Progress 09/01/14 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The two primary target audiences were Little Big Horn Collegestudents majoring in agriculture related degree programs; and also, community members who participated in agriculture related workshops. Efforts were made to recruit high school students in the field of ag science or other related degree programs. Changes/Problems:A new PD was hired during FY 2017, and a transitional phase was experienced. The Equity project had a part time PD for a short period of time, who then soon became full time. Despite the delay that resulted from the transition, goals for the project were still accomplished. One challenge that arose when attempting to develop an allottee handbook and a web-based land information system was the Crow Tribe Land Laws, which prevent access to allottee and land information without legislative resolution, and ultimately, put a halt to the progress. Understanding the sovereignty, jurisdiction, andland laws of tribal nations is a major component to the agriculture industry in the Crow Community. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The PD attended the annual Society for Range Management Technical Training and Tradeshow in Reno, Neveda. Five LBHC Range Club students also attended the Society for Range Management conference with the support of Equity funding. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During FY 2017, there was emphassis on recruitment and retention strategies for students and potential students at Little Big Horn College. Future emphasis on almni students and status has been a topic of interest. One LBHC alumnus graduated with his bachelors of science in Rangeland Ecology from Montana State University Bozeman in Fall 2017. Bringing awareness to current LBHC students about the agriculture degree options, and also recruiting to high school students to motivate them to start their college careers at Little Big Horn College. The PD was a guest speaker at a local high school for Career Day, and shared information on the Equity program, thelocal agriculture industry and the agricutlure degree options at LBHC. PD was also invited to be a guest a speaker at two events: at a local high school for their College Day; and also for an Economic Development for Districts Forum hosted by a local non-profit organization. By participating in these events the Equity program was able to share information about the program, the local ag industry, and the degree options available at LBHC. By providing information and a statistical overview of the local ag industry the Equity program hopes to motivate morestudent and public interest in the industry and the educational opportunities at Little Big Horn College. Other accomplishments include establishinga point of contact and a building a collaborative relationshipswith the local Natural Resource Conservation Service, the LBHC Extension office and greenhouse; the Bureau of Indian Affairs office; the Crow Tribe Land Managment office; and, the Crow Tribe Buffalo Pasture organization.
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Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audiences were LBHC students majoring in agriculture relate degree programs. The project also directed major efforts towards newly recruited and returning adjunct instructors in the field of ag science and Crow studies. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project director attended the Annual FALCON Conference in Albuquerque/NM. A newly recruited adjunct instructor and an agriculture committee member, who is also the LBHC Student Range Club advisor, attended the Annual Conference of the Society for Range Management in St. George/Utah. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Accomplishments under the major goals of the project In FY 2016, considerable emphasis was placed on Ag degree program development, Ag/Science faculty collaboration and professional orientation and support of incoming adjunct instructors. Three of the four recruited adjuncts were first time teachers, who wished to obtain experience at the community college level, and to find out if they would like to pursue a teaching career. The Equity project supported them by offering regular meetings, during which insights about instruction in general and teaching the specific courses could be shared with permanent science instructors. In addition, funding was provided for experiential learning opportunities and participation in work related educational events. As a result, we hope to retain adjuncts beyond one semester, to improve teaching quality and to stabilize the student learning environment. Because data had shown that in recent years almost every incoming student majoring in agriculture needed to take developmental classes in math and writing, and that a high percentage of recruited Ag freshmen withdrew in the first year, science faculty and the PD developed a one year certificate program in general agriculture; it is currently under review for the new academic catalog. The program consists of required classes (16 credits) in basic natural sciences and range livestock management, and includes four hands on labs. The 8 courses derive from the AS degree options in Agriculture: Livestock Management & Industry and Rangeland Ecology & Management. In contrast to the existing AS degree options, higher level science and business classes are not part of the requirements. Instead, the certificate program gives students the flexibility to choose 9-10 credits among a variety of electives. Depending on their interest, they are able to select courses in the field of science, business or Crow studies. Math and writing requirements (8 credits) are MA 065 Pre-Algebra and CA 095 Developmental Writing. Nevertheless, there are pre-requisites for the higher level science and business courses. By offering a certificate program, we aim to address the needs of those community members, who are hesitant to enroll in the AS degree program, due to the time commitment and academic requirements. The successful completion of the program prepares them to go directly into the field of applied agriculture. Since the combination of courses also provides a smooth transition into the LBHC AS degree programs, it can serve as a stepping stone to continued education in agriculture. Equity funding has been instrumental for the continuous work on curriculum alignment, course development and teaching strategies.
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Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/16
Outputs
Target Audience:In FY 2015, the primary target audiences were Little Big Horn College (LBHC) students majoring in agriculture related degree programs, Crow tribal landowners, community members with an interest in gardening and access to healthy foods, and Crow tribal land management staff. Further target audiences included Indian Health Service and Tribal Diabetes Prevention staff and the Crow native non-profit organizationWell Known Buffalo Cultural Center. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?An adjunct faculty member, an agriculture student (Dean's Honors List) and the PD attended 2 conferences in Fall 2015: the Annual FALCON Conference in Denver, Colorado, and the Food Sovereignty Summit in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The PD participated in a Crow community food sovereignty assessment workshop, conducted by the First Nations Development Institute.The PD helped the adjunct instructor to familiarize herself with curriculum mapping and the accreditation process. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Because of itscontinuity,the USDA Equity grant programhas been recognized as a valuable collaborative partner by a local nonprofit organization, and six federal and tribal agencies from the land management, food and health sector. Therefore the project has been able to measurably improve the effectiveness of its educational efforts, reaching an increased number of landowners, beginning gardeners, and community members, who are concerned with the lack of access to healthy foods for their families. Two agriculture student graduates, who had been supported by Equity funds through scholarships and internship opportunities, returned during the current funding year in order to give back to the program and to support the community.1. Crow land tenure:In collaboration with an LBHC agriculture graduate, who pursued her studies at MSU Bozeman and has since worked with the Crow Tribal Land Management Office and the local Bureau of Indian Affairs, the PD worked on the development of a Crow Allottee handbook. The LBHC alumni completed adraft guide "To acquire lands on the Crow Reservation for agricultural purposes". The PD is currently preparing a workshop for Crow landowners to take placein early August. The goal of the workshop is to familiarize Tribal members with current federal forms, in order toincrease their understanding about how much land is owned, where the land is located, how the land is being used and by whom, and howthey can protect and manage their own resources. Forms to be studied include the Title Status Report (TSR), the Individual Trust Interest Report (ITI), the Individual Indian Moneys Statement of Account (IIM), the List of Real Property Assets, and (Agricultural) Leasing Contracts. 2. Recruitment efforts consisted mainly ofparticipation incampus wide career fairs and a well received Crow cultural gala, which drew over 80 high school students from the region. We recruited 8 students during the funding year, but since6 of the 8 newly enrolledstudents withdrew at the end of the spring semester, and 1 freshman failed all classes, attention was focused on retention concerns. 3. The accreditation officer and the PD evaluated the degree program options and identified alternative strategies for increasing student success. A move towards a more vocational oriented agricultural education was considered, as well as substituting the currently required 200-level science classes with electives. In addition to reviewing the curriculum, it was concluded that the lack of experience and the high turnover of adjunct instructors contributed to an unstable learning atmosphere; this was compounded by the loss of 2 longtimescience instructors in 2015. The college is currently advertising a full-time agriculture/environmental science faculty position, which will be funded through the Equity grant. We hope to employ a culturally responsive and committed instructor, who is familiar with diverse learning styles and teaching strategies. Duringthe evaluation processit was alsotaken into consideration, that many students withdraw temporarily due to financial burdens or family obligations andthat they later return to resume their agriculture studies. 4. During the current funding year, the Equity program has not had an opportunity to work on a collaborative project with the MSU Bozeman action research class. 5. The LBHC Extension Program hired a greenhouse manager, and the PD provided some technical assistance to her. An agriculture graduate, who is a landowner, gardener, and beginning rancher, has worked in the garden project since May 2016; besides maintaining the campus garden and the greenhouse, he is learning about community advancement by mentoring Crow community members, who are starting a garden. His position is supported by Equity funds.
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Progress 09/01/14 to 08/31/15
Outputs
Target Audience: In FY 2014, the primary target audiences were Little Big Horn College (LBHC) students majoring in agriculture related degree programs, and elementary and middle school students from the regional schools. Changes/Problems: As stated earlier, the former Equity teaching garden/greenhouse project has become part of the Extension Garden Project since Spring 2015. The two staff members, who are in charge of the community garden project, have over the last two seasons gained sufficient expertise and experience to oversee the project without the need for a greenhouse manager supported by Equity funds. With the increase of available funds, the Equity program is now able to expand scholarship and internship opportunities, and to fund the Native Foods Project which is currently being planned in collaboration with MSU Bozeman. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? 1. The development of a land assets knowledge base will be continued. In collaboration with the BIA Land Services and the Crow Tribal Tand Management Department, the PD will compile a basic handbook to be disseminated in the districts. 2. A visit to the district schools is planned for recruitment purposes. At minimum, one summer horse clinic for youth will be held, involving two LBHC students as assistants and peer recruiters. 3. Classroom instruction will be complemented by student field trips (2-3), internship opportunities and 1-2 place-based projects. 4. An orientation tour to MSU Bozeman (focusing on the Animal Science Department, the Sustainable Food & Bioenergy Systems Program and the American Indian Student Success Center) will be offered to students in good academic standing. 5. Two task force meetings are planned to discuss future equine education opportunities for youth with vested community members.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During the first year of the current funding cycle, we were able to strengthen working relationships within the college, with federal and tribal institutions and with the wider community. A newly recruited ag adjunct faculty member is very committed and has increased the retention rate in her classes to 90-100%. Students in Livestock Management & Industry, who wish to start an agricultural operation, are now able to apply for a scholarship through the LBHC Business Department. Building strategic partnerships with the BIA Land Services, the NRCS and the Tribal Land Management Department has shown good results. Three LBHC alumni, who graduated with an agriculture degree and who are now working at the BIA and the Crow Tribe, regularly involve current students in land management or ranching related activities and projects. Through this involvement students are shown the importance of their college education for the benefit of the community. In FY 2014, Equity funding has enabled us to provide a number of beyond-the-classroom learning experiences for our students, either through a student field trip, a workshop, an internship or the participation in a conference. These educational experiences and the availability of scholarships through the Equity grant program have had an invaluable effect on motivation, engagement and academic success. 1. The implementation of the Land Buy Back Program, beginning in 2014, led to major changes in ownership patterns on the Crow reservation. According to the US Department of the Interior, approximately 245,000 acres have been purchased from around 2,250 allottees to place into trust for the Crow Tribe. Due to these changes and the resulting workload increase at the federal and tribal level, the collaborative work on compiling up-to-date forms and resource materials has been slower than anticipated. 2. For recruitment purposes, the PD visited the Lodge Grass School Ag program and took part in an FFA event (40 attendees incl. students, alumni and community volunteers). The Equity program had a booth (topic: Learning about the Bison) in the LBHC Earth Day event that was attended by three regional schools (80 students from 4th through 8th grade). As a result of the participation at a teacher training on "Ag Literacy in the Classroom", offered through the Montana Ag Department, the PD has analyzed various ag literacy curricula in regards to their relevance for the schools in the Crow community. A week-long horse clinic for youth (age 10-14) is being planned for July. Various experienced presenters from the community and an LBHC ag instructor will share knowledge about horsemanship, ranch and performance horses, basic care and management. Besides being a recruitment tool for youth, the event will be an opportunity to obtain input from vested community members regarding the needs for an expanded equine education program. 3. A Crow Tribal member with a BS degree in animal science from MSU Bozeman was hired as an adjunct faculty member to teach AG 100 and AG 235 (4 credits) in the fall semester, and AG 230 and AG 234 (4 credits) in Spring 2015. As a landowner with a ranching background, she has a vested interest in the success of the program, and is providing valuable stakeholder input towards its further development. Crow-specific land tenure topics have been incorporated in the AG 230 class. The instructor, PD and an agriculture student (4.0 GPA) attended the annual FALCON Conference in Minneapolis, where they took the opportunity to learn about innovative educational and research projects at various Tribal colleges. In Fall 2014, the transferability of every Ag course was confirmed by the MSU Ag Department. The PD taught the pilot class AG 210 "Economics of Agricultural Business". The class, which had been further developed and infused with Crow specific contents, was also approved in the official transfer agreement. Ag faculty and PD have focused on systematically assessing the Ag degree program and the individual courses, and are beginning the process of curriculum mapping. A field trip to an off-reservation ranch on traditional Crow land in Fishtail, MT. proved to be a very educational experience for the AG 230 class. The students were actively engaged, and their questions and observations demonstrated their capability of applying knowledge gained in the classroom to real world issues. Primary areas of interest included the various ranch enterprises, marketing strategies, natural and organic livestock production, and the economic viability of mixed crop/livestock systems. Supported by Equity funds, an ag business student and an environmental science graduate will be able to attend the upcoming two-day training on "Conservation Planning & Opportunities through Ecological Stewartship", hosted by First Nations Development Institute in Rapid City,SD. 4. In the ongoing process of alligning LBHC ag coursework with MSU requirements and keeping up with occurring changes, the PD has obtained the syllabus of ANSC 222 "Livestock Production in Sustainable Systems", an animal science program of study course, which has taken the place of ANSC 262 (LBHC AG 230) "Range Livestock Production". Instead of adopting the new course, the MSU instructor is working on an agreement to accept AG 230 as a substitute transfer course. The PD has begun to coordinate mentoring efforts for transfer ag students with LBHC Student Services, in particular with the Outreach Coordinator, who teaches the course "Transitioning from LBHC to Four-Year Institutions" and also advises potential graduates on an individual basis. The Equity program is in the planning phase of a student-led experiential education project with a research component. The week-long project "Identifying Best Food and Medicinal Plant Harvest Practices to Support Community Health" is facilitated and instructed by MSU faculty from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, the Department of Health and Human Development and the Center for Biofilm Engineering. The project aims to provide field training opportunities, classroom instruction and lab activities, and will take place in FY 2015 or 2016. Besides being a valuable place-based educational experience with relevance to the community, it's main goal is to familiarize future graduates with the MSU campus and instructors, research opportunities and lab facilities. 5. In Spring 2015, the Equity Teaching Garden Project and the Extension Community Garden Project "Healthy Living through Gardening" have been consolidated, as they are both located on campus in close vicinity to the greenhouse. The project is now run under the supervision of the Extension Program, and will be supported by the Equity program through technical assistance and hands-on training, if needed.
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