Progress 01/01/19 to 11/21/23
Outputs
Target Audience:STUDENTS: During the life of this project, the key target student audiences have included both Associates (AAS) and Bachelors (BAS) degree-seeking students. During this last grant year, there were a total of 106 students enrolled in either the AAS or BAS degree program: 70% enrolled in AAS and 30% in the BAS. Of the 106 this last year, students 56% were male, 42% were female, and 2% reported being non-binary. The number of students going from the AAS into the BAS has increased over the lifetime of the grant compared with the first year of funding. (Note that the data provided is based on institutional data and students' voluntarily self-disclosed information.) The fourth and last single-cohort, fall-entry into the Natural Resources program under this grant started in fall 2023. As with prior years, the focus has been on activities that promote student engagement, success and transfer, and multicultural awareness. We have a 95% retention rate for students who started in the prior academic year (2021-22), compared to 89% the previous year. While the retention rate has varied, it has consistently stayed higher than 85%. Compared to Green River College's retention rates of 48% in Career and Technical Education programs over the last three years this program is excelling. TRIBAL COLLABORATION: The second audience we have been focusing on throughout this grant is our Tribal and Native partners. We have developed strong ties with the Muckleshoot Indian Nation and have created multiple points of collaboration with them. For example, during the last year, grant staff attended Native Leadership certificate program and the Effective Teaching Institute hosted by the Muckleshoot Tribe. The GRC Natural Resources program staff continue to collaborate with the tribe on several other grants that support the Cedar Tree Project and the Muckleshoot student cohort. Tahoma Peak Solutions, a Native, female owned-operated business, has also collaborated with grant staff by assessing the AAS forestry degree from a Native perspective, providing resources, and conducting training on teaching Native students. We have addressed the findings of the report generated through this collaboration by assessing policies and syllabi, integrating native case studies in reading and classes, and adopting one new textbook for lower- and upper-level wildlife class: Wildlife Stewardship on Tribal Lands by Serra J. Hoagland. The program's success in this area was acknowledged by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife state forester, Leland Lauffer, in a recent letter to the grant PI: Your Natural Resources program within Green River College has enabled students at the individual level to be "trail blazers" regarding recognizing the need for professional project based Tribal relations and positive rapport building. We at the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Forestry team want to thank you for including Tribal relations and cultural teachings into your curriculum. Our forest restoration projects have historically been deficient when it comes to initiating collaborative efforts with Tribal Governments and entities. As of the year 2023, we have taken on collaborative forest restoration pilot projects with Tribal entities that, with some momentum, will hopefully become an industry norm. The Hawaii trip - the culminating learning project -- was conducted in Hawaii in summer 2023, with 11 AAS and 7 BAS students participating. In anticipation of the 2023 summer trip to Hawaii, grant staff worked to develop relationships with a variety of Native Hawaiian organizations at every trip location/venue. These relationships contributed significantly to supporting student experiences and learning through a variety of projects. In addition, the organizations assisted with lodging for students and faculty during this trip. INDUSTRY PARTNERS: During the past several years, the grant staff focused on developing partnerships and collaborations in anticipation of the summer 2023 Hawaii trip so that students would have a productive learning experience when in Hawaii. The team met with diverse community partners in Hawaii including local, national, and state organizations who will participate in the Hawaii trip. The primary destinations and projects included: Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, focusing on planting of rare and endangered plant species, as well as bird identification and management. Malama Ki State Park, assisting with mapping emergency exits for the campground and recreation management planning. Haloa 'Ana Sandalwood Forest, where students took a tour of production area and met with owners. Greenwell Farms Coffee Plantation, where students toured the facility and looked at non-coffee forest products, In Lapa Kahi, a traditional fishing village, students connected with a local student group for cultural exchange opportunities and assessed the community volunteers in support of Lapa Kahi's volunteer training and education program and visitor interaction goals. Each year of the grant a Mentor Night was held to bring together students and industry representatives. This past year's Mentor Night event was held in person for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. There was, as usual, great attendance, with 25 mentors attending the 2023 Mentor Night event. The students also organized and hosted a silent auction. As in prior years, the revenue from the Mentor Night event is used to support student SAF memberships and conference registration. In addition, for the first time, the grant team conducted a mentor training session and mentor-mentee pairing. The program's 13-member Advisory Committee, which meets twice each year, is representative of the industry and has been active and enthusiastic about the program and the work being done throughout the grant. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Throughout the life of the grant, the grant team members have eagerly participated in professional development opportunities that foster a better understanding of the Native populations in the region, thus increasing our ability to successfully serve tribal students enrolled in our program. There is a demand for Native students to take the forestry degree pathway as they can immediately apply their skills within their own newly expanded forest (of over 30,000 acres) called Tomanamus. While the forest is currently managed by Manulife, as part of the management agreement there is a goal to have 100% Native people managing this forest as quickly as possible. As the closest college to the Muckleshoot lands, as well as one of the only forestry programs in the State of Washington, we are uniquely situated to help educate tribal students in order to reach this goal. During this past year, for the first time a graduate tribal student was hired full-time to help manage this forest. During the grant, members of the Natural Resources team have attended a variety of events focused on expanding multicultural awareness and knowledge, including: 1) the Muckleshoot Tribal Conference entitled "Effective Teaching Institute," 2) the "Native Cases" which teaches instructors how to integrate native case studies into the curriculum, 3) the "Honoring Indigenous Peoples" webinar, and 4) the "Native Leadership" certificate program which showcases native leader skillsets. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The PI made a presentation for the USDA national Institute of Food and Agriculture webinar in December 2020. The session was titled "Applying to NIFA Competitive Education Grants as a Small or Mid-sized Institution" to share not only student success stories related to Green River's grant but also to give information to potential applicants on how to approach grant applications as a smaller institution. During each year of the grant, the grant team has disseminated results of grant activities to industry employers at our annual Mentor Night event (30 industry attendees at the 2023 event along with 49 students) as well as twice a year at our Advisory Committee meetings. Each year of the grant, student teams have had the opportunity to present their final Stream Ecology project at the Annual State Society of American Foresters Conference. Using their four unique scientific projects, student-led research inquiry, student-designed methods and measurements, data collection, analysis and synthesis, students were able to present their entire journey through the scientific process. In addition, students who presented these works had the unique opportunity to see how their research can inform the broader scientific and natural resource management communities. The poster sessions were attended by professional foresters, educators from other institutions, educators from Green River College and students from other natural resource-related degree paths in the state of Washington. This past year, for the first time since the pandemic, the conference was held in-person, so not as many students were able to participate as when the conference was virtual, but 56 students have had this opportunity to present over the life of the grant. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: Provide Experiential Learning for Diverse Undergraduate Students Obj 1.1 All students will have equal access to high-quality, intensive EL summer trips. Although the pandemic forced the cancellation of the student trip as originally anticipated, we were able to conduct a successful trip summer 2023 trip to Hawaii. Note that the change in location and timeline was approved by the program officer in a 2021 request. This change in project location allowed us to complete all grant objectives as originally envisioned. Obj 1.2 EL summer trips will address industry and graduate programs' top priorities. To enhance student learning outcomes related to professional knowledge and abilities, we combined BAS and AAS students on the summer Hawaii trip. Activities furthered students' abilities, including fire-side discussions about leadership, mentorship, and engagement. We have learned from student feedback that this approach is an effective learning and engagement strategy. The success of the trips is apparent in the quotes from student journals. One student, for example, intended to bring home what he was learning and feeling, and "making more of an effort to learn my mountains, springs, etc. ...Listening to the voices back home of those who've been here longer and have better respect and reverence for this environment...Making more of an effort to hear the voices of the Duwamish and the other local tribes to hear their story and needs, and love for the land." Another student reported, "overall, I think I have a lot to learn about being a leader, but through discussion, I have seen that I have already had many opportunities to be a leader and think I have done a good job at that in my lifetime. I look forward to further opportunities to flex these muscles and hope to one day become a better leader." The grant team also implemented three (3) field days to further Goal #1: "Provide experiential learning (EL) for diverse undergraduate students." A total of 109 students (combined) attended these field days. During the past three years, over 300 students have participated in field days, 75% of whom were participating as an Associate-level students, the remaining 25% were participated as bachelor's degree students. Our purpose was to create a field experience where every student could participate regardless of cohort or background (Obj 1.1) and brought in multiple industry/graduate career professionals into the field to teach modules (Obj 1.2), as well as recent graduates of our program to lead students in small groups through a series of applied field learning modules for which we could measure comprehension (Obj 1.3). Even though the college is now back to normal operations, the field days--originally a response to COVID--have been continued due to high popularity and student demand. While not originally planned as part of this grant, the college instituted Fall Field Days during the pandemic, adapting what were previously classroom and advising day experiences to be outside field days with smaller groups of students. All students in the program participated in small groups of 8-9, from various academic levels, working together toward common goals across 4 learning modules. During the pandemic, this event created a safe way for students to participate for a full day of activities and to assist each other through multiple class objectives in an applied and mentor-focused learning environment. This experience included full-time industry professionals in addition to the full-time faculty and staff who facilitated the event. We have continued this event since it appears, based on student feedback, that having in-person cohort-building activities the first week of class helps incoming students quickly create connections and a support network with other students. Obj 1.3 Experiential Learning (EL) summer trips will holistically articulate, evaluate and document student learning. As part of the summer Hawaii trip, students kept a journal, the BAS students paired with AAS students creating multiple mentoring and leadership opportunities. Students also created projects for Hawaiian "hosts" as if they were actual clients. Feedback for the hosts, and their final assignments which were usually host projects. We have an external evaluator who also assists with the development of student surveys and other formative assessments, as well as the analysis and interpretation of results. Goal 2: Improve the Value and Sustainability of Experiential Education. Obj 2.1 EL summer trips will reduce the admissions backlog of prospective students Data from previous summer trip student evaluations suggested that students need to complete a wilderness first aid class and the backcountry navigation course before attending to improve student safety. We implemented these requirements and made these courses available through our regular class curriculum so they would be accessible to students and covered by financial aid. However, this has resulted in us not taking new AAS students in before they start our program. Currently, there is no backlog for AAS and are over-enrolling the BAS program to address the demand. Obj 2.2 EL summer trips will improve year to year student retention. Of the 18 students who participated in the summer Hawaii trip, 16 students (89%) were retained, and 2 students (11%) graduated and are working full-time in the industry. Of the 6 AAS students who were eligible, 4 (67%) transferred into the BAS program. Obj 2.3 EL summer trips will accelerate undergraduate degree completion. Because they participated in the Hawaii trip (and thus completed more credits than they could have during this period in any other way), 13 out of 18 (72%) are going to see accelerated degree completion because of their participation on this trip. Grant staff achieved a major milestone during this past year--the Experiential Learning (EL) summer trip to Hawaii--a significant learning event for the students and a major grant goal. Although this is the last year of this grant, in 2025 we will hold another domestic summer trip so we can continue the learning, leadership, and mentoring opportunities this activity provides.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
James, Joseph and Priebe. (January 2021). Lessons from the Plants that Surround Us. The Muckleshoot Review. Vol 5.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
The PI, Dr. Monica Paulson-Priebe presented a session at the USDA national Institute of Food and Agriculture Webinar titled Applying to NIFA Competitive Education Grants as a Small or Mid-sized Institution (December 9th, 2020) to share not only student success stories related to Green Rivers grant but also to give information to potential applicants on how to approach grant applications as a smaller institution.
|
Progress 01/01/22 to 12/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:STUDENTS: The key target student audiences includes both Associates (AAS) and Bachelors (BAS) degree-seeking students. During this grant year, there were a total of 106 students enrolled in either the AAS or BAS degree program: 70% enrolled in AAS and 30% in the BAS. Of the 106 students 56% were male, 42% were female, and 2% reported being non-binary. (Note that the data provided is based on institutional data and students' voluntarily self-disclosed information.) The third single-cohort, fall-entry into the Natural Resources program under this grant started in fall 2022. The focus has been on activities that promote student engagement, success and transfer, and multicultural awareness. We have a 95% retention rate for students who started in the prior academic year (2021-22), compared to 89% the previous year. TRIBAL COLLABORATION: The second audience we have been focusing on through this grant is our Tribal and Native partners. We have developed strong ties with the Muckleshoot Indian Nation and have created multiple points of collaboration with them. For example, faculty have attended conferences related to teaching tribal students and a conference focused on Native case studies and climate change at The Evergreen State College. The GRC Natural Resources program staff continue to collaborate with the tribe on several other grants that support the Cedar Tree Project and the Muckleshoot student cohort. The Natural Resources staff hosted Robin Wall Kimmerer for an hour with students and faculty when she was at GRC making a campus-wide presentation this past year. Robin Wall Kimmerer is member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. She is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. Her presentations had a significant impact on faculty and students, and as a result, faculty have integrated her work into multiple classes. Tahoma Peak, a Native, female owned-operated business, has also collaborated with grant staff by assessing the AAS forestry degree from a Native perspective, providing resources, and conducting training on teaching Native students. In anticipation of the summer trip to Hawaii scheduled for 2023, the program staff have developed relationships with a variety of Native Hawaiian organizations at every trip location/venue. These relationships will contribute significantly to supporting student experiences and learning through a variety of projects. In addition, the organizations have assisted with lodging for students and faculty during this trip. INDUSTRY PARTNERS: The focus of this year was on developing the partnerships and collaboratives so that students would have a productive learning experience when in Hawaii. The team met with diverse community partners in Hawaii including local, national, and state organizations who will participate in the Hawaii trip. Students will be doing projects for at least three hosts: Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, focusing on planting of rare and endangered plant species, as well as bird identification and management. Malama Ki, to assist with mapping emergency exits for the campground and on recreation management planning. Pu'u Wa'awa'a Forest Reserve, with a focus on mapping of infected tree species in sandalwood, and the restoration and maintenance of traditional fishponds. This year's Mentor Night event was again held in a virtual format with great attendance. The format has worked well for mentors and students, who could connect with all mentors via virtual "rooms." There were 25 mentors attending the Mentor Night event in 2022. Again, we had the highest amount ever of donations for the silent auction and raffles from local businesses, exceeding the all-time high set in 2021. Revenue from the auction has outpaced the prior year each year of the event. The revenue from the Mentor Night event will be used to support student SAF memberships and conference registration. For the first time, the program had excess funds which will be used to expand the upcoming 2023 in-person Mentor Night. Our 13-member Advisory Committee is representative of the industry, and is active and enthusiastic about the program and the work being done through this grant. The Advisory Committee meets at least twice a year. Changes/Problems:The COVID-19 pandemic impacted nearly all regularly scheduled events during 2020 and 2021. While the negative impacts were immediate, the strategies developed during these disruptive times have proven to be, in many cases, useful and worthy of continuation, based on student and faculty feedback. The most disruptive result was the forced cancellation of the 2021 planning trip to set up the EL/study abroad summer trip to New Zealand. Due to strict restrictions on New Zealand travel, a request was made and approved by the Department to move the summer trip to 2023 and change the location to Hawaii. This extended timeline and alternate location, we believe, will allow us to complete all grant objectives as planned. At this point, we are on schedule to meet the revised timeline as approved by the Department. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Professional development efforts during this grant year have been focused on developing a better understanding of the Native populations in our area, thus increasing our ability to successfully serve tribal students in our program. There is a demand for Native students to take the forestry degree pathway as they can immediately apply their skills within their own newly expanded forest, a forest of over 30,000 acres called Tomanamus. While the forest is currently managed by Manulife, as part of the management agreement there is a goal to have 100% Native people managing this forest as quickly as possible. As the closest college to the Muckleshoot lands, as well as one of the only forestry programs in the State of Washington, we are uniquely situated to help educate tribal students in order to reach this goal. During the year, members of the Natural Resources team attended 1) the Muckleshoot Tribal Conference entitled "Effective Teaching Institute"; 2) the "Native Cases" conference which teaches instructors how to integrate native case studies into the curriculum; 3) training with Tahoma Peak, the Native women-owned organization; and 4) the hour conversation with Robin Wall Kimmerer, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and founder/director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. The grant activities have fostered an ongoing and expanding collaborations with the Muckleshoot Nation. This relationship has given rise to the development of multiple collaborative teaching materials, including course video exchanges, a department reading list for relevant tribal history and culture as it relates to natural resources, guest lecturers, and grant proposals and awards. All these activities have resulted in the enrichment and expansion of course materials and discussions for classroom activities. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We continue to disseminate results to industry employers at our annual Mentor Night (25 industry attendees at the 2022 event) as well as twice a year at our Advisory Committee meetings. Forty students, in teams of 4, had the opportunity to present their final Stream Ecology project at the Annual State Society of American Foresters Conference. Using their ten unique scientific projects, student-led research inquiry, student-designed methods and measurements, data collection, analysis and synthesis, students were able to present their entire journey through the scientific process. In addition, students who presented these works had the unique opportunity to see how their research can inform the broader scientific and natural resource management communities. The poster sessions were attended by professional foresters, educators from other institutions, educators from Green River College and students from other natural resource-related degree paths in the state of Washington. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?This coming year will see an important milestone--the Experiential Learning (EL) summer trip to Hawaii. This will be a significant learning event for the students and an opportunity for furthering grant goals. In particular, this trip will give students equal access to a high-quality, intensive EL summer trip and engage in learning activities that reflect both industry and graduate programs' top priorities. We will holistically articulate, evaluate and document student learning from this EL summer trip, and track student progress to help us understand how it impacts student retention, completion, and transfer.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The project, Experiential Learning to Accelerate Technical Education (ELATE), will offer more experiential learning (EL) opportunities for undergraduate students in Green River College's Natural Resources program. It will provide: (1) participation stipendsand a loaned "gear library" for low-income students; and (2) faculty and peer mentorship. The project will implement a new study abroad trip in Hawaii and test the effectiveness of travel subsidies to expand access for low-income students.Theproject's goals, objectives, and activities align with NIFA foundation and challenge areas. Grant progress is evaluated by an external evaluator who also assists with formative assessments conducted for both improvement and sustainability. Goal 1: Provide Experiential Learning for Diverse Undergraduate Students Obj 1.1 All students will have equal access to high-quality, intensive EL summer trips. Although the pandemic forced the cancellation of the planning trip as originally anticipated, we were able to conduct this trip during this past summer (2022) in order to address all the logistics needed for a successful summer 2023 trip to Hawaii. Note that the change in location and timeline was approved by the program officer in a 2021 request. This change in project location will allow us to complete all grant objectives as originally envisioned. Obj 1.2 EL summer trips will address industry and graduate programs' top priorities. Grant staff spent the summer setting up the EL trip for the coming year at the revised location (Hawaii). There are 50 students who have expressed an interest in the summer 2023 Hawaii trip. To enhance student learning outcomes related to professional knowledge and abilities, we will combine BAS and AAS students on the upcoming summer Hawaii trip. Activities will further students' abilities, including fire-side discussions about leadership, mentorship, and engagement. We have learned from student feedback that this approach is an effective learning and engagement strategy. The grant team also implemented three (3) field days to further Goal #1: "Provide experiential learning (EL) for diverse undergraduate students." A total of 107 students (combined) attended these field days. Of these, 74 students were in the AAS degree program, and the remaining 32 were in the BAS program. Our purpose was to create a field experience where every student could participate regardless of cohort or background (Obj1.1) and brought in multiple industry/graduate career professionals into the field to teach modules (Obj 1.2), as well as recent graduates of our program to lead students in small groups through a series of applied field learning modules for which we could measure comprehension (Obj 1.3). Even though the college is now back to normal operations, the field days--originally a response to COVID--have been continued due to high popularity and student demand. While not originally planned as part of this grant, the college instituted Fall Field Days during the pandemic, adapting what were previously classroom and advising day experiences to be outside field days with smaller groups of students. All students in the program participated in small groups of 8-9, from various academic levels, working together toward common goals across 4 learning modules. During the pandemic, this event created a safe way for students to participate for a full day of activities and to assist each other through multiple class objectives in an applied and mentor-focused learning environment. This experience included full-time industry professionals in addition to the full-time faculty and staff who facilitated the event. We have continued this event since it appears, based on student feedback, that having in-person cohort-building activities the first week of class helps incoming students quickly create connections and a support network with other students. Obj 1.3 Experiential Learning (EL) summer trips will holistically articulate, evaluate and document student learning. Because the timeline was modified, the summer planning trip was conducted during this year, so we were unable to conduct formal EL summer trips. However, our experience from the prior years' trips helped us with planning the Hawaii trip. Student surveys conducted after the last EL summer trips reinforced the importance of combining BAS and AAS students on our trips and engaging students in mentorship and leadership activities. We have an external evaluator who also assists with the development of student surveys and other formative assessments, as well as the analysis and interpretation of results. Goal 2: Improve the Value and Sustainability of Experiential Education. Obj 2.1 EL summer trips will reduce the admissions backlog of prospective students Data from previous summer trip student evaluations suggested that students need to complete a wilderness first aid class and the backcountry navigation course before attending to improve student safety. We implemented these requirements and made these courses available through our regular class curriculum so they would be accessible to students and covered by financial aid. However, this has resulted in us not taking new AAS students in before they start our program. Currently, there is no backlog for AAS and are over-enrolling the BAS program to address the demand. Obj 2.2 EL summer trips will improve year to year student retention Since there was no summer trip during the last grant year, we have no current year-to-year retention data. However, all but one of the 15 students AAS and BAS students who participated in the summer 2021 EL event graduated by the end of 2022. Of the 10 AAS students who participated, all but one transferred into the BAS program. We are designing the summer 2023 trip to Hawaii to engage students and there is a strong interest from students in participating. We expect this will translate into higher retention/transfer rates in the future. Obj 2.3 EL summer trips will accelerate undergraduate degree completion. Since we did not conduct a summer trip this grant year, we have no data for this objective. In the past we have had higher completion and the design of the Hawaii trip should result in higher completion.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
James, Joseph and Priebe. (January 2021). Lessons from the Plants that Surround us. The Muckleshoot Review. Vol 5.
|
Progress 01/01/21 to 12/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:While hampered by COVID restrictions, we did not lose sight of our target audiences for all grant actions taken during 2021. STUDENTS: The key target audience includes both Associates (AAS) and Bachelors (BAS) degree-seeking students. To amplify student learning outcomes related to professional knowledge and abilities, we combined BAS and AAS students on our summer backpacking trip which are small, student focused experiential learning activities. As a result, there were experiences such as joint fire-side discussions about leadership, mentorship and engagement; essentially, the students mentored each other. We learned from student feedback that this approach--initiated in response to COVID the previous summer--was an effective strategy and student input continues to validate that initial feedback. While 30 students had indicated interest in attending the summer trip, only 15--10 AAS and 5 BAS students--participated. This lower-than-expected attendance was due to COVID restrictions and extremely high employment rates for our students. Some students had to decide between employment and the trip and, understandably, opted for employment. The grant team also implemented three (3) field days which a total of 95 students (combined) attended. Of these, 70 students were in the AAS degree program, and the remaining 25 were in the BAS program. These field days were in response to our limited ability to conduct experiential learning activities during a global pandemic, but to still fulfil Goal #1: "Provide experiential learning (EL) for diverse undergraduate students." We did this by creating a field experience where every student could participate regardless of cohort or background (Obj1.1) and brought in multiple industry/graduate career professionals into the field to teach modules (Obj 1.2), as well as recent graduates of our program to lead students in small groups through a series of applied field learning modules for which we could measure comprehension (Obj 1.3). By having three field immersion events within driving distance of students' homes during spring quarter, and a 4-day event during fall quarter, we had the opportunity to engage our target audience in meaningful but safe ways, and to further our grant objectives and goals. Even though the college is generally open, the field days--originally a response to COVID--were very popular and high student demand indicates they should be continued. This is the second single-cohort fall-entry into the Natural Resources program. Even during COVID, we had an 89% retention rate for students who started in the 2020-21 academic year. TRIBAL COLLABORATION: The second audience we have been focusing on through this grant are our tribal partners. We were able to develop strong ties with the Muckleshoot Indian Nation and have created multiple points of collaboration with them. This collaboration ranged from reading lists and student video swaps through classes (in place of the "summer trip" as that was impossible due to COVID) to grant communications and collaborations for future project development. Additionally, multiple tribal guest lecturers were brought into our classrooms based on previous relationships formed under this grant. Finally, we have invited a member of the Muckleshoot Indian Nation to participate on our program Advisory Committee. Two additional grants have resulted from this collaborative effort: an NSF S-STEM grant focused on mentorship, and a Department of Education Native American Career & Technical Education Program grant, the Cedar Tree Project, awarded to the Muckleshoot Tribe, with GRC as the sub-award. INDUSTRY PARTNERS: With travel restrictions in place, we utilized the time gained to further develop our industry partnerships. We have expanded our list of partners to include private companies such as Weyerhaeuser and Sierra Pacific and, most recently, West Fork Environmental, and King Conservation District. In addition, the Washington Department of Natural Resources, the US Department of Interior, Hancock Timber Resource Group, and DD Wood Products all hosted summer trip experiential learning opportunities in 2021. Even though this year's Mentor Night event was held in a virtual format, we had the highest mentor attendance since we began this event in 2017. The format worked well for mentors and students, who could connect with all mentors via virtual "rooms." There were 25 mentors attending the Mentor Night event in 2021. Furthermore, we had the highest amount ever of donations for the silent auction and raffles from local businesses, exceeding the all-time high set in 2019-20. The revenue from the Mentor Night event will be used to support SAF memberships. While both students and mentors provided positive feedback about the virtual format, students who attended the 2021 virtual Mentor Night reported they were most excited about the opportunity to speak with multiple mentors and get better informed about internship and employment opportunities. Mentors were equally positive about the "good opportunity to meet students, which informs my conversations about our staffing and who we should be looking to hire." Another mentor stated that: "I was impressed by the level of engagement the students brought. Also, we are having a lot of conversations about equity, and I am excited to see so many bright young women coming up." In addition, our 13-member Advisory Committee is representative of the industry, active and enthusiastic about the program and the work being done through this grant. Changes/Problems:COVID-19 impacted all regularly scheduled events during 2021. The impacts are both immediate and will be felt into the future. Immediate impacts for grant year 2021 include the forced cancellation of the planning trip to set up the study abroad EL summer trip in New Zealand. Due to continued strict restrictions on inbound travel from the United States we were unable to complete this trip and the incorporated planning involved in this grant activity. New Zealand continues to be closed. While we are honoring all obligations associated with this grant and moving forward on all aspects that are safe. We have been working with Dr. Ray Ali to request agency approval of an extended timeline and/or alternative class project location that will allow us to complete all grant objectives as planned as soon as it is safe and legal to do so. Our communications with Dr. Ali have included proposed revisions to activities and timelines. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The concrete outcomes from this project include a regular standing meeting with the Muckleshoot Nation that has fostered multiple collaborative teaching materials including course video exchanges, a department reading list for relevant tribal history and culture as it relates to natural resources, and multiple grant proposal discussions. Additionally, we were able to foster a list of guest lecturers that allowed for enrichment and expansion of course materials and discussions both for the EL summer trip curriculum as well as for regular classroom activities. Professional development this year has focused on our ability to successfully serve tribal students in our program. There is a demand for native students to take the forestry degree pathway as they can immediately apply their skills within their own newly expanded forest, called Tomanamus. This forest is over 30,000 acres. While the forest is currently managed by Hancock, as part of the management agreement there is a goal to have 100% native people managing this forest as quickly as possible. As the closest college to the Muckleshoot lands, as well as one of the only forestry programs in the State of Washington, we are uniquely situated to help educate tribal students in order to reach this goal. Therefore, professional development efforts have been focused around developing a better understanding of the native populations in our area. During the year, members of the Natural Resources team attended 1) the Muckleshoot Tribal Conference entitled "Effective Teaching Institute" during the year; 2) the "Native Cases" which teaches instructors how to integrate native case studies into the curriculum; and 3) the "Honoring Indigenous Peoples" webinar How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We continue to disseminate results to industry employers at our annual Mentor Night (25 individuals attended the 2021 event) as well as twice a year at our Advisory Committee meetings. Twenty students, in teams of 4, had the opportunity to present their final Stream Ecology project at the Annual State Society of American Foresters Conference. With five unique scientific projects, student led research inquiry, student designed methods and measurements, data collection, analysis and synthesis, students were able to present their entire journey through the scientific process. In addition, students that presented these works (3 out of 5 groups decided to present), had the unique opportunity to see how their research can inform the broader scientific and natural resource management communities. The poster sessions were attended by professional foresters, educators from other institutions, educators from Green River College and students from other natural resource related degree paths in the state of Washington. One student from a different college transferred to our college after seeing the applied opportunities within our program. We continue to disseminate results to industry employers at our annual Mentor Night (25 individuals attended the 2021 event) as well as twice a year at our Advisory Committee meetings. Twenty students, in teams of 4, had the opportunity to present their final Stream Ecology project at the Annual State Society of American Foresters Conference. With five unique scientific projects, student led research inquiry, student designed methods and measurements, data collection, analysis and synthesis, students were able to present their entire journey through the scientific process. In addition, students that presented these works (3 out of 5 groups decided to present), had the unique opportunity to see how their research can inform the broader scientific and natural resource management communities. The poster sessions were attended by professional foresters, educators from other institutions, educators from Green River College and students from other natural resource related degree paths in the state of Washington. One student from a different college transferred to our college after seeing the applied opportunities within our program. The PI was able to present at the USDA national Institute of Food and Agriculture Webinar titled "Applying to NIFA Competitive Education Grants as a Small or Mid-sized Institution" on December 9th, 2020, where we were able to share not only success stories of our grant but also give information to potential applicants on how to approach grant applications as small institutions. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are in a critical time for student success, when everymeaningful learning experience and every connection made during cohort-building activities impacts the chances of student retention and success. We still hope to conduct the third set of domestic summer trips that were originally planned in Summer 2023, if it is possible to obtain a no-cost extension to this award. If so, then these trips will be held in Summer 2024. We have notified our NIFA National Program Leader, Dr. Ray Ali, of this intent. We will follow up within the last year of the original award (i.e., early 2023) to discuss this further, in accordance with the 11/23/2020 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Grants Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document published on NIFA's website. These modifications are within the permitted scope of "methodology, techniques, or other similar aspects of the project to expedite achievement of the approved project goals."
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: Provide Experiential Learning for Diverse Undergraduate Students Obj 1.1 All students will have equal access to high-quality, intensive EL summer trips. The continuing COVID pandemic forced the cancellation of the planning trip, which was meant to set up the study abroad EL summer trip to New Zealand. Due to continued strict restrictions on inbound travel from the United States we were unable to complete this trip and the planning involved in this grant activity. As noted in the Changes/Problems section of this report, we have been working with Dr. Ray Ali to request agency approval of an extended timeline and/or alternative class project location(s) that will allow us to complete all grant objectives as planned as soon as it is safe and legal to do so. Obj 1.2 EL summer trips will address industry and graduate programs' top priorities. As noted above, we combined BAS and AAS students on our summer backpacking trips that have historically run separately so the students mentored each other. We learned from the success of the trips conducted the previous summer that this was an effective strategy, breaking down barriers between students at different levels and giving them welcome opportunities to discuss topics such as leadership, mentorship, and engagement. The success of the trips is apparent in the quotes from student journals, for example: I've made many new friends this trip. People that I have been in the program with for two years but never really talked to much. So glad that I have had the chance to get to know them. Out of all the trips I have gone on in groups or not, this one has been one of the most influential that I can remember. I can look back now and see how far I have come even since this trip, and I owe that to the people that were on this trip, most importantly the people that put it all together, Chuck and Monica. Another indicator of the value of this experience: Of the 14 students participating in peer-to-peer mentorship activities on the joint summer trip, 83% were elected to leadership positions in our student Forestry Club and/or the student Society of American Foresters Club. While not originally planned as part of this grant, the college instituted Fall Field Days this year, adapting what were previously classroom and advising day experiences to be field days held outside with smaller groups of students. All students in the program participated in small groups of 8-9 students composed of various academic years working together toward common goals across 4 learning modules. This created a safe way for students to participate for a full day of activities and to assist each other through multiple class objectives in an applied and mentorship learning environment. This experience incorporated six full time industry professionals in addition to the full-time faculty and staff that facilitated the event. This allowed having in-person cohort-building activities the first week of class so incoming students could quickly create connections and a support network with other students. Double "D" Wood Products outside of Republic, Washington hosted a field site and students were able to work in an actual environment, and were, consequently, exposed to private land ownership and Eastern Washington forestry practices. The Double "D" Wood Products website (http://www.doubledwoodproducts.com/) also provided information and guidance for students. In addition, the Department of the Interior hosted students for the first time, expanding students experiences in conjunction with the Department of Interior work site. During these experiences, employers joined students around the campfire to discuss professional topics such as leadership and mentorship. The industry professionals are now recruiting out of this student body for internship positions. For example, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department will have three internships earmarked for Green River Natural Resource graduates that they met for the first time at this event. Obj 1.3 Experiential Learning (EL) summer trips will holistically articulate, evaluate and document student learning. We were able to conduct formal EL summer trips this fiscal year. Responses from student surveys conducted after the last EL summer trips, reinforced the importance of conducting two separate summer trip venues with one front country trip that can be more accessible to more students. In addition, we combined BAS and AAS students on our summer backpacking trips that have historically run separately to encourage cross-level conversations and mentorship. The addition of "Fall Field Days" allowed us to connect curriculum with course outcomes to be measured as assignments synthesized in multiple courses. This experience also allowed us to create mentorship opportunities. In feedback, one student stated: "Being an upperclassman, I felt [Fall Field Days] was an extremely valuable experience for myself to be able to share my personal experiences with my group and also get to help teach and better understand some of the material taken in the first few years with a new perspective." Another student stated that as a returning student to Fall Field Days, this was very valuable, and the experience gave them an opportunity to get a "refresh" on many tools not used for a while. This returning student also thought that teaching the new students helped them understand the content better. Goal 2: Improve the Value and Sustainability of Experiential Education. Obj 2.1 EL summer trips will reduce the admissions backlog of prospective students Data from the 2019 summer trip student evaluations suggested that students need to complete a wilderness first aid class and the backcountry navigation course before attending to improve student safety. We implemented these requirements and made these courses available through our regular class curriculum to make them accessible to students as well as eligible to be covered by financial aid. However, this has resulted in us not taking new AAS students in before they start our program. While these changes have not reduced the AAS backlog of students, at the BAS level, we have very much reduced the backlog of students wanting to obtain their concentration in Forestry Operations. The summer trip EL courses served 100% of students interested in the Forestry Operations pathway. Obj 2.2 EL summer trips will improve year to year student retention Student retention due to the summer trip enrollment continued to be high. We have tracked the retention of students who took the summer trip. For that group, there is a 93% retention rate, including two students who graduated. Only 1 student was not retained. Obj 2.3 EL summer trips will accelerate undergraduate degree completion. The summer trips accelerated AAS degree completion for students. It is interesting to note that all 10 students that participated at the AAS level successfully completed two additional AAS degrees (of the 5 degrees offered through the Natural Resources program) because of this EL experience. Therefore, this last summer instead of the 10 degrees that were in progress or being completed, there are now 30 among those same students. For the BAS students, 100% of the students were able to complete a second concentration of coursework resulting in 100% of participants getting or on track to obtain both a concentration in Sampling and Assessment as well as Forestry Operations on their Forest Resource Management BAS degree when they finish their other classes.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
James, Joseph and Priebe. Expected publication (January 2021). Lessons from the Plants that Surround us. The Muckleshoot Review. Vol 5.
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Progress 01/01/20 to 12/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:While hampered by COVID restrictions we did not lose sight of our target audience for all grant actions taken during 2020. STUDENTS: The key target audience includes both Associates (AAS) and Bachelors (BAS) degree-seeking students. While we did not have summer trip this year due to COVID restrictions, we did implement two field days where a total of 122 students were able to attend collectively between the two events. Of these, 98 students were in the AAS degree program and the rest were in the BAS program. These field days were our response to restricted ability to do experiential learning during a global pandemic, to still fulfil Goal#1: "Provide experiential learning (EL) for diverse undergraduate students." We did this by creating a field experience where every student could participate regardless of cohort or background (Obj1.1) and brought in multiple industry/graduate career professionals into the field to teach modules (Obj 1.2), as well as recent graduates of our program to lead students in small groups through a series of applied field learning modules for which we could measure comprehension (Obj 1.3). While these were not summer trips, by having two field emersion events within driving distance of students' homes during spring quarter, and a 4 day event during fall quarter, we had the opportunity to address our target audience and address grant objectives and goals even in a reduced setting and capacity. TRIBAL COLLABORATION: The second audience we have been focusing on through this grant are tribal partners. We were able to strongly develop ties with the Muckleshoot Indian Nation and have created multiple points of collaboration. This collaboration ranged from reading lists and student video swaps through classes (not "summer trip" as that was impossible due to COVID) to grant communications and collaborations for future project development together. Additionally, multiple tribal guest lecturers were brought into our classrooms based on previous relationships formed under this grant. Finally, we have invited a member of the Muckleshoot Indian Nation to participate on our Advisory Committee for our program. INDUSTRY PARTNERS: With travel restrictions in place, we utilized time to further develop industry partners. We have expanded our list of partners this year to include private companies such as Weyerhaeuser and Sierra Pacific that have already committed to hosting summer trip experiential learning opportunities for this upcoming summer trip (2021). Additionally, we have invited 2 new members to sit on our Advisory Committee to represent industry perspective in course and curriculum development. Changes/Problems:COVID-19 impacted all regularly scheduled events during 2020. The impacts are both immediate and will be felt into the future. Immediate impacts for grant year 2020 include the forced cancellation of the trip to set up the study abroad EL summer trip in New Zealand. We were able to communicate to our grant officer and originally planned to delay the planning trip to this December 2020 to attempt to complete it in the original grant year as planned. Due to continued strict restrictions on inbound travel from the United States we were unable to complete this trip and the incorporated planning involved in this grant activity this year. While we are honoring all obligations associated with this grant and moving forward on all aspects that are safe. We are working with Dr. Ray Ali and have submitted a letter requesting approval of the agency to request accommodation of an extended timeline that will allow us to complete all grant objectives as planned as soon as it is safe and legal to do so. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The concrete outcomes from this project include a regular standing meeting with the Muckleshoot Nation that has fostered multiple collaborative teaching materials including course video exchanges, a department reading list for relevant tribal history and culture as it relates to natural resources, and multiple grant proposal discussions. Additionally, we were able to foster a list of guest lecturers that allowed for enrichment and expansion of course materials and discussions both for the EL summer trip curriculum as well as for regular classroom activities. Additionally, faculty that wanted to collaborate on this grant with the New Zealand trip wrote supplementary Faculty Development grants to assist in New Zealand. They were awarded $2500 in grant funding. While these funds went unused, the learning that occurred while writing the grant as well as the grant itself will be important for the year that we can safely go to New Zealand to allow for another instructor to attend to extend the originally planned curriculum to include spatial analysis. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The PI was able to present at the USDA national Institute of Food and Agriculture Webinar titled "Applying to NIFA Competitive Education Grants as a Small or Mid-sized Institution" on December 9th, 2020 where we were able to share not only success stories of our grant but also give information to potential applicants on how to approach grant applications as small institutions. Safety plans to conduct EL experiences during the time of COVID outbreak was approved by the Governor of the state of Washington and the educational institutions. This safety plan for experiential learning has been widely shared as a template for other applied programs to create safety protocols to operate experiential learning modules during reduced operations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will utilize lessons learned from our Fall Field Days EL learning experience to inform safe and effective learning for the summer 2021 EL trip. We will be able to follow up with our gear library by meeting with targeted vendors to set up discounts for students to reduce barriers to entry with equipment and needed field supplies. This will occur virtually during the annual outdoor gear expo during the summer of 2021 where all outdoor vendors are available for networking and collaboration during the three day event. This year we will incorporate a student. We are on schedule for our 2021 EL summer trips and are currently working on recruitment, advising, necessary safety training will start in March 2021 and physical training hikes will begin February 2021. Finally, we will work with USDA grant personnel to reschedule our New Zealand trip around COVID closures to ensure that we continue to meet grant objectives. (See Changes/Problems)
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: Provide Experiential Learning for Diverse Undergraduate Students Obj 1.1 All students will have equal access to high-quality, intensive EL summer trips. This was the year of the grant in which we were supposed to set up the New Zealand study abroad trip. Due to COVID this planning trip was cancelled (See Changes/Problems). Therefore while we did not offer any EL summer trips this year, as originally planned under the grant, we did not have any scheduled. Obj 1.2 EL summer trips will address industry and graduate programs' top priorities. While we did not have any EL summer trips planned for this grant year, we made great strides in expanding our industry partnerships for EL summer trips around this coming year. The relationships that were created during this grant reporting period are most notably with Weyerhaeuser Co. and Sierra Pacific, two private timber giants in our region and globally. The local connections have been created so that we can bring summer 2021 trip participants to witness and participate in the forestry operations occurring on those properties as well as interfacing our students with current industry professionals, some of which are graduates of our program. Secondly, the relationship we are fostering with Weyerhaeuser will also open doors for our New Zealand study abroad as they are forest managers in New Zealand. While not originally planned as part of this grant, we did springboard off of our summer trip experiences which allowed us to pivot and respond to the COVID pandemic and reduction in face-to-face instruction by conducting a modified EL experience we coined "Fall Field Days." All students in the program participated in small groups of 8-9 students composed of various academic years working together toward common goals across 4 learning modules. This created a safe way for students to participate for a full day of activities and to assist each other through multiple class objectives in an applied and mentorship learning environment. This experience incorporated six full time industry professionals in addition to the full-time faculty and staff that facilitated the event. The industry professionals are now recruiting out of this student body for internship positions. For example, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department will have three internships earmarked for Green River Natural Resource graduates that they met for the first time at this event. Obj 1.3 EL summer trips will holistically articulate, evaluate and document student learning. While no formal summer trips took place under this grant fiscal year, the surveys that students took from the summer 2019 trip have informed actions that we have worked on in the interim of trips. For example, surveys indicated that radio communications needed to be standardized and included in pre-trip curriculum. We purchased radios and developed a backpacking communications plan for future trips. Responses from student surveys conducted after the last EL summer trips, reinforced the importance of conducting two separate summer trip venues with one front country trip that can be more accessible to more students. Therefore, this year we have developed a map library so that we can expand the areas in which we can conduct EL summer trips for 2021. Additionally, the addition of "Fall Field Days" allowed us to connect curriculum with course outcomes to be measured as assignments synthesized in multiple courses. This experience also allowed us to create mentorship opportunities. In feedback, one student stated "Being an upperclassman, I felt [Fall Field Days] was an extremely valuable experience for myself to be able to share my personal experiences with my group and also get to help teach and better understand some of the material taken in the first few years with a new perspective." Goal 2: Improve the Value and Sustainability of Experiential Education Obj 2.1 EL summer trips will reduce the admissions backlog of prospective students Because this grant year did not include a EL summer trip, the use of summer trips to reduce the backlog of prospective students did not occur, however this was fortuitous in that due to COVID, this year we did not have the backlog of students we normally have. Obj 2.2 EL summer trips will improve year to year student retention Student retention due to the summer trip enrollment continued to be high. While we did not have a trip this year, we can track the continued retention of the students that did take the summer trip in 2019. It is interesting to note that 33% of the current bachelor's degree student population was on one of the EL summer trips. An additional 33% did not go on from their associate degrees into the bachelor's degree for the sole reason that they already had a bachelor's degree. All but two students that did not continue into the bachelor's program are working full time in industry. Student retention will continue to be monitored throughout the lifetime of this grant and after this grant sunsets. Obj 2.3 EL summer trips will accelerate undergraduate degree completion. There are two ways to measure the acceleration of a degree. The first is that when these trips do occur (domestic trips are every other year), that students are able to finish their program in 2 years even when adding multiple degrees/concentrations (Water quality, Park management and Forestry for the associates degrees and Forest Operations concentration for the bachelor's degree). The second way to measure this is how summer trip has served as a carrot for students to stay in school and on track with their classes so that they can participate in future summer trips. The cohort that is eligible to participate in the 2021 summer trips has shown very high retention (98%) with 42% of students indicating interest in participating in EL summer trips. These numbers are despite COVID and all the myriad impacts and stresses it has on students' retention and completion at a global scale.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
James,A. Joseph, J. and Paulson Priebe, M. Expected publication date January 2021. Lessons from the Plants that Surround us. The Muckleshoot Review. Vol 5.
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Progress 01/01/19 to 12/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:? We reached multiple target audiences during this reporting period. STUDENTS: The key target audiences were both AAS and BAS degree-seeking students. In total 20 students enrolled (goal = 108 students within 5 years) in the summer backcountry trips. Of these we had 14 complete the AAS trips and 6 complete the BAS trip. With the student interest this first year, we completed 2 Associate's level courses and 1 Bachelor's level course. As part of the undergraduate student audience, Goal #1 under the grant narrative states: "Provide experiential learning (EL) for diverse undergraduate students". This is to be accomplished through equal student access (Obj 1.1), industry/graduate program priorities (Obj 1.2) and evaluation of student learning (Obj 1.3). These domestic trips were open to all students who demonstrated the navigation skills necessary to be safe in the back country, as determined by completion of the Department navigation course. Two types of AAS domestic trips were offered including an intensive backpacking option (with three backpacking trips lasting 2-6 days each) and a campground-based trip with a shortened 3-day backpacking trip. Having two types of trips made it more accessible for students to participate and resulted in 7 under-represented male students to be supported (goal = 10 during lifetime of the grant) as well as all 8 (goal = 8 over lifetime of grant) under-represented females to be supported within the first year. A deaf student with two interpreters successfully completed the campground-based trip. Many of these students were supported by the initial gear lending library for students in need that was purchased prior to the trips. TRIBAL COLLABORATION: The second audience we were able to reach through our grant-related efforts this year are tribal members from 8 different tribes. Collaborations ranged from museum visits to cedar bark harvests to tours. Collaborations included student trainings (N = 15) in Native American uses of non-timber forest products including a 3-hour course conducted by Nisqually, Puyallup and Chehalis tribal members. After the course was completed, students were invited to participate in a cedar bark harvest on Green River College campus as well with multiple tribal members. Further collaborations with the Nisqually Tribe occurred through guest lectures hosted in tribal council chambers and on the Billy Frank Jr Wildlife Refuge. Students completed a work party with the Quinault tribe during the second trip and participated in the Muckleshoot summer crew days by hosting Muckleshoot high school students on campus for a work party, tour and hike. Trainings also included the Muckleshoot-hosted Indigenizing Education conference as well as the Cultural Resource trainings through guest lectures from the Snoqualmie Tribe and through King County cultural resource training. Finally, students in the AAS and BAS combined trip had a shortened backpacking trip due to weather and student conditions including wet gear and freezing temperatures. During the unexpected additional day in the front country (due to the shortened backpacking trip), all students visited the Makah Museum and then hiked on tribal lands. INDUSTRY PARTNERS: An important outcome of our efforts this year was to reach out to multiple industry partners and non-school affiliated organizations including the Washington Department of Natural Resources, Forest Service, multiple private industry partners, National Parks and future students (potential students working in the field). In total, 8 industry collaborations, guest lectures or hosting agencies were involved in these activities and students consistently wrote about these experiences in the journals they kept throughout the trips. Changes/Problems:? We found a discrepancy in the grant narrative which had two people travelling to the gear conference in year one in the text but not budgeted until year 2 in the budget tables. We contacted Dr. Zycherman to call this to her attention. With her input we decided to attend the gear conference in year one in order to start the benefits of the gear library program for our low-income students earlier on. Additionally, stipends that were earmarked for BAS student participants had a surplus due to enrollment in the BAS EL courses being lower than projected in the grant. The stipend surplus was divided into 9 equal stipends and dispersed to AAS students to facilitate their EL experiences. This increased the accessibility to the EL experience for students, especially veteran participants and low-income students. The decreased number of BAS student participants was due primarily to the fact we ran a pilot of this course in the previous year, without the additional student supports that we have been able to offer students since the grant was awarded. Because a number of BAS students participated in the pilot, demand for this year was lower than expected for this group, which decreased student demand. Since we are back on the every-other-year schedule for these classes, and because the financial support offered to students through this grant are a great help to students, we project that future enrollment or interest in the BAS EL courses will be high. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?? Trainings included participation in the Indigenizing Education conference as well as the Cultural Resource trainings offered by King County's cultural resource training archology staff. Both the PI and program staff as well as one student participant are now certified to work on King County sites with this Cultural Resources certification. Non certification trainings and collaborations include SEPA cultural resource awareness guest lecture, Ethnobotany seminar, cultural ways of knowing guest lecture, and discussions led by the Tribal Liaison for USFS. Based on our first-year collaborations, the Quinault Indian Nationhas expressed verbal and written interest in hiring Green River College Natural Resource students because of their positive interactions with students enrolled in the summer trip EL courses. This will present much-needed avenues for employment by local tribes. 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?? Based on student feedback, Summer EL courses will be revamped to increase safety measures and enhance communication protocols. Additionally, we will further develop a front country course option to increase accessibility to students who want to participate in these EL courses. One course will be available to students that will focus on extensive backcountry management. The other course will emphasize front country learning environments to increase safety for high risk students and to increase overall accessibility of the courses. In preparation for the second grant year, we will be developing the logistics, timing and curriculum for the New Zealand study abroad trip. Multiple faculty not supported by this grant period are writing additional grants to support their travel for this trip. It is hoped that by utilizing other grants in concert with this grant, all instructors who will be teaching the courses in 2022 will be on site to make industry contacts in New Zealand and to develop the curriculum on site with relevant site examples and experiences. We will be leveraging these grants to get this higher level of faculty involvement to increase safety, logistics and learning experiences for students.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: Provide Experiential Learning for Diverse Undergraduate Students Obj 1.1All students will have equal access to high-quality, intensive EL summer trips. These domestic trips were open to all students who demonstrated the navigation skills necessary to be safe in the back country as determined by completion of the Department navigation course. Two types of AAS domestic trips were offered including an intensive backpacking option (with three backpacking trips lasting 2-6 days each) and a campground-based trip with a shortened 3-day backpacking trip. Having two types of trips made it more accessible for students. As a result, 7 under-represented male students to be supported (goal = 10 during lifetime of the grant) as well as all 8 (goal = 8 over lifetime of grant) under-represented females to be supported within the first year. In addition, a deaf student with two interpreters successfully completed the campground-based and short backpacking class. Many of these students made use of the initial gear library that was purchased prior to the trips. The summer outdoor gear show was attended by both the PI, Monica Priebe and Holly Nay, Program Coordinator.During this event, multiple contacts were made to start gear discounts and student pro deals opening doors to create more accessible avenues to gear for students. We are currently following up with vendors and hope to have collaborations in place during the coming year. Finally, the EZ Rent Out software was purchased, installed and all gear has been inventoried for checkout and tracking purposes. Obj 1.2 EL summer trips will address industry and graduate programs' top priorities. Contacts were made with industry partners resulting in multiple field trips, guest lectures and applied learning experiences. Forestry Operations BAS students met private industry applied practitioners on job sites and students commented in their journals about how much they learned from those experiences. Additionally, there was a strong focus on mentorship and back country skills. All students, including 8 students who had never backpacked before, successfully completed the back country portions of the trips. Students commented in their journals about how much they learned. One student stated "there is no education like this, out with the trees and robins. Today I hiked up upon a deer and was able to watch her for quite some time quietly. I did not know they lived out here but she was walking on really steep slopes and eating. I was amazed at how well adapted to her environment she was and how well she could move within it and blend into it." (transcript from student video journal 2019). The mentorship aspect was not quantified during the trip itself, but instead manifested itself upon return when 4 of the students participating in the trips decided to take leadership roles within the student clubs--including secretary, president, vice president and chair positions. These students have created an outreach mentorship program for new students who want to learn a new skill or task (for example how to split wood). They will be given the name of an upper classman who is willing to take them out and show them how to accomplish that skill or task. Obj. 1.3.: EL summer trips will holistically articulate, evaluate, and document student learning. Student learning was evaluated through multiple assignments, a trip journal and a final project. Students were also given a professionalism and participation score. These student-produced outcomes allow for the authentic assessment of learning of course objectives and student learning. While self-efficacy was addressed during campfire readings and discussions, this coming year we will be creating a survey that can be completed in the back country by students. The response to the on-line survey was poor, largely due to instructors trying to implement the survey after the completion of the trip. This survey will be done in future years during the classroom learning portion and during the last day of the trip with final journaling. Goal 2: Improve the Value and Sustainability of Experiential Education. Obj. 2.1.: EL summer trips will reduce the admissions backlog of prospective students. Students enrolled in the AAS course were able to apply their course credits toward their degree in lieu of two general education credits, thus expediating their movement through the Natural Resources program. While demand is increasing resulting in the continued use of the waitlist for the program, students admitted to the program are now on a degree path for quicker completion which allows the program to accept more students each fall in the incoming cohorts. Additionally, the Natural Resources program enrollment grew by 8%. It was the only program within the division to increase. Most other programs showed a sharp decrease in enrollment during the same period. Obj. 2.2.: EL summer trips will improve year-to-year student retention. Student retention due to summer trip enrollment can be assessed two ways. The first and most direct way would be to assess the number of students who continue in the Natural Resources program after the summer trip EL experience. For example, of the 20 students who participated, 90% either graduated, are working full time in industry, moved from the AAS program into the Bachelor's degree program or continued to follow through on track for their expected graduation dates. Ten percent (10%) of students are not following one of the aforementioned paths. One is transferring to a University out of state and one was employed in a summer job that lasted into fall quarter, but he will be returning in the winter term. Both of these students we see as successes and, therefore, we are seeing 100% in the retention or advancement or employment rates of students who participated in the 2019 trips. Student retention will continue to be monitored throughout the lifetime of this grant and after this grant sunsets. Obj. 2.3.: EL summer trips will accelerate undergraduate degree completion. As previously mentioned, students who took this course completed the equivalent of two general education credits that are needed for the Park Management AAS and the Water Quality AAS degrees. These students will complete their degrees more quickly than students that did not choose to enroll in the summer EL courses. Additionally, our program is moving to a cohort-based model so that students follow predetermined course scheduling year to year, allowing them to better balance work and school. Importantly, they will be able to progress through the program more quickly and with a cohort of their peers. In this way students enrolled in the EL courses will advance through their degree. We were able to apply these methods to assist other students in the program who did not enroll in the EL course to streamline their experience as well.
Publications
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