Progress 09/01/08 to 08/31/09
Outputs
ANR 080 Introduction to Horseshoeing and ANR 221 Soil Science' were both taught in the spring of 2009. Two additional classes with the ANR prefix remain to be developed to complete the Tohono O'odham Agriculture and Natural Resources (TOANR) program of courses as initially proposed at the start of this grant. They are ANR 102 Introduction to Animal Science and ANR 210 Introduction to Rangeland Conservation. An Associate of Science proposal in TOANR was submitted to TOCC's curriculum committee in the spring of 2009. ANR 100 Natural Resource Field Experience is currently under review by TOCC's curriculum committee. The class was not offered in part due to administrative requests to change the class' scope. The Instructor conference has not yet taken place due to teaching and administrative responsibilities on the part of the Project Director. An outside program evaluator is currently being reviewed by the CSREES for approval. Examples of service learning during the 08-09 granting period include students shoeing community members' horses as part of the hands-on learning associated with ANR 080, students developed and taught a publicly advertised and available two-hour class about a gardening topic of their choosing as part of ANR 111, and students assisted the Tohono O'odham Museum with labeling native plants along a nature trail as part of ANR 128. To increase recruitment, the TOANR program tabled at a series of junior rodeos, participated in the Tohono O'odham Nation Rodeo Parade, and promotional materials were available at all general TOCC events. The TOANR program had a poster displayed at TOCC's annual display at the 2009 Tohono O'odham Nation's Rodeo and Fair. Promotion for ANR 80 was done at Junior Rodeos and a collaborative horse health workshop. Promotion has also been done at high schools on the Tohono O'odham Nation. Student scholarships were also proposed as a method to increase enrollment. The scholarship proposal has been under administrative review for several months and has not yet been made available to TOCC students. Three staff members and one student attended the FALCON conferences in Las Vegas, NV in December 2008. A poster was created and presented at a poster session during the conference. A student and instructor participated in a round-table discussion about renewable energy projects at Tribal Colleges. The split-appointment position of Student Learning Farm Manager was approved by the TOCC Board of Trustees, TOCC president, and Human Resources Department. The Project Director created a job description and advertised for the position. A Student Learning Farm Manager was hired in May 2008. PRODUCTS: Two new classes were developed and offered as part of the TOANR program which increases the choice students have in the areas of agriculture and natural resources. One new program and one new class have been developed and submitted to the curriculum committee for review. Over two thousand pounds of healthy local produce was grown at the student learning farm for distribution and sale to community organizations, events, and individuals. A poster was created that highlights diverse programming within the Equity and Extension branches of the TOANR program. The full-time position of Student Learning Farm Manager was filled. Additional work was done of the Floral Atlas, a digital encyclopedia of local flora. OUTCOMES: Seven students enrolled in ANR 080, the highest enrollment to date of any TOANR class. These students were trained to do basic care and shoeing of horses which will begin to improve horse health on the Tohono O'odham Nation. The two classes added to the TOANR degree program increased student enrollment and exposed students to the A.A.S. degree option at TOCC. The Student Learning Farm manager increased food production for the local community and improved agricultural education through his knowledge of both commercial and traditional farming practices. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: TOANR promotional materials were made available at all general TOCC events. The TOANR program placed promotional materials at the 2009 Tohono O'odham Nation's Rodeo and Fair. The program has increased its visibility through several public events sponsored by the Agriculture Extension program. This includes a series of junior rodeos and participation in the Tohono O'odham Nation Rodeo and Parade. A one-hour interview about the TOANR program was broadcast on KOHN, the Tohono O'odham Nation's radio station. The TOANR program and its activities were highlighted in the TOCC's annual report. FUTURE INITIATIVES: The six targeted needs areas identified in the original four-year (2006 - 2010) grant application are 1) place-based curriculum development, 2) student recruitment, 3) student support, 4) integrated instructor development, 5) innovative instruction delivery systems, and 6) community outreach. The TOANR program will strive for sustainability - for program growth, for student retention, and for environmental health. To build on the success of ANR 080 three additional classes will be added - ANR 081, ANR 082, and ANR 083. Students will be prepared to take the written test for advanced farrier certification from a professional farriers association. ANR 110 Farming With Horses will introduce students to a variety of sustainable farming concepts using traditional Tohono O'odham horse-powered agriculture to teach about horsemanship, animal science, animal care, crop production, plant biology, soils, water, range management, Tohono O'odham language and culture, wildlife, hand-tools, practical field skills and training. SUS 101 Topics in Sustainable Development will examine sustainability issues and apply them to a Tohono O'odham model of sustainable development. A full-time agriculture and natural resources instructor will be hired in order to increase course offerings within the ANR prefix. A strategic recruitment and retention plan will be developed to increase student enrollment in TOANR classes. TOANR promotion will include career fairs, presentations at schools, district, community meetings, publicity, radio spots, junior rodeos, and flyers. A Tohono O'odham Agriculture and Natural Resource program brochure will be created. A website will be designed to promote the TOANR program that will have information about TOANR degrees programs, and other information of broad interest. Student scholarships will be made available and publicized to currently enrolled and potential TOANR students. Produce sales from the student learning farm will support an environmental student club, classroom activities/resources for ANR 111 or other food/farming related courses, and other activities within TOANR programming. An instructor conference for all instructors who teach courses within the TOANR program will encourage communication between instructors which will create more cohesive curricular content for students. The Plant Atlas will continue development by adding audio with Tohono O'odham pronunciation of plants and additional photos of Sonoran Desert plants and crops. A rainwater harvesting workshop in collaboration with TOCC's apprenticeship program students will be conducted to install a rainwater harvesting system. Water will irrigate the Student Learning Farm. Family members will be encouraged to be involved through participation in certain class activities and field-trips, and organize open-house informational activities for people to learn more about TOANR classes and degrees. The Student Learning Farm manager will continue as a split appointment position between equity and extension. The equity appointment will further develop and manage TOCC's Student Learning Farm and provide experiential, service learning, and environmental education opportunities.
Impacts
Impacts from third year activities include increased course offerings for students at TOCC, student initiated community service and environmental education in diverse community forums, increased student enrollment, and increased awareness within the Tohono O'odham community about the existence of the TOANR program and its activities. Many local ranchers, farmers, farm managers, and natural resource professionals are reaching retirement age with a very small pool of local talent to replace them. The TOANR program provides fertile ground to train the next generation of natural resource professionals. There are also many Tohono O'odham cultural elements involved with agriculture and natural resources. Since cultural components are an integral part of the TOANR curriculum, the program will help to keep certain aspects of Tohono O'odham knowledge and culture alive and in the public consciousness. The TOANR program is also a focal point of intellectual discussion in regards to agriculture and natural issues of concern and interest to the Tohono O'odham community.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/07 to 08/31/08
Outputs
The following courses have been developed and approved by TOCC's curriculum committee. ANR 128 'Plant Ecology of the Sonoran Region' ANR 130 'Plant Science' ANR 186 'Hydrology for Range Conservation' ANR 190 'Wildlife Conservation' A curriculum design consultant was hired to assist the Project Director to develop remaining curriculum for the TOANR degree. The following are currently under development. ANR 101 'Horseshoeing' ANR 112 'Introduction to Animal Science' ANR 186 'Water Resources' MGT 124 'Small Business Management' is equivalent to and will replace ANR 125 'Farm & Ranch Business Planning & Management'. GEO 217 'Introduction to Global Positioning Systems' and GEO 267 'Introduction to Geographic Information Systems' are equivalent to and replace ANR 230 'GIS/GPS Applications for Agriculture, Rangeland, & Natural Resources'. The GEO courses were offered in the spring 2008 semester. Phase one of the floral atlas, a digital database with photos and descriptions of local flora (wild and cultivated species) with Tohono O'odham, Latin, and common names was completed. Upon review and approval by the Himdag committee (the Tohono O'odham culture committee) the atlas will be available for use in all classes offered at TOCC. A service learning component is TOANR curriculum has been expanded to give students the choice to do a service learning project in a school, government or Tribal agency, or community. The following are examples of service learning projects. ANR 111 'Crop Production for Farm & Garden' Student assisted elders to create garden and coordinated short educational sessions about gardening at the office of Senior Services. Student assisted K-6 classes start a garden and coordinated gardening curriculum at local school. Student created and maintained a home garden to increase the consumption of healthy fruits and vegetables for her family. ANR 122 'Tohono O'odham Natural Resources & Conservation' Student wrote and implemented a trash clean-up management plan for local community. Student wrote a natural resource plan to plant a basketry garden for community elders. ANR 128 'Plant Ecology of the Sonoran Region' Student presented to cattle ranchers association about buffle grass, an invasive species. Student developed activity about mistletoe eradication. Student taught environmental education to family members. ANR 190 'Wildlife Conservation' Student helped the Natural Resource Department implement a survey of a protected plant. The Project Director attended the First Americans Land-grant College Organization & Network (FALCON) conference in Las Vegas, NV. The split-appointment position of Student Learning Farm Manager was approved by the TOCC Board of Trustees, TOCC president, and Human Resources Department. The Project Director created a job description and advertised for the position, and the position was filled in May, 2008. Some remaining objectives as part of the overall project include an instructor conference, program evaluation, and implementation of the class 'Natural Resource Field Experience'. Dr. Josef Marlow is no longer a part of the project. PRODUCTS: Four new classes were developed and are now offered as part of the TOANR program. The floral atlas has been burned onto CDs and is now available for dissemination amongst students and for use in all TOANR classes. A new full-time employee is now part of the TOANR program which increases the teaching capacity for TOANR classes. OUTCOMES: Increased course offerings provide students with a nearly complete program of study within the TOANR program. There are now enough courses within the program for students to receive their Associate's degrees in TOANR. The Student Learning Farm Manager DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: TOANR promotional materials have been made available at all general TOCC events. The TOANR program was the featured display at TOCC's annual display at the 2008 Tohono O'odham Nation's Rodeo and Fair. The program has also increased its visibility through several public events sponsored by the Agriculture Extension program. This includes a series of junior rodeos and participation in the Tohono O'odham Nation Rodeo and Parade. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Developing appropriate place-based curriculum for the TOANR degree programs will continue with the following classes; ANR 101 'Horseshoeing', ANR 102 'Introduction to Animal Science', ANR 100 'Natural Resource Field Experience', ANR 210 'Range Planning and Conservation', and ANR 221 'Soil Science'. These courses will all be developed by the end of the 2008-2009 granting cycle. Environmental education service learning in schools and communities will continue in partnership with schools, communities,Tribal entities, and local community organizations. Evaluation of quality of learning is assessed from three broad perspectives - courses, programs, and general knowledge (Faculty Assessment Committee. May, 2004). Overall effectiveness of the TOANR program, including extension, will be done according to the TOCC Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan. An instructor conference will be a one day workshop with all the instructors who teach courses within the TOANR program. It is a time for people to share ideas about their curriculum, discuss collaborative teaching opportunities, and tie together curriculum between classes. Student scholarships will be created to increased enrollment and support TOANR students in their studies. Scholarship criteria will be developed, and scholarship selection will be determined through the Scholarship Committee under the Office of Financial Aid. The availability of scholarships will be publicized to currently enrolled and potential TOANR students. Efforts to increase student enrollment is a priority for the future long-term viability of the TOANR program, and is also one of the largest challenges facing the program. A 'get the word out' campaign will serve to increase awareness and interest in the program. Career fairs, presentations at schools, district, and community meetings, publicity, radio spots, and flyers will all be used to increase student enrollment. ANR 100 also serves as an aid for the TOANR program to help recruit students unsure of their direction of study. The agriculture extension program also plays an important role with student recruitment. Recruitment needs to begin at a young age to familiarize youth with the idea of a college education, that is a possibility and a reality that is accessible locally. Many extension programs work with youth between the ages of seven and eighteen, and are a rich and numerous pool of potential students for TOCC and the TOANR program. Efforts to increase family support, involvement, and interest in the TOANR program will benefit TOANR in many ways. Involved families will better support family members who are spending the time and money to get a degree in TOANR. Students with family support also tend to improve their academic performance. Families also are a source of potential students, as children, parents, and siblings can learn about an area of study they may not have ordinarily been exposed to.
Impacts
Impacts from first and second year activities include increased a 100% increase in course offerings for students at TOCC. Student initiated seven community service and environmental education projects in diverse community forums which enriched students' learning experience and provided valuable services to their local communities. Due to outreach and publicity about the TOANR program, there has been increased awareness and participation within the Tohono O'odham community about the existence of the TOANR program and its activities.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/06 to 08/31/07
Outputs
Place-based curriculum development has been a priority of this granting cycle. The following courses have been developed and approved by Tohono O'odham Community College's (TOCC) curriculum committee. ANR 128 - Plant Ecology of the Sonoran Region ANR 130 - Plant Science ANR 186 - Hydrology for Range Conservation ANR 186 was taught in the fall of 2006. ANR 128 and ANR 130 were in the spring 2007 schedule. A sustainable energy curriculum began development by the co-PD, Dr. Josef Marlow. This grant obligation, however, has been put on hold due to Dr. Marlow's acceptance of a differnt job, and he is no longer with TOCC. The environmental education service learning component as stated in the grant was to introduce K-12 school students to TOCC students, introduce students to basic environmental concepts, and let high-school students know that college is an attainable goal. The project was alterd slightly from only doing environmental education service learning in the schools
to giving TOCC students the choice to do a service learning project in a school, government agency, or community. The following are examples of how students have engaged in service learning as part of their classroom activities. Activities are developed and implemented by students as part of their class. Students in ANR 111 - Crop Production for Farm & Garden: assisted elders to create garden and coordinated short educational sessions about gardening at the office of Senior Services. assisted K-6 classes start a garden and coordinated gardening curriculum at Santa Rosa Boarding School. Students in ANR 122 - Tohono O'odham Natural Resources & Conservation: wrote and implemented a trash clean-up management plan for local community. Students in ANR 128 - Plant Ecology of the Sonoran Region: Presented to cattle ranchers association about buffle grass, an invasive species. Developed activities about mistletoe eradication. Taught environmental education to family members. Students in BIO
105 - Environmental Biology: developed a water quality activity for 5th graders and developed an educational module about environmental ethics for incarcerated adults.
PRODUCTS: The primary products of this grant up to date are the development and addition of several courses to the TOANR curriculum. These include, ANR 128 - Plant Ecology of the Sonoran Region ANR 130 - Plant Science ANR 186 - Hydrology for Range Conservation Environmental education through service learning has also started in each of the coursed within the TOANR degree. Reruitment
OUTCOMES: Increased recruitment efforts for the Tohono O'odham Agriculture and Natural Resources (TOANR) program have happened through both education and extension programs. Public events sponsored by the Agriculture Extension program have increased TOANR visibility. This has led to advanced increased enrollment in TOANR courses for the fall 2007 semester.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The primary dissemination activities is through promotion of the TOANR program. People are made award of the program's existence through radio promotions, community and family nights, student orientation, fliers and brochures, and presentations. Promotional materials for the TOANR program have been made available at all general TOCC events.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: Future intiatives include Continued development of place-based curriculum Continued development of environmental education service learning in schools and communities Initiate programmatic evaluation procedures Student recruitment through outreach, youth programs, and promotion Develop and implement a natural resources travel experience course Student Learning Farm manager Identify and hire a student learning farm manager to increase agricultural programming.
Impacts
Impacts from first year activities include increased course offerings for students at TOCC, student initiated community service and environmental education in diverse community forums, and increased awareness within the Tohono O'odham community about the existence of the TOANR program and its activities.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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