Non Technical Summary
Attracting and retaining students of diverse backgrounds to careers in food and agriculture requires collaborative training to support development of scholars with scientific understanding, skills and interest to create innovative solutions that can meet the complex challenges of climate change in the 21stcentury. This project is a partnership with Butte College, a rural Community College in northern California, to provide eight women, first generation, and/or underserved minority Scholars enrolled at Butte College with innovative, summer research experiences at UC Davis. While at UC Davis, Scholars will be mentored by faculty and graduate students to complete research projects in food and agriculture related disciplines. Scholars will also participate in workshops to support development of their leadership and communication skills and they will present their research to UC Davis faculty, peers and their family members at the end of the internship. At the end of each summer, Scholars will also participate in an interactive workshop/Science Day at Butte College to translate project outcomes to diverse audiences and share impacts and benefits of the project with the broader rural community served by Butte College.Overall, this project provides experiential learning opportunities, mentoring, and training for women and minority scholars from Butte College to facilitate their transfer, retention, and graduation as food- and agriculture-related majors at UC Davis. Scholars will develop skills and interests needed to enter the workforce as agricultural leaders who can address the needs for sustainable food and agriculture production in California, the U.S., and the world.

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
903	5010	3020	100%

Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
5010 - Food;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;

Goals / Objectives
Project Aim 1:Provide women, first generation, and underserved minority Scholars enrolled at Butte College with an innovative research experience focused on the theme "Developing Climate Smart Solutions for Agriculture." Scholars willchooseresearchprojectsin plant sciences, viticulture and enology, food sciences, agricultural biotechnology,orpost-harvest biology. Butte College, a campus in the California Community College system located in a rural community in northern California, has STEM and agricultural curricula consistent with preparation for transfer to UC Davis undergraduate programs. The specific goals of the research experience are to:inform early-stage community college students (first year, either undeclared or declared interests in food and agriculture) about career opportunities in food and agriculture.enhance transfer of women and minorities to a food and agricultural major at UC Davis (or other 4-year institution).increase enrollment and retention in Butte College agriculture and STEM majors.enhance graduation rates for participants.develop leadership skills, including communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and professionalism in program participants.support preparation for graduate/professional school and careers in food and agriculture for participants.Project Aim 2:Increase understanding of food and agricultural research and career opportunities through outreach to and collaboration with Butte College and the local/regional community that Butte College serves. Specific goals are to:host an interactive poster session/workshop/Science Day featuring the student Scholars and mentors to share student experiences, research learnings, and translation of project outcomes for diverse audiences; the workshop/Science Day will be held at Butte College and/or a local UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) site, with potential opportunities for UCCE and/or 4-H participation and engagement.increase interest in post-secondary schooling and careers in food and agricultural sciencesenhance partnerships among UC Davis, Butte College, and local UC Cooperative Extension and/or 4-H programs.This training is designed to develop future agricultural leaders who will bridge and strengthen the connection between UC Davis, the premier agricultural institution in California, and small, rural communities where the residents either may not be aware of, or may not have been directly impacted by, activities sponsored by UC Davis.

Project Methods
Through partnership with Butte Community College, we will select four first-year students in Years 1 and 2 of the project to participate in a summer research experience at UC Davis. Using established channels between the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Butte College, we willhold recruiting seminars at Butte Collegeto share information about the program and to encourage participation by women and underserved students interested in plant sciences, viticulture/enology, food sciences, post-harvest biology, and/or agricultural biotechnology.Scholars selected for this program will spend eight weeks at UC Davis participating in a paid summer research internship with faculty and graduate students in plant sciences and biotechnology related areas.Each Scholar in the program will be placed in a laboratory to conduct original, hypothesis-driven research connected to food or agriculture.At the end of the internship, the Butte College scholars will share their learnings and experiences through slide presentations, posters or workshops with an interactive presentation suitable for their intended audience (e.g., community college and local high school and/or 4-H students).