Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
(N/A)
FAYETTEVILLE,AR 72703
Performing Department
School of Human Environmental Sciences
Non Technical Summary
Arkansas has numerous employment opportunities in the human sciences sector, with workforce demand spanning retail, production, food and beverage service, nutrition, and family and consumer sciences. Workforce preparedness and strong community engagement within Arkansas are strengthened by timely educational interventions during critical stages such as high school. High school students in rural Arkansas often experience fewer opportunities to engage in meaningful, high-quality learning that provides them with important career-ready skills and directly affects their local needs and economy. To meet the critical need for improved access to educational resources, the project team will create a mobile human sciences summer camp. The camp will provide hands-on, experiential learning activities in key areas of human sciences, with a special focus on entrepreneurship and waste reduction from food and textile industries. The camp activities reflect crucial concepts in apparel, nutrition, and hospitality that help students understand real-world issues and identify innovative and sustainable solutions. The project will benefit high school students in two communities in rural Arkansas. College students enrolled in the human sciences program at the University of Arkansas will design camp activities and serve as camp mentors. This dual approach enhances leadership and service experience for undergraduates while providing mentorship and role models for high school camp participants. Camp participants will be prepared to demonstrate professional competencies that benefit Arkansas students, families, and communities.The mobile human science summer camp will be run by faculty at the University of Arkansas, Arkansas Tech University (ATU), and the Cooperative Extension Service in Pope and Franklin counties. The project team will bring all camp materials, such as sewing machines, cooking supplies, restaurant-style plating kits, and other supplies to the campers to camp venues close to where they live. The mobility of the camp invites rural communities to access university resources without having to travel to the university's physical location. The project outcomes will advance curriculum in human sciences, enrich immersive, hands-on learning experiences, and increase interest in pursuing a bachelor's degree among high school students by creating meaningful, lasting connections to the university. Moreover, the summer camp will better prepare high school students for future careers in human sciences and help them learn how to reduce textile and food waste in Arkansas and globally. This project is aligned with the USDA's mission to support rural development, sustainable practices, and leadership development. Ultimately, it will prepare the next generation of young leaders to address important societal challenges such as reducing waste and strengthening rural communities.
Animal Health Component
30%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
40%
Applied
30%
Developmental
30%
Goals / Objectives
Goal 1. Elevate Excellence in Human Sciences Education: This project seeks to provide immersive, hands-on learning opportunities for high school students in rural Arkansas. Through a summer camp format, participants will engage with diverse disciplines within the human sciences, including nutrition, hospitality, apparel, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.Goal 2. Foster Leadership Development and Student Success: Undergraduate students serving as camp leaders will gain practical leadership experience that complements their academic studies and enhances their career readiness. By teaching foundational human sciences concepts to rural youth, these students will reinforce their own knowledge while evaluating the camp's impact on both their personal learning outcomes and those of the participants.Goal 3. Strengthen Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Human Sciences: This innovative interdisciplinary initiative brings together nutrition, hospitality, apparel, entrepreneurship, and sustainability from the School of Human Environmental Sciences, fostering a collaborative culture and enhancing the interdisciplinary impact within human sciences.Goal 4. Fulfill Land-Grant Mission: This initiative prioritizes engagement with rural communities by hosting camps in strategically selected locations across Arkansas. By reaching high school students in rural communities, the project seeks to foster a sense of belonging and promote cultural awareness. The mobile camp model extends the university's commitment to community outreach and engagement, aligning with its land-grant mission to serve all Arkansans.Goal 5. Invest in Faculty Excellence and Scholarly Impact: Faculty advisors will cultivate meaningful relationships with undergraduate leaders, camp participants, and community agencies throughout the state. Project outcomes will be shared through peer-reviewed publications and scholarly presentations, advancing academic discourse. By aligning faculty engagement with institutional goals focused on student success and community outreach, the initiative strengthens educational pathways and workforce development and reinforces the University of Arkansas's mission of community engagement and academic excellence.
Project Methods
The objectives of the project will be accomplished by providing Arkansans (grades 9-12) with educational resources through the summer camp. The camp will occur at the ATU - Russellville campus in Year 1 and the ATU Ozark campus in Year 2. The Russellville campus is in Pope County, and the Ozark campus is located in the seat of Franklin County, both of which are socially vulnerable communities investing in facility development and prioritizing community engagement (USDA, 2025). In the first year, 25-30 high school students will be recruited through the Cooperative Extension Office to attend the camp and learn three career paths within Human Sciences in addition to principles of entrepreneurship and sustainability. In the second year, 50-60 high schoolers will be recruited to attend the camp for the same purpose. The broad range allows increased access for campers but also challenges the undergraduate mentors to scaffold their camp design, demonstrating increased mastery (van Geert & Steenbeek, 2005). Campers will be recruited through the Cooperative Extension Office which will coordinate with local high schools to identify and invite eligible students to participate in the summer camp. Upon acceptance, each camper's information will be entered into the University of Arkansas's student information system (Workday Student or Slate) to ease guardian communication and enable tracking of future enrollment in any University of Arkansas-affiliated institution. In Year 1 and Year 2, undergraduate students at theUniversity of Arkansaswill spend three weeks in a summer course planning the camp, implementing the camp over one week in each location, and returning to campus for a week of reflection and analysis. The students will develop program instruction and management, teaching, mentorship, and leadership skills under faculty guidance by mentoring camp attendees. The camp will be facilitated by a multidisciplinary team from theUniversity of Arkansas partnering with the faculty at ATU who will bring expertise in youth culinary camps and access to facilities for hosting events and overnight accommodations for undergraduate student counselors at ATU. The camp will provide immersive and interactive experiences for campers, University of Arkansasstudents, and faculty mentors. Delivery to rural communities will enrich the sense of place for campers, University of Arkansasstudents, and project investigators.