Source: UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO submitted to NRP
THE PUERTO RICO NATURAL RESOURCE CAREER TRACKS (NRCT)PROGRAM: NEW COLLABORATORS AND NEW GOALS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1013589
Grant No.
2017-38422-27131
Cumulative Award Amt.
$1,000,000.00
Proposal No.
2017-03688
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2017
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2022
Grant Year
2020
Program Code
[NJ]- Hispanic Serving Institutions Education Grants Program
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO
AVE PONCE DE LEON
SAN JUAN,PR 00918-1000
Performing Department
Environmental Sciences
Non Technical Summary
Purpose: Future scientists and managers will require a robust and comprehensive understanding of a wide variety of disciplines in order to devise ways to manage resources while mitigating or adapting to future climate scenarios. This Collaborative Project will enhance recruitment of underrepresented Hispanic students from Puerto Rico HSIs to advanced education and employment opportunities in USDA agencies and related entities. Via experiential learning in the workplace and laboratory, we will prepare our students with tools, knowledge of basic concepts, and critical thinking necessary to address climate change impacts to agricultural and natural systems.Audience: In this Collaborative Project we will individually guide students to employment opportunities via career guidance, student exchanges, and summer internships and other resume-building experiences. We will focus on making sure students have the requisite courses for their chosen USDA career by using the National Student Exchange or other means to tailor student's coursework to potential employment opportunities. The collaborating campuses in this proposal do not necessarily have all the necessary courses required for USDA employment, so a student exchange program will by a key component of the project. We will use semester and summer research internships to bolster students' specialized experiences. The collaborating institutions will increase the breadth of student training to include insect and microbial ecology, DNA sequencing, and phytopathology, techniques that will become increasingly important in workplace applications. A new outreach program will target K-12 students in low-income communities, exposing them to climate change effects on this culturally significant El Yunque Rainforest.Number of students: 13 per year; 25 overallProducts: Workshops, field trips, semester research, summer career internshipsOutcomes/Impact: Increased student retention and employment placement
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
0%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
12301991070100%
Knowledge Area
123 - Management and Sustainability of Forest Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
0199 - Soil and land, general;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;
Goals / Objectives
Our objectives are centered on identifying and mentoring cohorts of students through the PRNRCT Program, to prepare them for careers in natural resource management with the FS, ARS, and other agencies and NGOs. Students can be identified early in their academic program and proceed through the program, first attending workshops and field trips to establish they are interested in the program. They will then be trained in resume preparation, the Pathways Program, and to use USAJobs to apply for summer positions. Those unable to secure positions their first year will be placed with local NGOs or EYNF. This should lead to employment in an agency the second summer. Three to four experienced students will be targeted for employment at BARC in each year of the program. Older students are included in the program if they have expressed an interest in pursuing graduate studies. Students will be provided a series of experiential learning opportunities appropriate for their academic level that engage them in resource management, broaden their perspectives of resource management, and set them on a career track with the US Forest Service or other US agency.We will strive to maintain the USDA's goal of retaining 90% of program students and moving them to USDA career pathways, mainly with the USDA Forest Service. Goals include:a. Conductworkshops and field trip for students to develop strong resumes, learn how to apply for federal jobs via USAJobs, and introduce them to career opportunities, particularly Pathways.b. Provide student experiential learning via summer internships with USDA agencies or local NGOs with 90% of students successfully completing the internship.c. Retain 90% of students completing internship program to enroll in Pathways or other subsequent internship. Graduate student mentoring will support students on the margin.d. Provide a research mentorship program to guide students in research in natural resource fields (a minimum of 5 students annually). Students in the semester program will maintain 3.0 GPA and conduct independent research. 90% of students will successfully complete program.e. Travel to conferences is an activity that engages students and promotes career development. We will attend Latinos in Agriculture and MANNRS, where we frequently place interns and graduate students. We will add SACNAS as a third venue for students as well as conferences organized by NIFA at funded institutions. We will also allow advanced undergraduate students and graduate students to attend disciplinary conferences in their areas.f. Provide students with the opportunity to mitigate coursework lacking for USDA employment with a semester at another university. We will counsel students individually on coursework needs and the best universities to address those needs. We will utilize Puerto Rico universities (e.g., UPR - Mayagüez) or the National Student Exchange program to address this need, utilizing funds to assure that students can travel or meet living expenses in the exchange campus.g. Continue a graduate student mentorship program to recruit underrepresented students into graduate programs and natural resource careers (minimum of three students annually).h. Three students, either graduate or undergraduate students, will be recruited to conduct outreach to local K-12 schools in urban areas surrounding the UPR-Río Piedras campus or in communities surrounding El Yunque National Forest.
Project Methods
Through our experiences with a previous collaborative grant, we have refined a strategy to attract and maintain students in the program we call Puerto Rico Natural Resource Career Tracks (PRNRCT). For the purposes of is proposal we distinguish Core Activities, those that are currently taking place without outside funding for the program and thus can be carried beyond the four years of funding provided by USDA-NIFA. Core Activities differ from Enhanced Activities, which are those that would be funded by this proposal or which could be supported other sources of funding beyond the fours years of funding requested here. Both sets of activities lead to increased recruitment of students to employment in USDA agencies or, more generally, an enhancement of student's skills and experiences that make it more likely that they will advance their career to higher levels than otherwise might be achieved.Core Activities include workshops, seminars, field trips, and similar activities that we can arrange during the academic year in PRNRCT to inform and train students for career advancement. We will maintain a focus on workshops devoted to resume writing and submission of USA Jobs applications, activities that increase the likelihood that students will obtain paid internships at USDA and other agencies. We also counsel students in the requirements for USDA employment and help them tailor their curricula to include required classes for agency jobs, even if these courses go beyond degree requirement. Currently, we are evolving the program to provide robust training in climate change issues as they apply to natural resource management and research. A number of research programs such as the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Program, a tropical forest warming experiment (TRACE; www.forestwarming.org), the Caribbean Landscape Conservation Cooperative (CLCC), and the USDA Climate Hub recently established in Puerto Rico provide substantial resources for students to learn about the causes and consequences of climate change.These series of Core Activities led us to an effective strategy to recruit successful students to the program. By requiring attendance to the program's school-year activities, we maintained a greater than 90% retention rate in the program. Students who cannot establish priorities or choose not to make the PRNRCT Program one of their priorities don't continue in the program. This strategy plus a strict adherence to a minimum GPA of 3.0 led to a high rate of student retention. The students are rewarded by the opportunity for internships in USDA and other organizations (e.g., Department of Natural and Environmental Resources of Puerto Rico, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, local NGOs), the likelihood of which is enhanced by substantial contacts we have developed. As long as paid internships are available through USDA and other agencies, this strategy should ensure success in placing students in USDA or other employment.With external funding for the program, we can engage in Enhanced Activities. Firstly, we can reward compliance with the two standards (i.e., school-year attendance and minimum GPA) by allowing students to attend conferences during the school year. Attendance to conferences such as Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANNRS) and Latinos in Agriculture helps students envision a career in agricultural and natural resource sciences. It also exposes students to agency recruiters.Secondly, a critical part of the Enhanced Activities is the ability to support students to take part in internships at USDA and other agencies either by providing travel funds, stipend support or both. Our previous experience with USDA agencies is that paid internships are not always available, particularly in research areas. None offer to pay travel expenses, which is a significant barrier to most students. Our experience with the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in Beltsville, MD, underscores the barriers. No funding is available for student internships at BARC, nor is support provided for travel to Maryland or for lodging in the expensive Washington, DC metro area. Some of our greatest achievements in the past were internships at BARC that, via necessity, were fully funded by external grant support.Enhanced Activities also include paid semester research internships to successful students during the school year. This minimal funding ($300 to $600 per month depending on hours served) enhances student research skills while providing financial support to students frequently come from families of modest income. This financial support, in our experience, often determines whether less well-to-do students can continue with their educational program.Finally, we have found that some of our students lacked critical coursework to be able to seek employment in the natural resource and agricultural fields. For example, students may lack ecology, soils, hydrology or land management biophysical courses that must be included in a student's curriculum to be employed as an Ecologist, Hydrologist, Natural Resources or Agricultural Specialists. We can mitigate this lack of coursework using exchanges, either with campuses such as UPR-Mayagüez in Puerto Rico or using the National Student Exchange to send them campuses in the US or Canada where they can enlarge their academic competencies and gain new cultural experiences.Enhanced Activities also include support of graduate students in the program. Beyond ensuring their own career success, support to graduate students provides a valuable resource to the program by providing tutoring and role models to undergraduate students. Graduate students will also be funded to take on career-enhancing internships, mitigate course requirements, as well as attend conferences.We train our students to apply for their own student internships. We will put effort into workshops, two per year, that instruct students in resume development, orient them to the Pathways Program, and to help them apply for employment using USAJobs. This is supported by a substantial number of contacts we have with institutions willing to provide internship opportunities to students in our collaborating institutions (Table 1). These include El Yunque National Forest (EYNF) and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF), both USDA Forest Service, in Puerto Rico, as well as a number of non-profits NGOs that conduct research and natural resource management activities. Mainland institutions include BARC in Maryland, as well as USDA National Forests in Rocky Mountain states and through the Civil Rights Office in Albuquerque. We will regularly attend conferences such as Latinos in Agriculture, MANNRS, and Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) to place our students with organizations willing to host them.Through this program, students will participate in a carefully designed set of experiential learning opportunities that will introduce them to natural resource fields, expose them to career opportunities and give them hands on experience in their chosen field. Students who participate in these experiential learning opportunities will have a stronger grasp of how their classroom performance is connected with their future careers. Through the internship and faculty research mentorship program students will gain valuable experience in scientific data collection, implementation of management practices, communication, and use of up-to date technology. We anticipate that students enrolled in our programs will, on average, increase their GPAs, have higher graduation rates, a more positive academic experience, a greater percentage will continue their education from a 2-to a 4-year program and from a 4-year to a graduate program, and experience an increased rate of employment in their field of interest.

Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:This report is divided into two main sections: 1) Survey Findings, and 2) Interview Findings. These findings are based on the data collected from the 29 students who agreed to participate in this evaluation, distributed as follows: 29 students completed the survey 10 students were still participating in the program 19 students had completed the program and were invited to participate in a follow-up interview 5 students completed the interview Survey Findings Students who enrolled in the PRNRCT program were invited to complete a survey (see Appendix A) about their experience in the program. Out of the 29 students who completed the survey, 10 were still participating in the program and 19 had completed it. Students who were still participating in the program The following tables show information about the 10 students who indicated that they were still participating in the program when they completed the survey. The first table shows the activities that student selected as most useful while participating in the program. Workshops, field trips, and outreach were selected by 9 students out of 10. The table that follows shows recommendations made by students for how the program could be more helpful. Students who valued certain activities recommended that more are offered and suggested additional possibilities for how they could be expanded to meet the needs of more students. In addition, workshops to develop resumes and apply for federal jobs could also focus on assisting students who are interested in applying for graduate school. Hearing from professionals in the field as well as from graduate students sharing their experiences with students in the program is another area of interest. These suggestions align with some of the information provided by students who completed the program, as described in the next section. Students who completed the program Because one of the program's main goals is to determine whether participating in the program influences students' career pathways, the survey included additional questions for students who indicated that they had participated in the program. This section describes what these 19 students said on the survey about their experiences in the program. The table below shows what students who participated in the program are currently doing, differentiating from those who enrolled in a subsequent internship and those who did not. As shown on the table, 15 of the 19 students who completed the program are also done with their undergraduate studies. Of those 15 students, 7 have gone on to pursue graduate studies and 8 are working in fields targeted by the program. Also included on the table below are some of the students' descriptions of what they are doing in their undergraduate studies, graduate studies, or jobs (some students did not provide such description). If you completed the program, what are you doing now? Total I participated in the program and enrolled in a subsequent internship I participated in the program but did not enroll in a subsequent internship Undergraduate studies 4 4 0 I am currently studying animal science I'm an architecture student full time with the goal of getting a degree in environmental design I'm an undergraduate student in my final semester Graduate studies 7 5 2 Currently I'm working as a science tutor for elementary students and applying to law schools in the state. Graduate student in Biology, with a focus on Stream Ecology I am masters student in the University of Oklahoma in the department of Microbiology and Plant Biology. I am studying the relative and temporal abundance of Scalloped Hammerhead in Puerto Rico. Pharmacy student PhD in Microbiology in UPRRP and I work with insect microbiota Right now I'm in Environmental Planning Graduate Studies Working full time 8 6 2 Working for USDA 2 2 0 Forestry Technician Other (specify) 6 4 2 Assistant Professor of Biology Environmental policy consultant. I monitor the proyects that are currently in the PR legislature related to the environment and I write letters to comment on some of the policies proposed I inspect the products that arrive at the company ensuring the quality of the product Teacher of General Science in Middle School Total 19 15 4 Most of the students indicated that the program had a significant influence on their career trajectory. The table below shows the extent to which students considered that the program influenced their interest in their current career and how (although not all students provided a description). Out of the 16 students who answered this question, 14 reported that the program influenced their career interest. Only two students said that they were not influenced by the program, due to having made a decision before joining the program. Students had a chance to select the elements of the program that were particularly helpful for them. Based on the information provided below, it seems like the career building actives like resume development and internships were a significant factor in supporting students. Other activities like workshops, field trips, and conducting outreach to K-12 schools followed closely. While it was not included in the options, one student highlighted working in El Yunque as influential. Which of the following activities are most useful to you? Students who selected this option Workshops 9 Field trips 9 Conduct outreach to local K-12 schools in urban areas surrounding the UPR-Río Piedras campus or in communities surrounding El Yunque National Forest 9 Develop resumes 8 Learn how to apply for federal jobs via USAJobs 7 Maintain 3.0 GPA 7 Changes/Problems:Still the major challenge is due to Covid 19. The recruitment was very big due to our media pages that inform what we really do. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Getting exposed to areas and career paths that sparked new interests Learning about education as a tool to advance environmental conservation Working with children Workshop about speaking in public Giving presentations to other students in the program - developing skills to speak in public to different audiences Getting involved with the community Expanding knowledge acquired in college classes and putting it to practice An internship with the US Forest Service working in El Yunque Teaching experience Outreach Learning to transfer scientific knowledge and communicate information to different audiences (ages, levels, etc.) Traveling to present their research Networking Resume and personal statement workshops How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Involvement with the community during outreach activities, showing the importance of hands-on opportunities in programs like the PRNRCT. We help creating a Garden with CAUCE capetillo Río Piedras. Also we work with the community giving them workshops on how to maintain it, careers with Forest Service and effects of Global warming. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?More workshops and field trips Broaden the scope of resume developing workshops to include applications for graduate school, fellowships, etc. Provide summer internship opportunities outside of Puerto Rico, because of Covid it was really difficult getting out of the island. Mentoring, guidance, or keynote speakers that provide a variety of perspectives from different work environments More opportunities to travel to conferences (it must be noted that this was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic) Opportunities to complete a semester at another university outside of Puerto Rico Opportunities to conduct outreach to a variety of education levels, expanding from K-12 to higher grades or even working with college students.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This program provides students with a series of experiential learning opportunities that engage them in resource management. In alignment with the program's goals, the following activities had a positive impact on the students' experiences in the program: Workshops and field trips Develop resumes and learn how to apply for federal jobs via USAJobs Summer internships Graduate student mentoring Travel to conferences Completing a semester at another university Mentorship program Conduct outreach to local K-12 schools This program was successful in providing students with resource management activities, broadening their perspectives, increasing their understanding and interest in resource management career pathways, and setting some of them on a career track with the US Forest Service or other US agency.

Publications


    Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/22

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Our primary target audience is Hispanic students at our 4 collaborating institutions in Puerto Rico University of Puerto Rico campuses in Rio Piedras, Bayamon, InterAmerican University in Bayamon and El Turabo University interested in Natural Resources and working with Forest Service Agency. We also provide outreach to elementary and high school students to create future leaders and undergraduates for the program. Changes/Problems:We started with Hurricane Maria here on the island, but we never forgot the purpose of the proposal, we have accomplished the summer experiences, outreach to communities, research, field trips, conferences, development, and getting the students the opportunities to get a USDA Forest Service job. When the Pandemic started was really uncertain but as a team, we figure out how we can achieve the goals and adapted quickly. We have done workshops virtually and in person. Now every member is vaccinated so opportunities are more accessible. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We established one summer field experience in Forest Service El Yunque during the first year of this grant; this also includes one international field class in Belize with D. Nick Brokaw, a collaborator in the program. On our second year, we are expanding the summer internships to ARS Beltsville Maryland, Forest Service Sacramento New Mexico, Jardín Botánico San Juan, Forest Service El Yunque and REU with the University of San Diego California. We also are organizing an academic exchange program through the National Student Exchange to exchange for two undergraduate students for fall 2019 and 2020 (spring). During the Pandemic we continued with the summer internships in El Yunque and created a online program of workshops. March 4, 2020 5 of our students had the opportunity to present their investigations at AAHE and HSI annual meeting in California. During this pandemic, students presented a seminar on different topics such as: 1. Coronavirus - Janmary Colón Alicea 2. Impacto ambiental por el Covid-19 - Luis Rodriguez 3. Consejos para fortalecer el sistema inmunológico- Noelia González 4. Impacto ambiental por el Covid-19 - Saimara Alejandro, Mairim Berrios Castillo, Janmary Colón Alicea, Erika Concepción 5. Actividades durante la Pandemia- Yolibeth Nieves 6. Abejas- Dr.Bert Rivera Interamericana Bayamón 7. Coquíes en tu Patio- Saimara Alejandro 8. Arrecifes de coral- Juanita C. Carballeira Martínez 9. 10 datos sobre el planeta tierra- Alanis M. Salinas Viera, Erika Concepción 10. Servicios Ecosistémicos- Roselee Loiz 11. Microplásticos y su efecto en ecosistemas marinos - Hernán A. Morales Ramírez 12. Temporada de huracanes y la sequía en Puerto Rico - Elisabet De Jesús Otero y Hernán A. Morales Ramírez 13. Diferentes tipos de plantas medicinales y de para la creación de huertos- Mairim Rivera 14. Agricultura en Puerto Rico 2020- Dra. Claribel Ojeda - Ana G Méndez 15. Forestry- Dr. Jess K. Zimmerman 16. Graduate School and impacts of Covid 19- Erika Concepción y Edauri Navarro 17. Agricultura sustentable- Noelia González y Melanie Figueroa We continued during the year as the Covid 19 rises globally, we created a workshop named Dialogo Ambiental once a week when students discuss environmental topics Wednesday nights. We invited panelists and give the students the opportunity of creating topics and act as leaderships during these talks. During these past year we gave a couple of certifications on different topics such as: Desinger Thinking ,Network Climate Action: Scaling Up Your Impact (https://www.civicecology.org/nca) Workshops virtualand in person 2021 Tema Lugar Conferenciantes Participantes Fecha Ciencia Divertida UHS (virtual) Elisabet Felix Hernán Erika Multigrado Ortiz (UHS) 23 abril Recorrido en el Yunque El Yunque Elisabet Hernán Paula Juanita Mariam Taissae Sofia Dr. Zimmerman Erika Concepción Estudiantes escuela elemental UHS primer, segundo, tercero y cuarto, maestras y padres In person 21 mayo 8am-2pm 22 mayo 8am-4pm Influencers de las Ciencias Ambientales 2021: Vivencias como agricultor y espacios de lucha ambiental NRCT USDA (virtual) Eliezer Molina Integrantes NRCT USDA 11 junio Influencers de las Ciencias Ambientales 2021: Moda ética y lenta NRCT USDA (virtual) Gabriela Rocafort Integrantes NRCT USDA 18 junio Influencers de las Ciencias Ambientales 2021: El proyecto de canalización del Rio Piedras: Un proyecto desplazado en el tiempo NRCT USDA (virtual) Elvia Meléndez Integrantes NRCT USDA 25 junio Field Trip a Casa Pueblo Casa Pueblo, Adjuntas Field Trip solar energy and renewable. Climatic change Integrantes NRCT USDA 30 junio CINA 3005: Energía UPRRP (virtual) Hernán (teaching and giving workshops) Estudiantes del curso CINA 3005 26, 31 y 2 agosto/septiembre 3 hours per class CINA 3005: Procesos Geológicos y Recursos del Suelo UPRRP (virtual) (teaching and giving workshops) Estudiantes del curso CINA 3005 7, 12 y 14 octubre 3 hours per class Primera Reunión- New members and USA Jobs Arquitectura Verde FEBRERO diálogo ambiental (miercoles) : Documental: Before the flood ecoturismo Resumé and USA JOBs Diálogo ambiental (miercoles) : justicia ambiental Continuation of Federal Resume Contaminación acustica MARZO Diálogo ambiental (miercoles) : Refugiado climatico mini film: Lowland kids Greenwashing Ciencia ciudadana Diálogo ambiental (miercoles) : luchas ambientales en PR (últimos 10 años) Derechos del medio ambiente Diálogo ambiental (miercoles): debate Intro. Botanica Dra. Gladys Nazario (miercoles) : Design Sprint: Disena tu mejor práctica ambiental ABRIL (miercoles) Documental Seaspiracy Compostaje domestico Taller para certificación DESING Thinking Taller para certificación DESING Thinking (Miercoles) Países y la Contaminación Taller para certificación DESIGN Thninking Taller para certificación DESIGN thinking(Miercoles) Derecho Ambiental Presentacion de Tesis Doctoral MAYO Efectos del sunblock en cuerpos marinos Diálogo ambiental (miercoles) :impacto del turismo en el ambiente Identifying what sharks species inhabit PR waters: shark research and conservation Dalyan López Diálogo ambiental (miercoles) : Trivia quiz de todos los temas que se han dado Retos ambientales en PR Climate Change Diálogo ambiental impacto ambiental De los cementerios y nuevas formas de sepultura August - December 2020 Preguntas para conocernos y actividad de "Would you rather?". • Agroecología vs Agricultura Convencional* • Bioremediación • Taller de Estadística • Impactos Salud/Ambiental del Agua en Botella vs de Pluma* • Sistema de Reciclaje en Puerto Rico • Festividades Sostenibles • Problemática de los Vertederos en Puerto Rico • Escuela Graduada y Experiencias Académicas Ex miembro NRCT • Turismo Sostenible y Experiencias Académicas Ex miembro NRCT • Minimalismo y Sociedad de Consumo • Naturopatía • Experimentación con Animales* • Fast Fashion • Dieta Vegetariana vs Dieta Carnívora* • Consejos para ser más sostenible y tener una vida mas eco amigable • ¿Deberían implementar un impuesto a las empresas por la cantidad de CO2 emitido? All of this preparation develop by our PI and Coordinator gaveour students the tools to be prepared for a careerUSDA and the professional path that they need to follow their maximum potential. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?4In the past we createda program website https://nrctpr.com/, a brochure (English and Spanish), Now with the pandemic, we are using distance communication technology (Gotomeeting) to communicate with students at remote locations and are connecting via webinars, google meet and zoom. Our media pages are active Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/USDANRCTPR/)and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/usdanrctpr/ these pages are very important most of the followers are students in differents universities interested in USDA.During the pandemic, we have been recruiting through the pages and candidates fill a google document form. We have received 50 applications from students interested in the program. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are adapting to the pandemic so the students can achieve their goals. The challenge will be to prepare them during this time and create resources to fulfill their needs virtually or using social distancing protocols developed by USDA Forest Service. Every student of the programis vaccinated so is easier to send them to the professional and academic environment following the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Covid-19 Protocols. We hope that in the near future summer 2022they all can participate in summer internships in the USA with Forest Service and Belstiville BARC.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? By the end of 2021 we have achieved the following: Three students got recruited to Forest Service USDA. (FS Yunque and FS Wayne National Ohio) One student got a job as a permanent Professor at Mount Mercy University Iowa. One student got a job as a Professor at the University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Seven students continued grad school with full scholarships ( Arizona, Purdue, Oklahoma University, Universidad de Puerto Rico Río Piedras, Florida) Fifteen students are doing research. One student Alanis Salinas got award of the House of representatives as she presented her government bill that faces the problem of landfills in Puerto Rico. One student Melanie Figueroa got award-winning academic excellence in her REU One student did a scientific publication. Certifications to ten students Four exchanges (due Covid we have not done since 2020, but planning to do it soon fall 2022) An active media page on Instagram and Facebook that captures our everyday work and development. Forty work experiences in federal agencies as USDA. maintaining 3.0 GPA First-generation students Award to Alondra Norat "Black and Latinx Birders Scholarship' Former students receiving an AAHHE fellow 2021 Edauri Navarro over fifty new applications for the program

    Publications

    • Type: Websites Status: Submitted Year Published: 2019 Citation: n/a


    Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21

    Outputs
    Target Audience:In this Collaborative Project we will individually guide students to employment opportunities via career guidance, student exchanges, and summer internships and other resume-building experiences. We will focus on making sure students have the requisite courses for their chosen USDA career by using the National Student Exchange or other means to tailor student's coursework to potential employment opportunities. The collaborating campuses in this proposal do not necessarily have all the necessary courses required for USDA employment, so a student exchange program will by a key component of the project. We will use semester and summer research internships to bolster students' specialized experiences. The collaborating institutions will increase the breadth of student training to include insect and microbial ecology, DNA sequencing, and phytopathology, techniques that will become increasingly important in workplace applications. A new outreach program will target K-12 students in low-income communities, exposing them to climate change effects on this culturally significant El Yunque Rainforest. Changes/Problems:We started with Hurricane Maria here on the island, but we never forgot the purpose of the proposal, we have accomplished the summer experiences, outreach to communities, research, field trips, conferences, development, and getting the students the opportunities to get a USDA Forest Service job. When the Pandemic started the course was really uncertain but as a team we figured out how to achieve the goals of the project virtually and adapted quickly.Now every member is vaccinated so opportunities are more accessible. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During the Pandemic we continued with the summer internships in El Yunque and created a online program of workshops. March 4, 2020 5 of our students had the opportunity to present their investigations at AAHE and HSI annual meeting in California. During this pandemic, students presented a seminar on different topics such as: 1. Coronavirus - Janmary Colón Alicea 2. Impacto ambiental por el Covid-19 - Luis Rodriguez 3. Consejos para fortalecer el sistema inmunológico- Noelia González 4. Impacto ambiental por el Covid-19 - Saimara Alejandro, Mairim Berrios Castillo, Janmary Colón Alicea, Erika Concepción 5. Actividades durante la Pandemia- Yolibeth Nieves 6. Abejas- Dr.Bert Rivera Interamericana Bayamón 7. Coquíes en tu Patio- Saimara Alejandro 8. Arrecifes de coral- Juanita C. Carballeira Martínez 9. 10 datos sobre el planeta tierra- Alanis M. Salinas Viera, Erika Concepción 10. Servicios Ecosistémicos- Roselee Loiz 11. Microplásticos y su efecto en ecosistemas marinos - Hernán A. Morales Ramírez 12. Temporada de huracanes y la sequía en Puerto Rico - Elisabet De Jesús Otero y Hernán A. Morales Ramírez 13. Diferentes tipos de plantas medicinales y de para la creación de huertos- Mairim Rivera 14. Agricultura en Puerto Rico 2020- Dra. Claribel Ojeda - Ana G Méndez 15. Forestry- Dr. Jess K. Zimmerman 16. Graduate School and impacts of Covid 19- Erika Concepción y Edauri Navarro 17. Agricultura sustentable- Noelia González y Melanie Figueroa We continued during the year as the Covid 19 rises globally, we created a weekly discussion called"Dialogo Ambiental" when students would discuss environmental topics. On Fridays we invited panelists or gave students the opportunity to createtopics and take leaderships during these talks. During these past year we gave certifications on different topics such as Desinger Thinking ,Network Climate Action: Scaling Up Your Impact. Virtual workshops and discussions included topics such as green architecture, ecotourism, environmental justice, acoutistic contamination, greenwashing, citizen science, environmental law, history of environmental advocacy in Puerto Rico, effects of sunscreen on marine systems, agroecology vs conventional agriculture, bioremediation, statistical analysis, recycling in Puerto Rico and solid waste disposal, animal experimentation, environmental benefits of a vegetarian diet, benefits of a carbon tax. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In the past we createda program website https://nrctpr.com/, a brochure (English and Spanish), Now with the pandemic, we are using distance communication technology (Gotomeeting) to communicate with students at remote locations and are connecting via webinars, google meet and zoom. Our media pages are active Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/USDANRCTPR/)and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/usdanrctpr/ these pages are very important most of the followers are students in differents universities interested in USDA.During the pandemic, we have been recruiting through the pages and candidates fill a google document form. We have received 50 applications from students interested in the program. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are adapting to the pandemic so the students can achieve their goals. The challenge will be to prepare them during this time and create resources to fulfill their needs virtually or using social distancing protocols developed by USDA Forest Service. Every student in the programis vaccinated so is easier to send them to the professional and academic environment following the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Covid-19 Protocols. We hope that in the near future summer 2022they all can participate in summer internships in the USA with Forest Service and Belstiville BARC.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Starting a new semester in 2020 in January did a workshop with Dr. Zimmerman on the impact of climate change on forest dynamics. We meet in March (first week) with a workshop by Pedro Rios from Forest Service el Yunque on How to Apply to Graduate School and USA Jobs. We created online workshops due to the Pandemic, meeting twice a week for presentations and discusssion.This was part of a strategy to keep the studentsinterested in the program and in their academics. We finished the semester with an in person field frip to El Yunque National Forest (EYNF) in May with Dr. Zimmerman and Erika Concepcion leading. Students conducted summer internships June(virtually) and July ( in person) 2020 with Pedro Ríos at EYNF. This has beenan unusual year due to Covid 19 and now we have seen how we can adapt and achieved our goals in the program. We created a community of knowledge about the impacts of climate change and gave them the opportunity to think about the possibilities of a career with the USDA and elsewhere. By 2021 our achievements with students. Three students got recruited to Forest Service USDA. One student got a job as a permanent Professor at Mount Mercy University Iowa. One student got a job as a Professor at the University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Seven students continued grad school Fifteen students are doing research. One student did a scientific publication. over fifty new applications for the program All of this preparation develop by our PI and Coordinator gave our students the tools to be prepared for a careerUSDA and the professional path that they need to follow their maximum potential.

    Publications

    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Torres-Delgado, E., Gonz�lez, G., Medina, E., Rivera, M.M. 2021. A Multiyear Record of Rainfall and Ionic Composition along an Elevation Gradient in Northeastern Puerto Rico. Aerosol Air Qual. Res. 21, 200582. https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.200582


    Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Our primary target audience is Hispanic Students at our 4 collaborating institutions in Puerto Rico, University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras campus and Bayamón campus, Interamerican University Bayamon and El Turabo University interested in Natural Resources and working with Forest Service Agency. We also provide outreach to elementary and high school students in the community of Capetillo CAUCE (Centro de Acción Urbana, Comunitaria y Empresarial de Río Piedras)to create future leaders and undergraduates for the program. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? We organized an academic exchange program through the National Student Exchange. We have sent 3 students this year. In August 2019 students presented their work over their summer internship and in October 2019 they offered a seminar on creating a scientific poster. In December 2019 we offereda seminar on how to apply to graduate school, and how to apply for internships using USA jobs. March 4, 2020 5 of our students had the opportunity to present their investigations at AAHE and HSIannual meeting in California. During this pandemic, students presented a seminar on different topics such as: 1. Coronavirus - Janmary Colón Alicea 2. Impacto ambiental por el Covid-19 - Luis Rodriguez 3. Consejos para fortalecer el sistema inmunológico- Noelia González 4. Impacto ambiental por el Covid-19 - Saimara Alejandro, Mairim Berrios Castillo, Janmary Colón Alicea, Erika Concepción 5. Actividades durante la Pandemia- Yolibeth Nieves 6. Abejas- Dr.Bert Rivera Interamericana Bayamón 7. Coquíes en tu Patio- Saimara Alejandro 8. Arrecifes de coral- Juanita C. Carballeira Martínez 9. 10 datos sobre el planeta tierra- Alanis M. Salinas Viera, Erika Concepción 10. Servicios Ecosistémicos- Roselee Loiz 11. Microplásticos y su efecto en ecosistemas marinos - Hernán A. Morales Ramírez 12. Temporada de huracanes y la sequía en Puerto Rico - Elisabet De Jesús Otero y Hernán A. Morales Ramírez 13. Diferentes tipos de plantas medicinales y de para la creación de huertos- Mairim Rivera 14. Agricultura en Puerto Rico 2020- Dra. Claribel Ojeda - Ana G Méndez 15. Forestry- Dr. Jess K. Zimmerman 16. Graduate School and impacts of Covid 19- Erika Concepción y Edauri Navarro 17. Agricultura sustentable- Noelia González y Melanie Figueroa Our opportunities for the summer internships training and professional development are going to be virtual and using social distancing methods in the field. We created learning labs and different workshops to be presented by EYNF staff. The students will have the opportunity to develop written reports and data collection during this pandemic. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have developed a program website https://nrctpr.com/, a brochure (English and Spanish), are using distance communication technology (Gotomeeting) to communicate with students at remote locations and are connecting via webinars, Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/USDANRCTPR/)and skype. Also, we visit campuses among our collaborations to promote the program and encourage to apply to USA Jobs. We created on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/usdanrctpr/this page is very important most of the followers are students in differents universities interested in USDA. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Also, we are adapting to the pandemic so the students can achieve their goals. The challenge will continue will be to prepare them during this time and create resources to fulfill their needs virtually or using social distancing protocols developed by USDA Forest Service.?

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Progress during the first year was strongly affected by Hurricane Maria, which struck the island on September 20, 2017. Starting in March 2018, we set up regular meetings with our partners through the USDA Forest Service Office at El Yunque. The education coordinator Rico was hired at this time. A total of 30 students were interviewed for USDA positions in the program across the 4 campuses by Zimmerman, Pedro Rios, and Erika Concepción (Education Coordinator). Students provided transcripts and resumes as part of their application material. A total of 4 visits were made to the 4 program universities across Puerto Rico between March and April All applicants were screened by PIs of the grant an to ensure they were on a related career track, were taking appropriate classes, had a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, and had an interest in a career with the USDA. On April 27 we welcomed the new students and held workshops on resume preparation and the Pathways program. Once students were enrolled in the program we worked with USDA Forest Service personnel to place students on summer internship positions at El Yunque. This involved several meetings with the Forest Service and the Education Coordinator. We identified faculty mentors in all the campuses for all students in the program and we will be conducting visits to summer internship sites. In the second year of funding, September 2018- August 2019 we continued to work with the USDA Forest Service to develop a long-term plan for students in the program, interviewing, screening, and selecting students for the program, enrolling students in the program, placing these students on summer internship positions, establishing tutors at institutions, working with the Forest Service to establish a the student-professional mentoring program, setting up and establishing our Puerto Rico's academic exchange program through the National Student Exchange. This year we changed the mentor at one university (Ana G. Mendez University at Turabo) and continued with our goals of adding students and preparing them in the Natural Resources career. Beginning in 2020 we were challenged with a series of earthquakes with a magnitude of up to 6.4. Universities in Puerto Rico did not open their campuses until January 27. We began the semester with a workshop on use of statistics in natural resources developed by the graduate students and a field trip to areas affected by earthquakes on the southern coast. We added 6 new undergraduate students and five are graduating this summer. Wedid two workshops on USA Jobs and a field trip to the National Ecological Observatory Network facility in Guanica to learn about their projects and internship/employment opportunities. On March 13 the world was faced with another new challenge, Covid-19. With our campuses closed, we continued the program virtually. We met with the students every week, exploring three different themes relating to the pandemic and natural resources. In light of the pandemic, we created summer internships collaborating with the Forest Service El Yunque National Forest. Students will work at a distance or join with EYNF staff in the field using social distancing protocols. These activities will include: Collect field invasive species data, visiting plots with EYNF staff to identify species and enter data. Conduct a rapid ecological and social assessment of the local communities utilizing existing Forest Plan Assessment. Students will assist EYNF staff to utilize the USFS Assessment Method for the socio-ecological topics. This will include one Webinar presentation to the Unit and stakeholders. Coqui population field point and transect count data. Identify coquis in the field with EYNF staff and enter data. Ecological assessment: The main goal for this summer is to create a report that informs researchers about the ecological condition present in the Pasto Seco Community. The assessment can include creating land use maps, vegetation, and water inventory and monitoring, soil conditions, and suggested uses for specific site improvements. In addition, students will attend Learning Labs with the Forest Service personnel every week. So far, we have scheduled the following. June 1st @10-11 AM - Water resource management (Pedro Ríos) June 8th @10-11 AM - Biodiversity of rivers on EYNF (Victor Prado Marcano) June 15th @10-11 AM - All about bats of EYNF (Jessica Ilse) June 22nd @10-11 AM - Risk assessments (Michael Pope)

    Publications

    • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: https://www.instagram.com/usdanrctpr/


    Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Our primary target audience is Hispanic students at our 4 collaborating institutions in Puerto Rico University of Puerto Rico campuses in Rio Piedras, Bayamon, InterAmerican University in Bayamon and El Turabo University interested in Natural Resources and working with Forest Service Agency. We also provide outreach to elementary and high school students to create future leaders and undergraduates for the program. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? September 7 :" What we did this summer " we met so everyone shared their experiences over the summer and include some of the new students so they can learn all the opportunities available with the program. October 26, 2018, "Where are they now" & "How to present a scientific Poster" with former students of the program that shared their experiences and how NRCT contributed totheir careers. Also, we prepared another workshop that day on how to present a scientific poster with D. Bert Rivera Marchand from Inter Bayamon for future conferences. December 16, 2018, Field trip, we went to El Verde Field Station and D. Zimmerman explains the effect after hurricane Maria and how global warming is affecting our forest. February 15 we did a workshop"How to apply to Pathways and How to apply to Grad School.Pedro Rios from Forest Service Yunque prepared our students on how to apply to pathways and grad school. March 22 "Fullbright scholarship the do and don't" a graduate student gave how to apply Fullbright as resources for undergraduate and graduatestudents. May 24, Field Trip, we went to El Bosque Seco of Guanica as D. Bert Rivera Marchand from Inter Bayamon explained this natural resources to our students. OutReach- We created a curriculum for schools with different concepts of natural resources focusing on global warming and important knowledge. We went every week and follow up on the different topics created. OurReach Graduate students- We created a specific project for our graduate student where they share their investigations to different grades, that gave us the opportunity for them to share their knowledgeon different topics as urbanecology, air pollution, and coquis. (photos on our facebook page and website) We achieved our goals of meeting with students 3 times a semester and getting them prepared for the summer. As our result of the preparation, we gave to our students 20 students got selected to participate in summer internships, 2 students completed their bachelor's degree and we attended 2 conferences this year. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have developed a program website https://nrctpr.com/ , a brochure (English and Spanish), are using distance communication technology (Gotomeeting) to communicate with students at remote locations and are connecting via webinars, facebook (https://www.facebook.com/USDANRCTPR/)and Skype. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Keep recruiting more students and prepare them to present their investigation on different conferences and do publications. Also, next summer trying to place more undergraduate on BARC ARS this year 2019 we place 6 students. Keep developing our outreach program with Graduate students on differences matters related to Natural Resources and climate change and their investigations.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? In the second year of our program, September 2018- August 2019we focused on working with the USDA Forest Service to develop a long-term plan for students in this program, hiring our education coordinators, interviewing, screening, and selecting students for the program, enrolling students in the program, placing these students on summer internship positions, establishing tutors at institutions, working with the Forest Service to establish a student-professional mentoring program, setting up and establishing our Puerto Rico academic exchange program through the National Student Exchange. Progress during the first year was strongly affected by Hurricane Maria, which struck the island on September 20, 2017. Starting in March 2018, we set up regular meetings with our partners through the USDA Forest Service Office at El Yunque. The education coordinator Puerto Rico was hired at this time. A total of 30 students were interviewed for USDA positions in the program across the 4 campuses by Zimmerman, Pedro Rios and Erika Concepción (Education Coordinator). Students provided transcripts and resumes as part of their application material. A total of 4 visits were made to the 4 program universities across Puerto Rico between March and April All applicants were screened by PIs of the grant an to ensure they were on a related career track, were taking appropriate classes, had a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, and had an interest in a career with the USDA. On April 27 we welcomed the new students and held workshops on resume preparation and the Pathways program. Once students were enrolled in the program we worked with USDA Forest Service personnel to place students on summer internship positions at El Yunque. This involved several meetings with the Forest Service and the Education Coordinator. We identified faculty mentors in all the campuses for all students in the program and we will be conducting visits to summer internship sites. In summer 2018 they got to experience internships with Forest Service, REUand Belize ecology course. In September 7 we met so everyone shared their experiences over the summer and include some of the new students so they can learn all the opportunities available with the program. Then on October 26, 2018, we did a workshop on where are they now with former students of the program that shared their experiences and how NRCT contributed totheir careers. Also, we prepared another workshop that day on how to present a scientific poster with Dr. Bert Rivera Marchand from Inter Bayamon for future conferences. On December 16, 2018, we went to our Field Trip to El Verde Field Station and Dr. Zimmerman explainedthe effect after Hurricane Maria and how global warming is affecting our forest. Starting 2019 on February 15 we did a workshop Pedro Rios from Forest Service Yunque prepared our students on how to apply to pathways and grad school. Continuing on March 22 a graduate student gave how to apply Fullbright as resources for undergraduate and graduatestudents. Finalizing the semester on May 24, 2019, we went on a Field trip to El Bosque Seco of Guanica as Dr. Bert Rivera Marchand from Inter Bayamon explained this natural resources to our students. As our result of the preparation, we gave to our students 20 students got selected to participate in summer internships, 2 students completed their bachelor's degree and we attended 2 conferences this year.

    Publications

    • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: https://nrctpr.com/


    Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Our primary target audience is Hispanic students at our 4 collaborating institutions in Puerto Rico University of Puerto Rico campuses in Rio Piedras, Bayamon, InterAmerican University in Bayamon and El Turabo University interested in Natural Resources and working with Forest Service Agency. We also provide outreach to elementary and high school students to create future leaders and undergraduates for the program. Changes/Problems:The beginning of the project was delayed because of HurricaneMaria. Summer internships was shortened because of the altered semester schedule.; classes will end by thethird week in June. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We established one summer field experience in Forest Service El Yunque during the first year of this grant; this also includes one international field class in Belize with D. Nick Brokaw, a collaborator in the program. Also, we planned a field trip in June so we can go to Isla Magueyes, an experimental island located in the south of Puerto Rico. A former student of our program is presenting his investigation for grad school in Natural Resources. We also are organizing academic exchange program through the National Student Exchange to exchange students for spring 2019. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have developed a program website https://nrctpr.com/ , a brochure (English and Spanish), are using distance communication technology (Gotomeeting) to communicate with students at remote locations and are connecting via webinars, Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/USDANRCTPR/) and Skype. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Keep recruiting more students and prepare them to present their investigation on different conferences and do publications. Also, next summer trying to place undergraduate on BARC ARS and different agencies that can collaborate with us. Develop one outreach program that will be held on an elementary school specialized in sciences and math every Friday on differences matters related Natural Resources and climate change.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? In the first year of our program, September 2017- August 2018 we focused on working with the USDA Forest Service to develop a long-term plan for students in this program, hiring our education coordinators, interviewing, screening, and selecting students for the program, enrolling students in the program, placing these students on summer internship positions, establishing tutors at institutions, working with the Forest Service to establish a student-professional mentoring program, setting up and establishing our Puerto Rico academic exchange program through the National Student Exchange. Progress during the first year was strongly affected by Hurricane Maria, which struck the island on September 20, 2017. Starting in March 2018, we set up regular meetings with our partners through the USDA Forest Service Office at El Yunque. The education coordinator Rico was hired at this time. A total of 30 students were interviewed for USDA positions in the program across the 4 campuses by Zimmerman, Pedro Rios and Erika Concepción (Education Coordinator). Students provided transcripts and resumes as part of their application material. A total of 4 visits were made to the 4 program universities across Puerto Rico between March and April All applicants were screened by PIs of the grant an to ensure they were on a related career track, were taking appropriate classes, had a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, and had an interest in a career with the USDA. On April 27 we welcomed the new students and held workshops on resume preparation and the Pathways program. Once students were enrolled in the program we worked with USDA Forest Service personnel to place students on summer internship positions at El Yunque. This involved several meetings with the Forest Service and the Education Coordinator. We identified faculty mentors in all the campuses for all students in the program and we will be conducting visits to summer internship sites.

    Publications