Performing Department
EXT Extension Programming L4
Non Technical Summary
In the 2022 academic year, West Virginia saw troubling declines in public school students' science and math proficiency. These declines are exacerbated by structural issues like limited internet access, high child poverty rates, fewer STEM learning opportunities, and high food insecurity, especially in rural areas. The departure of STEM industries from the state further reduces opportunities for students to engage in meaningful STEM experiences. Our project, "Seeing is Believing: Bridging Equity Gaps in STEM," based on Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), aims to tackle these challenges by enhancing personal, behavioral, and environmental motivators in STEM. The goal is to inspire middle school students to develop a keen interest in agriculture-related careers. By combining theoretical and hands-on STEM learning experiences, we want to empower students to feel confident in pursuing and excelling in STEM fields, particularly in agriculture.We aim to address disparities in STEM learning opportunities among rural youth to create a future workforce capable of addressing agricultural issues in West Virginia. Our curriculum includes six components: 1) understanding food and agriculture systems, emphasizing local production, 2) using drones to survey farmland, 3) employing robotics to improve food production efficiency, 4) virtual simulations of livestock production, 5) visits to agricultural facilities and Agri-technology companies, and 6) knowledge sharing through audiovisual presentations focused on innovative agricultural technologies. Our project addresses key educational needs: student experiential learning; student recruitment, retention, mentoring, and educational equity; and curriculum development. We are partnering with West Virginia State University to implement the project in five rural counties--Summers, Wyoming, McDowell, Raleigh, and Mercer--selected based on population density, minority representation, and child poverty rates. Over two years, we aim to directly benefit 250 rural youths in these counties.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
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Applied
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Developmental
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Goals / Objectives
The goal of the BEGS project is to empower middle school students by igniting a strong interest in agriculture or closely related careers. Through a blend of theoretical and hands-on learning experiences in STEM, we aim to empower participants to be confident in their ability to pursue and excel in a STEM career with an emphasis on agriculture or related disciplines. By addressing STEM opportunities-to-learn disparities among rural youth, we seek to create a pipeline of future Agri-STEM professionals who are equipped to solve critical agricultural issues in West Virginia.
Project Methods
The Seeing is Believing experience will include the three key elements of the SCCT: personal, behavioral, and environmental. Central to the SCCT is the concept of self-efficacy from the social cognitive theory. We will build students' self-efficacy by developing and implementing a curriculum that teaches food production and sustainability through the incorporation of STEM. We will implement the BEGS program in 2 years. In the first year, we will reach 125 youth in 5 middle schools. We will duplicate this effort in year 2 and by the end of the program, we will reach 250 youth.Our proposed approach to developing a curriculum that teaches students about food production and sustainability through the incorporation of STEM involves a comprehensive and immersive learning experience implemented within a six-week STEM classroom. Working in collaboration with local educational institutions and agricultural experts, we aim to align the curriculum with STEM education standards, ensuring its relevance and effectiveness. Each week of the curriculum will be carefully structured to build upon the previous one, allowing students to progressively delve deeper into the world of food production and sustainability through STEM applications. Hands-on projects, field visits to local farms, and engagement with sustainable initiatives will be incorporated to provide students with real-world exposure.The curriculum development process will draw upon the expertise of STEM educators and professionals in agriculture and sustainability. Our focus will be on creating engaging, hands-on lessons that cover key topics such as an introduction to food and agriculture, the use of drones for farmland surveys, the application of robotics for plant health analysis, and virtual simulations for imparting knowledge on crop and livestock production. In parallel, we plan to integrate technology partnerships with companies providing drones, robotics kits, and virtual simulation tools, offering students practical experiences and exposure to cutting-edge technology. Curriculum will be implemented through a six-week STEM school enrichment class. By the end of the program, students will increase their knowledge of food and agriculture and feel confident in their abilities to use agriculture-related technologies. Students will complete a project book filled with activities curated to assess their objective knowledge and career aspirations. The curriculum will include six components:Introduction to food and agricultureUse of drones to survey farmlands (find an activity)Use of robotics to analyze plant health and improve food production efficiencyVirtual simulations to livestock production knowledgeIndustry visitsProject Showcase and Future Perspectives