Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for the Agriculture Equity Education program at Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Universityis Anishinaabe communities in the service area; this includes the outreach sites of Red Cliff, Bad River, and Lac du Flambeau. Students specifically in the associate degree programs of science, agriculture and natural resources have the opportunity to apply for an Ag/Equity stipend to assist them with their education. Additionally the Ag/Equity program serves youth in the aforementioned communities through Savor the Flavor, pre-college programs, Youth in Agriculture, and other experiential learning hands-on activities such as gathering wild rice, plant identification hikes, and spearing. Changes/Problems:During the beginning of the grant cycle, COVID-19 pandemic created barriers for workshops and in person learning. Post COVID-19 challenges to start in person learning back on campus and outreach sites. Recent staff turnover in the extension department created barriers for continuing workshops and activities. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students and Faculty/Staff attended the AISES Chapter conference in October 2022.Science faculty and 4 students attended field trip to northern aquaculture demo in May of 2023.LCOOU staff and 3 students traveled to Kenosha, WI for the rocket workshop through First Nations Lunch in October 2022. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results and photos of programs have been shared with the public via the Extension dept social media pages (YouTube, Facebook). Regular emails are also sent out with upcoming monthly workshops and opportunities for students; information is published in the Elder Center newsletter and the Lac Courte Oreilles newsletter. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Due to COVID-19, many learning experiences were moved to virtual. Post COVID-19, we went back to in person instruction but with reduced numbers of participants.Over 75 youth were reached through outreach programming to include: 4-H programs, a mentorship program of LCO high school students visiting the LCOOUFarm on a weekly basis, and 23 middle/ high school students participating in a Youth in Agriculture hands-on summer enrichment program. Experiential learning opportunities provided to the community include a treaty rights symposium speaker series, where community members learned about treaty rights via booths, presentations, and research. Common area was created in the community garden to encourage communication between students and community and learning opportunities throuogh discussion of experiences of past processes and current innovations.Students were funded in internships, either part-time during the academic year or full-time in the summer. The students participated in handson activities related to tribal fisheries, three sisters gardening, food preservation and canning, culinary arts and cooking, composting, and other relevant topics. Technology uprgrades for the staff within the extension area. The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Chapter is the main student organization on campus that provides support for students in the FANH sciences. The group of students meets weekly via Zoom and is supported by the Ag/Equity program.
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for the Agriculture Equity Education program at Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College is Anishinaabe communities in the service area; this includes the outreach sites of St. Croix, Red Cliff, Bad River, and Lac du Flambeau. Students specifically in the associate degree programs of science, agriculture and natural resources and culinary arts have the opportunity to apply for an Ag/Equity stipend to assist them with their education. Additionally the Ag/Equity program serves youth in the aforementioned communities through Savor the Flavor, pre-college programs, Youth in Agriculture, and other experiential learning hands-on activities such as gathering wild rice, plant identification hikes, and spearing. Changes/Problems:Major changes in the Ag/Equity Education program were the Sustainable Agriculture Research Station manager retiring in July; starting the entire process of recruitment for that position. Many activities were put on hold and food production at the farm was at a minimum. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to create barriers for workshops and in person learning. These changes have resulted in funds remaining from this fiscal year. There will be a plan in place to expend these funds in the upcoming year. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The main focus of professional development for 2020-2021 was 3 students and 3 faculty/staff attending the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) National Conference virtually. The platform offered insightful workshops, training, and networking opportunities. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results and photos of programs have been shared with the public via the Extension dept social media pages (YouTube, Facebook). Regular emails are also sent out with upcoming monthly workshops and opportunities for students; information is published in the Elder Center newsletter and the Lac Courte Oreilles newsletter. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next year the focus will be to create more in person opportunities for experiential learning for students. The culinary program will be able to operate as a specialized certificate and recruitment of students will start in that program. The college will continue to foster the educational pipeline and create opportunities for youth to participate in the youth in agriculture programs with various tribal communities and continue to support internships and limited term employees. The Ag/Equity program will reach out to area school districts to create courses in the FANH sciences in which students could take as a blended or hybrid option for academic college credit. This strengthens the educational pipeline between high school and college.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The 2020-2021 reporting year had the college Extension department move from an online environment and back to in person workshops, but many things remainedon Zoom/virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Class sizes were limited in person, and COVID-19 procedures were in place to keep community members as safe as possible. Overall the institution chose to move the Culinary Arts 1 year certificate to a short-term 10 credit specialized certificate to be housed in the Continuing Education/Extension department. This change resulted in not needing a full-time culinary arts position as the enrollment in the certificate declined greatly during the pandemic. The specialized certificate is now on hold and waiting for necessary construction to occur at the college's Sustainable Agriculture Research Station's certified kitchen. Limited Term Employees/Interns and Youth in Agriculture To implement youth in agriculture programs in the tribal communities of Lac du Flambeau, Red Cliff, Bad River, and Lac Courte Oreilles; 1 full-time and 2 part-time limited term employees were hired for the summer months.There were 37 youth (middle and high school aged students) that participated in activities centered around specific Youth in Agriculturecamps in the tribal communities of Lac Courte Oreilles, Red Cliff, Bad River, and Lac du Flambeau.The students participated in hands-on activities related to tribal fisheries, three sisters gardening, food preservation and canning, culinary arts and cooking, composting, and other relevant topics. Students learned the definition of local food, food sovereignty, and created their own farm plans. Students at the Red Cliff camped learned from Elders how to make hominy; they also traveled to the Red Cliff Tribal Fishery and learned how to fillet whitefish. Students completed evaluations. Many of the concepts and hands-on activities were the first time they had ever experienced the activity. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and online learning it was very difficult to recruit new students in the Early College Credit Program for any courses and especially those in the FANH sciences. Many students were already burntout by high school curriculum on zoom and did not enroll in the college courses. The Ag/Equity program served students and gained approval from the Business, Science, Mathematics, and Applied Technology (BSMAT) Division through a stipend - although the stipend was paid from a similar focused grant from the American Indian College Fund that had to be spent out. Other college level activities the Ag/Equity grant supported were field methods field trips for students and faculty, purchasing equipment and soil, air, and water sensors that would be monitored by youth and the geospatial technology software. The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Chapter is the main student organization on campus that provides support for students in the FANH sciences. The group of students meets weekly via Zoom and is supported by the Ag/Equity program.
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College is a non-profit, 1994 land grant tribal baccalaureategranting instution in northwest Wisconsin. The college received approval from the Higher Learning Commission in May, 2020 to begin offering 2 baccalaureatedegrees in business and human services. The college serves approximately 350 students each semester; of those students 75% are native american. The Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College mission is to provide Anishinaabe communities with post-secondary and continuing education while advancing the language, culture, and history of the Ojibwa. The LCOOC main campus is located on the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation just outside of Hayward, Wisconsin and also has four degree-granting Outreach Sites serving Ojibwe people in northern Wisconsin. The Outreach Sites are located on the St. Croix Reservation, the Lac du Flambeau (LDF) Reservation, Bad River Reservation, and the Red Cliff Reservation. LCOOC's Equity project is entitled "Encouraging a Resilient Educational Pipeline in the FANH Sciences." Although there has been a lot of progress made with past Equity grants, there is still a need for LCOOCC to facilitate connections between educational institutions from pre-K grade level through the 4-year university level and provide experiential learning platforms to meet the needs of an ever evolving agricultural and natural resources climate. LCOOC's Equity program focuses on an education/ teaching project with a combination focus on curriculum design and materials development, student experiential learning, and student recruitment and retention. The target audience is very broad in order to facilitate these connections from pre-K through college. There are activities and experiential learning for elementary, middle, high school, college level, and community level. These workshops and programs also include a multi-generational learning environment and take place in many of the reservation communities noted above at our main campus and outreach sites. Changes/Problems:As of March, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic all of the programs with LCOOC Extension were moved to a virtual platform. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The opportunities for training at the middle and high school level include the Savor the Flavor of Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College which is specific to the FANH sciences and culinary arts. The students participate in culinary safety activities, cooking their own lunch, learning about farm to table and sustainable agriculture; over 35 students participated in the program between 9/1/19 and 8/31/20 from various school in the northwest WI area. Another opportunity for middle and high school students is the Youth in Agriculture program; this grant served over 20 students in August of 2020 in a virtual environment due to COVID-19. The program was very successful and tablets were provided to students along with a brown bag with activities, soil samples, and other hands-on things that students were able to accomplish over Zoom. Other trainings for college and adult students included basic life support and ServSafe food handling courses. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Qualitative results of the project have been disseminated to the communities of interest through social media updates including photos, videos, and informational posts. Facebook and the Extension department YouTube channel are the top social media platforms that are utilized. Distribution list emails go out to the Extension community, all students, faculty and staff on an ongoing basis with updates on workshops, educational and experiential opportunities, internship availability, and recruitment for the Ag/Equity stipends. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period to accomplish the above goals, LCOOC through the Equity program will work on strengthening educational pathways and increasing bridging activities between high school and college. The college will work with area high schools to develop dual enrollment courses and options for students to gain college experience and earn academic credits. The college will also increase offerings of the summer youth program to the outreach sites reservations and work with their school districts to provide support to area high school students. The Equity program will continue to mentor the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Chapter on campus through weekly meetings, conference attendance, and other wrap around services that assist with increasing student retention rates. Internship opportunities will be provided at the college's Sustainable Agriculture Research station to provide experiential learning opportunities in a work setting while assisting with the sustainable agriculture projects and increasing capacity to the Lac Courte Oreilles community. The Equity staff will work with academic departments and committees on campus to include: Science, Math, and Applied Technology Division, Humanities Division, Curriculum and Assessment Committees, to ensure proper procedures are followed to provide best practices to Equity students in the form of mentoring, internships, Early College Credit Program, and experiential learning experiences. High school students will be invited to campus for recruitment events in different FANH science areas that involve the program advisory committee members who are working in the field (federal, state, and tribal agencies). Hands-on experiences, tours of campus, lunch, and facilitated discussions with professionals in the field will be provided during these recruitment events. Internships will be available at federal, state, and tribal agencies and the LCOOCC Sustainable Agriculture Research Station.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Many experiential learning opportunities occurred this fiscal year'sEquity cycle at LCOOC. Many activities were moved to a virtual environment as of March, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 75 youth were reached through outreach programming to include: 4-H programs, a mentorship program of LCO high school students visiting the LCOOC Sustainable Ag Research Station on a weekly basis, and 23 middle/high school students participating in a Youth in Agriculture hands-on summer enrichment program. Experiential learning opportunities provided to the community include a treaty rights symposium speaker series, where community members learned about treaty rights via booths, presentations, and research. Throughout this year students were also able to attend the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) National Conference, virtually. Many of the recruitment/ retention activities for LCOOC students focused on the Ag/Equity Stipend Program, internships, and advisement of the LCOOCC AISES Chapter. This year 6 students received Ag/Equity stipends to assist them with attending LCOOC. Students were funded in internships, either part-time during the academic year or full-time in the summer. Placements were with the LCOOCC Sustainable Agriculture Research Station, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, area tribal food sovereignty projects, US Forest Service, WI Department of Natural Resources, and LCO Conservation.
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College (LCOOCC) is a non-profit Ojibwe tribal community college, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Tribe, recognizing its responsibility for providing postsecondary education that respected the language and culture of the Ojibwe people for its tribal members and the surrounding community, drafted a Tribal Resolution in August of 1982 thereby establishing the College. The function of the college is to analyze educational and training needs of the communities it serves, and to custom-design curriculum and educational programming at the postsecondary level that incorporates traditional Ojibwa heritage and values. The college is one of two tribal colleges in the state of Wisconsin and is one of 37 tribal colleges nationwide. The college strives to offer the most efficient blend of the traditional and the modern, preparing our students for today's world while maintaining the cultural integrity of the Ojibwe. LCOOCC currently offers 10 associate degrees and 7 certificates. LCOOCC is an open-door institution - helping anyone who would like to work towards a better tomorrow. While 3 out of every 4 students are Native, LCOOCC is happy to also serve a large non-native population. Fall enrollment for 2018 was approximately 190 full-time equivalent students. LCOOCC serves the majority of students at the main campus at Lac Courte Oreilles, but also has 4 outreach sites located in tribal communities of Red Cliff, Bad River, Lac du Flambeau, and St. Croix. The outreach locations are 45-90 minutes from the main campus. The college relies on adjunct instructors and also zoom technology to video conference and provide distance learning education. The target audience for this project included students in the FANH sciences and specifically students in the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) student organization chapter; students in the Indigenous Culinary Arts Certificate Program; and Ag/Equity scholars, those students who received a stipend to assist them with financial costs while attending school. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Press releases were issued for the new certificate program in Indigenous Culinary Arts. Social media posts were updated for the Savor the Flavor events; and photos of the events were shared on facebook. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Additional data will be reviewed regarding the Early College Credit Program, and more contact will be initiated with the area high schools. Currently in the 2019-2020 academic year the college is seeing an increase in enrollment. The cap was reached for 8 students in the Culinary Arts Certificate program.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
A full-time instructor was hired for the Indigenous Culinary Arts Program. With advisement from the Culinary Arts Advisory Council, curriculum was approved by the Curriculum Commitee and the Higher Learning Commission to offer a 1 year certificate program. In the fall of 2018, 4 students started the program and 1 student completed requirements. The AAS in Culinary Arts was not approved for delivery by the Higher Learning Commission and the instructor, Academic Dean, and Provost worked on an application to re-submit. This has not been submitted yet. The fall semester of 2019 started August 26th and a max of 8 students have enrolled in the Culinary Arts Certificate Program. During the 2018-2019, 3 Savor the Flavor events were held to recruit students from area high schools into the FANH sciences at LCOOCC. High schools that attended included: Hayward, Lac Courte Oreilles, and Lac du Flambeau. Evaluations were completed by the high school students and qualitatively all students learned something new about LCOOCC, learned farm to table concepts and culinary skills. The Culinary Advisory Council assisted with the events. Students were on campus from 10am-2pm. Over 35 students participated in all 3 events. Ag/Equity stipends were distributed to students in the FANH sciences that had a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, and were full-time students; 7 - $500 stipends were awarded in fall 2018, and 5 in spring 2019. These stipends assisted students with attending school. Of the 12 stipends awarded; 5 students were retained to spring 2019; 6 students persisted; 4 students graduated; and 1 student was hired by the St. Croix Environmental Protection Agency. Other FANH science courses were supported through field trips to the Great Lakes Aquarium, Red Cliff Aquaculture Center, and the MN Science Museum. In total 16 students were assisted. The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Chapter was mentored on a weekly basis with meetings in person and via zoom for outreach students. Ag/Equity supported travel for 8 students to attend the National Conference in Oklahoma City, OK in September, 2018. Other activities the students were involved in throughout the year included: community halloween party, recycling at large community events, Earth Day events, and fundraising activities. Another program that offshooted from AISES was the Rocket Team - Ishpiming Bemisejig or those that fly high into the sky. Thirteen students particiated in the First Nations Launch in conjunction with the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium and NASA. It was a 5 month process in which they completed many reports, scheduled video presentations, and launched a high powered rocket in April in Kenosha, WI. Baseline data has also been collected on the number of students taking Early College Credit Program courses. This data is being collected by the Dean of Institutional Research. All FANH science students participated in a Get Oriented student conference the 1st day of the fall semester, 2018. The information included student engagement, financial assistance, and other college prep information. Internships were provided by the Work Based Learning Program on campus.
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