Source: TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
STRENGTHENING FOOD SYSTEMS AND ECOSYSTEM EDUCATION AND TRAINING THROUGH GLOBAL COMPETENCE AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING.
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1018080
Grant No.
2019-38821-29145
Cumulative Award Amt.
$300,000.00
Proposal No.
2018-04948
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Feb 1, 2019
Project End Date
Jan 31, 2024
Grant Year
2019
Program Code
[EP]- Teaching Project
Recipient Organization
TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
TUSKEGEE,AL 36088
Performing Department
CAENS
Non Technical Summary
Tuskegee University, Delaware State University and University of Maryland Eastern Shores partnered together with Earth University and Tropical Agriculture Research and Higher Education Center in Costa Rica to develop and engage students and faculty in study abroad for experiential learning program. The program provides valuable opportunity to strengthen capacities and capabilities to broaden and strengthen student training in food system and ecosystem management aimed at producing society ready, and globally competent, competitive graduates. The four week study abroad program will orient students to interdisciplinary, participatory research and extension on tropical food systems and increase awareness of Central American culture. The specific objectives are to: 1) build educational, research, and Extension partnerships with Costa Rican partner institutions to enhance students' global competence and professional opportunities; 2) develop an international enrichment scholar exchange and experiential learning programs for our students and faculty; 3) compare the agricultural, and cultural values of Costa Rica with those of the United States, while exposing students to the implications of food, agriculture and natural resources in Central America; 4) link the study abroad program to joint teaching and research initiatives in the US and Costa Rica partner institutions; 5) use these partnerships to build stronger pipelines for minority student recruitment into various programs. The students who participate in the program will understand about the critical national and international agricultural issues particularly, NIFA's strategic goals of global food security and hunger, food safety, natural resource management, conservation, climate change education, bioenergy, and sustainable rural economies
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1366050302030%
1250640107030%
6066120302020%
6116110302020%
Knowledge Area
136 - Conservation of Biological Diversity; 611 - Foreign Policy and Programs; 125 - Agroforestry; 606 - International Trade and Development;

Subject Of Investigation
6110 - Economy of the United States and sectors thereof; 6120 - International economy and sectors thereof; 6050 - Communities, areas, and regions; 0640 - Tropical forests;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology; 3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
Our goal is to develop an international program with EARTH University and CATIE in Costa Rica to enhance faculty and students' learning, discovery and engagement experiences in tropical agroecosystems and food systems. The program aims to strengthen TU, DSU and UMES capacities to develop globally competent students and faculty. The specific objectives are to: 1) build educational, research, and Extension partnerships with EARTH and CATIE and other Costa Rican institutions in some of agriculture's challenge areas to enhance students' global competence and professional opportunities; 2) develop an international enrichment scholar exchange, experiential learning, education, research, and extension programs to provide the practical context for understanding Costa Rica's agricultural industry and food systems and expand students' breadth and understanding of the global agricultural community; 3) compare the agricultural, social and cultural values of Costa Rica with those of the United States, while exposing students to the implications of food, agriculture and natural resources in Central America and specifically in Costa Rica; 4) link the study abroad program to joint teaching and research initiatives at EARTH, CATIE, TU, DSU and UMES; 5) use this and other overseas partnerships to build stronger pipelines for minority student recruitment into our various programs.
Project Methods
Each year a team of students and faculty members will travel to the host institutions, EARTH and CATIE in Costa Rica. The host institutions will offer opportunities for language and cultural trainings, scientific research, and visiting research sites, facilities and rural communities. Travel scholarships will be offered to selected students to fund their travel expenses. a. Planning visits:Each year, the project team will travel to Costa Rica in the spring todevelop a work plan, finalize cooperative agreements, and constitute the interdisciplinary teams that will design program modules. We will develop a technical and logistic plan with our partners in EARTH and CATIE in Costa Rica andreview the necessary arrangements (accommodation, meals, transportation, facilities, and tours) for hosting students and faculty during the program. b. Student recruitment: To recuit students, we will develop a webpage and brochures that will provide program information. The webpage will be linked to each institution's campus websites. Brochures will be distributed and postedacorss ourcampuses. A complete application will consist of an application form; a personal statement summarizing previous research and education experience, future education and career goals, expectations from the program, and topics of interest in food and agriculture; transcripts; and two letters of recommendation. c. Students' selection: The applications will be reviewed in March of each year by a committee composed of participating faculty and investigators at each institution. Applicants will be evaluated using the following criteria: academic performance and course work, letters of recommendations, evidence of an interest, and applicable international training in agriculture and related sciences. d. Students' experiential learning and internship program: The 4 week 3-6 credit hourinternship program will focus on providing opportunities for students to interact with faculty and students in Costa Rica. The program will be composed of activities such as Spanish language training, Costa Rican social and cultural trainings, research and educational training in agricultural and environmental sciences.Upon return to the U.S., students will lead in a series of presentations and seminars organized jointly by the project PD and Co-PDs. Students will evaluate tthe program during and after the internship for modification if necessary. e. Faculty research exchange and scholar programs: The U.S. and Costa Rica faculty will identify areas of research and experiential learning which will be mutually beneficial and which will also enhance the student learning outcomes defined by the leadership team.

Progress 02/01/19 to 01/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences were maily students and faculty/scientists/staff at 1890 Land Grant Universities. Both graduate and undergraduate students were recruited for the project, specifically returning students that will be enrolled at the institutions the following year. Participants are expected to give seminars about their experiences to other students. More emphasis was planced on rising undergraduate juniors, sophomores and seniors in the Food, Agriculture, Natural Resoursces and Human Sciences. For the faculty/scientists, opportunity was given to younger faculty and staff. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The students presented their experiences to other classes and at the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference (PAWC) and the 1890 Association of of Research Directors. It has helped some of the students gain Intenships with FAS and some of the International Corporations. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The students presented seminars to other students in the various classes and also presented posters at professional meetings What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? A total of 14 students and 8 faculty/staff from TU, DSU and UMES participated in the Global Experiential Learning Program in Costa Rica in the final year of the project. This brings to a total of 90 students and faculty who benefited directly from the project and over 3,000 indirectly over the 5 year period. For the final year, the participants only visitedCATIE,because EARTH University was not able to accomodate the participants during the period selected. Student participants were put into groups of three, one from each institution. In Costa Rica, before traveling to CATIE, the participants visited IICA in San Jose to learn about IICA andits goal and activities in creating and fostering regional and international cooperation for agribusiness and agricultural trade. In CATIE, the students had lectures and hands on activities on several topics including Agroforestry, Animal and Plant production systems, Agribusiness, Culture, Foods and Nutrition. The students visited the international germplasm bank located on the CATIE campus. The center housesthe largest cocoa and coffee germplasm in the world. The students had handson excersises on grafting of cocoa and coffee, roasting and grindingcoffee and cocoa and making chocolate.The students went to surrounding communities to learn about sustainable farming systems, organic coffee production system, sugar cane cooperatives that produce sugar block for the European marketsand agribusinesses pracices in these communities. They also visited one of thedairy farm operations where the famous Turialba cheese is produced. They were takenthrough the process of making cheese from producing the forages for the cows to milking andthe final poduct.They also visitedthe special cheese market where Turialba cheese is sold at auction. The students learned about agroforestry in balancing the agro ecosystem. CATIE has an agreement with South West Airlines where South West Airlines donates the leather from old seat covers from the planes to CATIE. CATIE then works with a small community that uses the leather to hand make leather jackets, bags and other accessories for sale. The studentstraveledto the Atlantic coast and learned about the different ecosystems along the route.They visitedthe port in Limon which is the largest port in the countryto learn about agricultural tradeand where the countryinports and exports most of itscommodities. The participants also visited the Cahuita National Park and learned about conservation of wild life and natural reources. The students at the end of the programwork together in their respective groups to prepare reports and presented posterson their experiences of the experiential learning program. They further presented their posters at both PAWC and ARD Symposium. One of the groups won first place and a trip to China.

Publications


    Progress 02/01/22 to 01/31/23

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Distributed recruiting materials for participation in the program to students and staff for the winter program and organisedsmall group sessions on Gobal Food and Nutritionsecurity Two of the Co-PDs traveled to Costa Rica and metwith in country program participants at the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) including the the Direector General, The Inter-American Institute for Cooperationon Agriculture (IICA) and USDA/Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA/FAS) Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?By attending and participating inthe seminars and webinars, the students were able to learn from the experts in the field 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?Provide both winter and summer international experiential learning program for at least 15 students.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Students participated in webinars and seminars on Global Food and Nutrition Security. They also participated in a town hall meeting with the USAID Administrator during her visit to Tuskegee University. Small group discussions were organized on the effect of climate change and adaptability on limited resource producers. A team of co-PDs visited Costa Rica to meet with our in-country counterparts to plan and develop the agenda for the winter and summer programs. The team met with officials and personnel responsible for international experiential training at The Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE); The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and USDA/Foreign Agriculture Service. At CATIE, the meeting was focused on previous international experiential learning programs in order to update upcoming programs based on students and professors exit-surveys and to determine the agenda for the program to include lectures and hands-on experience. The program is to be designed to include participation in the CATIE small scale Farming Program, CATIE Sustainable Tourism, Entrepreneurship Program, CATIE Enterprises Profitability Computer Modeling Program and the Community Engagement Program. Visits were made to three farms in and around Turrialba for possible field visit sites during the training program. . At IICA, the team identified policy issues students could be engaged in to learn about IICA and its member states. At USDA/FAS, activities will be design for students to engage in hands on US agribusiness and trade programs Latin America.

    Publications


      Progress 02/01/21 to 01/31/22

      Outputs
      Target Audience:Students, faculty Changes/Problems:We will provide inpersontraining program in December 2022 instead of Summer 2022 asinternational travel restrictions still are in place for Tuskegee University What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students were exposed to job placement opportunities with USAD and USDA/FAS 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?We are currently recruiting students to participate in inperson experiential learning program in December

      Impacts
      What was accomplished under these goals? Because all travels including international travels were restricted and or cancelled, students were provided with online and virtual webinars and seminars on international program opportunities. Most of these webinars were presented by USAID and USDA/FAS personnel.

      Publications


        Progress 02/01/20 to 01/31/21

        Outputs
        Target Audience:students Changes/Problems:We are planning to provide a virtual experiential training program should travel restrictions still apply for this year as well. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Reselect students for the program this fall and provide a virtual international experiental training program

        Impacts
        What was accomplished under these goals? Students were selected for the program in the spring, however, because the coronavirus restrictions and lock down, all travels both local and internationalwere suspended or cancelled. No other activities were performed during this period.

        Publications


          Progress 02/01/19 to 01/31/20

          Outputs
          Target Audience:students, faculty and scientists, USDA personnel Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Student international experiental training and presentation of training results at professional meetings and college seminars How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been presented in class, departmental and college seminars as well as at professional conferences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Sseek additional input from participants in planning the next program. Involve more of the 1890 institutions in the program

          Impacts
          What was accomplished under these goals? A total of 13 students and four scientists from DSU, AL, UMES and Tennese Stae University (TSU) participated in student interrnational scholar exchange, experiental learning, education, research and extensiom programs in Costa Rica for four weeks, July 21 - August 12.The students and and faculty participated in the training at both CATIE and EARTH University in Costa Rica. The training included classroom instructions as well as field trips, outdoor labs excercises as well as hands on experiential learning including community engagements. The program participants learnt about suatainable agricultural production systems in the tropics, agrofrestry, climate smart agriculture, natural resurces and use of renewable resources, alternate energy systems, organic griculture, integrated pest management, agrotourism, urban agriculture, reforestation and carbon sequestration, intergrated animal and crop production system entrepreneurship and agribusiness and community development and engagement. The participants were also exposed to nature preserve, seed bank and genetic resources, as well as international and inter rgional trade and development, phytosanitory protocols and proceses and export of fresh fruits and vegetables to other countries especially the US. The partnership with the two instittutions in Costa exposed and provided the students the opportunity to broaden their knowledge and understanding of global agricultural production systems. The program also provided the opportunity for the 1890 Foundation to sign MOUs with EARTH University and CATIE to partner and collaborate in education, research and extension with all the nineteen 1890 Land Grant institutions.

          Publications