readiness in both academic and youth-engagement contexts. The experience provided practical preparation for future roles in academia, education, and industry outreach, where mentoring and inclusive leadership are essential. 3. Capacity Building for Outreach and Community Professionals:In lieu of teacher participation, the project engaged Abbas Alwishah, Cathleen Laporte, Jasmine Roberson, and Robert Alexander-Jordan, experienced youth-outreach specialists from Wayne State University and community engagement programs. Their participation served as a professional-development opportunity in agricultural literacy, STEM program design, and experiential learning facilitation. They received orientation in the camp's curriculum, technology modules, and safety protocols, expanding their capacity to design and manage technology-enhanced educational programs for youth audiences. 4. Faculty and Advisory Board Collaboration Faculty and advisory-board members from Wayne State University, The Ohio State University, North Carolina State University, University of Arizona, and Cal Poly Pomona engaged in collaborative professional learning through pre- and post-camp coordination meetings. These interactions provided opportunities for cross-disciplinary development in: Integrating experiential learning theory into agricultural STEM outreach, Refining evaluation and data-collection tools for informal learning environments, and Aligning academic curriculum design with industry and workforce needs. Through these exchanges, faculty enhanced their understanding of effective nonformal education practices and strengthened inter-institutional partnerships supporting agricultural workforce development. 5. Multi-Sector Knowledge Exchange:The project promoted sustained professional growth through active engagement among academic, community, and municipal partners. Regular planning meetings and post-camp debriefs facilitated the exchange of expertise on controlled-environment agriculture, IoT integration, sustainable food systems, and community engagement strategies. The involvement of HortAmericas, Liberated Farms, GraftedGrowers, and the City of Detroit's Office of Urban Agriculture and Nature-Based Solutions provided unique insight into current industry standards, municipal sustainability policies, and practical challenges in applying agricultural technology at different operational scales. These discussions directly informed ongoing curriculum improvements and partnership strategies. 6. Continuing Professional Development and Future Plans:To institutionalize learning from this year's activities, the project team developed a design manuscript (submitted to TechTrends Journal), summarizing our processes onimplementing spiral experiential learning in our camp and evaluation strategies. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results of the Smart Agriculture Summer Camp have been disseminated broadly to academic, community, and industry audiences through a combination of formal and informal communication channels designed to reach the project's diverse stakeholder network. Dissemination efforts during this reporting cycle emphasized transparency, accessibility, and collaborative learning, ensuring that insights from the program benefited both local and national communities of interest 1.Community and Stakeholder Engagement: A closing symposium was held on the final day of the camp at Wayne State University, serving as the primary venue for disseminating preliminary results and student achievements. The event was attended by participating students and their families, university faculty, and some community partners. Students reflected on their learning experiences. This public forum provided an opportunity for stakeholders to observe the outcomes of the camp, celebrate student accomplishments, and discuss future collaboration opportunities. In addition to the symposium, the project team shared outcomes with local agricultural and educational partners, including Planted Detroit, Liberated Farms, Admah Farm Central Detroit, and Make Food Not Waste, all of whom hosted camp activities. These collaborations helped translate program results into actionable insights for improving community-based agricultural education and sustainability initiatives. 2. Advisory Board and Academic Dissemination: Program outcomes and evaluation data were also disseminated to members of the Advisory Board, which includes representatives from academia, industry, and government. A post-program meeting will be held to review evaluation findings, discuss student learning outcomes, and identify priorities for curriculum improvement. Advisory board members from The Ohio State University, North Carolina State University, University of Arizona, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and Wayne State University contributed expert feedback that has been incorporated into planning for the next camp cycle. The project team also prepared a summary presentation of evaluation results--highlighting pre- and post-survey gains, demographic reach, and field-site impacts--which was presented to the City of Detroit. Key findings were discussed during professional meetings among the collaborating faculty, strengthening inter-institutional dialogue on experiential agricultural education and youth engagement strategies. 3. Institutional and Digital Dissemination: The project's outcomes were publicized through Wayne State University and C2 Pipeline, reaching over 500 faculty, students, and outreach coordinators across 24 Detroit-area schools. The WSU newsletter featured a short highlight on the Smart Agriculture Summer Camp, describing its community impact and inviting schools to participate in future cohorts (https://research.wayne.edu/news/wayne-state-university-to-lead-usda-grant-to-support-program-training-students-in-smart-agriculture-64977) . Additionally, photos and updates were posted on Wayne State's affiliated social media (LinkedIn ) to amplify visibility and connect with broader STEM education communities. Finally, two local news articles highlighted the importance of this program and it's impact in Detroit (https://www.bridgedetroit.com/jbs-bites-training-students-for-ai-in-agriculture/ and https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2025-02-06/rural-farming/mi-professor-spotlights-smart-agriculture/a95116-1). A dedicated project webpage (www.smartimmersivemodeling.com/SmartAgCamp.html) has beendeveloped. This site will host open-access materials, including recorded videos, models, and highlights of community partnerships. 4. Community Outreach and Partner Networks: Beyond institutional channels, dissemination will be extended into the community through partnerships with the City of Detroit's Urban Agriculture and Nature-Based Solutions Office, to promote key program findings. 5. Internal Reporting and Evaluation Dissemination: Evaluation data were compiled and shared internally within Wayne State University through the Center for Urban Studies, which oversees program assessment. Findings were used to inform ongoing refinement of survey instruments, mentoring practices, and experiential learning design. 6. Plans for Broader Dissemination: In alignment with USDA's open-access and knowledge-sharing goals, the project team is preparing two journal manuscript (one submitted, one working paper) documenting the camp's design, outcomes, and implications for nonformal agricultural education. The papers will be targeted to journals such as TechTrends, Frontiers in Education, International Journal of Designs for Learning, or Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research. The team also has shared findings at national venues such as the 2025 INFORMS Annual Conference, and will continue to disseminate the findings within local agricultural education events coordinated by the City of Detroit and Michigan Department of Education's C2 Pipeline network. In future years, the project will expand dissemination through: Annual digital newsletters summarizing outcomes for schools, families, and partners; A repository of reusable instructional modules and evaluation tools; and Public-access webinars and training sessions for educators and mentors interested in replicating the camp model. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, the project team will build upon the successful implementation and evaluation of the 2025 Smart Agriculture Summer Camp by expanding program capacity, refining curriculum based on stakeholder feedback, enhancing mentor training, and formalizing dissemination and sustainability plans. The focus will remain on achieving the project's three primary objectives: exposing and attracting youth to smart agriculture; providing hands-on experiential learning on agricultural technologies; and strengthening academic-industry partnerships to support a sustainable workforce pipeline. 1. Recruit the Second Cohort of Students and Mentors:The team will recruit a new cohort of approximately 50 students from Detroit-area high schools through the C2 Pipeline network. Outreach materials and application forms will emphasize early awareness of agricultural technology careers. Four to six graduate and undergraduate mentors will be recruited and trained to support hands-on learning and peer guidance during the next camp cycle. Graduates from the 2025 camp will be invited to serve as peer mentors, strengthening continuity and building leadership capacity. 2. Expand Teacher and Educator Involvement:A key improvement for the next period will be the inclusion of five local teachers or science educators. These educators will participate in a Mentor and Educator Workshop to be held in early Summer 2026. The workshop will provide training on the camp's experiential learning model, technical modules, and evaluation methods, preparing teachers to assist during the summer camp and to replicate select activities in their classrooms. This component addresses feedback from the previous cycle, ensuring greater educator engagement and long-term curricular integration within partner schools. 3. Refine Curriculum and Implement New Learning Enhancements:Based on evaluation results and advisory board feedback, several refinements will be implemented to strengthen student learning: Increase computing access by providing additional laptops and tablets to ensure every student has an individual workstation for Python and IoT programming. Integrate extended reflection sessions at the end of each day to promote metacognitive learning and knowledge retention. Expand the virtual and immersive learning component, incorporating short VR simulations demonstrating controlled-environment agriculture and AI-based decision support. 4. Enhance Mentor and Staff Professional Development:All mentors and instructional staff will continue to complete formal training modules on: Bullying Prevention, Child Safety, Social Media and Professionalism, and Campus Safety. 5. Deepen Industry and Community Partnerships:The project will continue its collaborations with Planted Detroit, Liberated Farms, Admah Farm Central Detroit, Make Food Not Waste, HortAmericas, and GraftedGrowers. These partners will co-host field experiences and provide guest speakers to connect students with real-world applications of smart agriculture. The project will also expand engagement with the City of Detroit's Office of Urban Agriculture and Nature-Based Solutions to align student projects with ongoing municipal initiatives in sustainable food systems and green infrastructure. The team will explore additional field visits to community farms and commercial facilities that incorporate automation, data analytics, or controlled-environment agriculture technologies. 6. Conduct Comprehensive Evaluation and Longitudinal Tracking:The Center for Urban Studies evaluation team will update and streamline pre/post survey instruments and quizzes to capture both immediate learning gains and longitudinal outcomes. The next cycle will include a follow-up survey for the 2025 cohort to assess retention of knowledge, career interest, and continued engagement with agriculture and STEM subjects. Data from both cohorts will be analyzed using mixed-methods approaches, allowing the team to evaluate program effectiveness over time and refine instructional design accordingly. 7. Strengthen Dissemination and Knowledge Sharing:During the next reporting period, dissemination efforts will expand through: A dedicated project webpage, featuring camp highlights, evaluation summaries, downloadable teaching modules, and student projects. Conference presentations and publications, including one submitted and one planned manuscript submission to TechTrends or the International Journal of Designs for Learning. Community showcase events, such as the annual Wayne State's STEM Day. Industry and municipal briefings, coordinated with the City of Detroit and HortAmericas, to share lessons learned and identify workforce-development implications. 8. Advance Sustainability Planning:The project team will continue developing a replicable camp model, integrating lessons from the first two years. This resource will serve as a guide for other universities and community partners interested in adopting similar experiential agriculture programs. The team will also pursue supplemental funding opportunities through USDA and corporations to support scaling and long-term sustainability beyond the current award period. 9. Advisory Board Engagement:The Advisory Board will convene twice during the next period, once during the spring planning phase and once after the summer camp, to review program updates, evaluation data, and potential new directions. Board members from academia, industry, and the City of Detroit will continue to provide critical feedback to ensure that the curriculum remains aligned with evolving workforce needs and technological advancements in smart agriculture.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The 2025 Smart Agriculture Summer Camp made measurable progress toward the project's three primary objectives: Expose and attract youth to smart agriculture, Provide hands-on experiential learning on agricultural technologies, and Align academic and industry partnerships through ongoing needs analysis and engagement. Objective 1: Expose and Attract Youth to Smart Agriculture: The camp successfully increased student awareness of agricultural technology and career pathways. Pre- and post-survey results demonstrated statistically significant gains (p < 0.05) in multiple areas of knowledge and perception. Students' ability to describe how IoT data support farm decision-making increased from 54% to 81%; understanding of AI and machine learning in agriculture rose from 38% to 93%; and recognition of robotics and automation as central to modern farming nearly doubled. Student reflections confirmed these findings, with many noting that they began to view agriculture as a "high-tech and meaningful career field." Several students expressed intent to pursue STEM degrees related to data science, environmental systems, or agricultural technology. Objective 2: Provide Hands-On Experiential Learning on Agricultural Technologies:A central accomplishment of this reporting cycle was the successful implementation of aspiral experiential learning modelto structure all instructional activities in theSmart Agriculture Summer Camp. The model, adapted fromKolb'sExperientialLearning Theoryand extended throughMorris's spiral framework,organized each learning module into iterative cycles ofconcrete experience,reflective observation,conceptual understanding, andactive experimentation. Each iteration built upon the previous one, reinforcing core ideas and enabling students to apply increasingly complex concepts as the camp progressed.Each module in the camp followed a structured spiral experiential design that guided students from conceptual understanding to real-world application. Topics began with short expert videos featuring scientists and engineers who introduced the state of the art and career pathways in smart agriculture, providing a big-picture foundation. Instructors then led interactive lectures and open discussions that helped students interpret key concepts and connect them to their own experiences. Building on this foundation, students engaged in hands-on experimentation through Arduino-based sensor projects, Python data analytics, and virtual reality simulations of controlled-environment agriculture and AI-driven decision making. Finally, each module concluded with field visits to partner sites--Planted Detroit, Liberated Farms, Admah Farm Central Detroit, and Make Food Not Waste--where students observed the same technologies in practice, effectively closing the learning loop by linking classroom knowledge with authentic agricultural applications. Objective 3: Align Academic and Industry Partnerships Through Engagement and Needs Analysis: This cycle strengthened the program's multi-institutional and community partnerships. The Advisory Board, comprising experts from Ohio State University, North Carolina State University, Cal Poly Pomona, University of Arizona, Wayne State University, and industry partners such as HortAmericas and Liberated Farms, met to review curriculum design, workforce relevance, and evaluation outcomes.The inclusion of the City of Detroit's Office of Urban Agriculture and Nature-Based Solutions connected the camp's activities with municipal sustainability and workforce initiatives, further aligning local and national priorities in agricultural education. Across all three objectives, the project achieved tangible educational and organizational outcomes: 47 students gained direct exposure to agricultural technologies and data-driven decision-making. 4 graduate mentors and 4 outreach professionals supported student learning and reflection. Over 15 external partners contributed to field experiences, lectures, or advisory input. Knowledge and confidence gains were statistically significant across multiple domains. In summary, the 2025 Smart Agriculture Summer Camp achieved strong progress in all core objectives by connecting Detroit-area youth with technology-driven agriculture, fostering experiential STEM engagement, and cultivating a sustainable network of educators, researchers, and industry professionals committed to developing a diverse, future-ready agricultural workforce.

Publications