Source: TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
INITIATING AND MOBILIZING A PIPELINE IN AGRICULTURAL CAREERS TRAINING (IMPACT)
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1023376
Grant No.
2020-38422-32259
Cumulative Award Amt.
$1,000,000.00
Proposal No.
2020-01972
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2020
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2025
Grant Year
2020
Program Code
[NJ]- Hispanic Serving Institutions Education Grants Program
Recipient Organization
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
LUBBOCK,TX 79409
Performing Department
Ag Education and Communication
Non Technical Summary
Secondary to post-secondary education pipelines have been successful in bringing Hispanic students to the tertiary classroom. However, research suggests that leaks in the pipelines exist as these programs have been successful in retaining only 13% of underrepresented food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH) students through baccalaureate graduation (Department of Education, 2018) and propelling even fewer students to postgraduate studies (Taialli & Ortiz, 2017); the statistics are even more dire in geographic regions suffering from persistent poverty (Good & La Prad, 2013). While targeted interventions geared toward retaining and guiding Hispanic students toward graduate school exist, they use an intermediary to connect the undergraduate and graduate institutions (Ghee, et al, 2016). In areas of persistent poverty and low college degree attainment, however, regional cooperation between institutions in the educational pipeline may be necessary to enhance baccalaureate graduation rates and subsequent enrollment in graduate school.Texas Tech University (TTU) and Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) serve a region that is 57% Hispanic; 71% of high-school graduates in the region are Hispanic, yet only 18% enroll in a baccalaureate degree program following graduation (Texas Higher Education Data, 2018; New Mexico Higher Education Department, 2017). The population of the border counties of New Mexico and Texas has notoriously low college degree attainment - 15% of the regional populace hold a bachelor's degree, compared to state averages of 28%, and a national average of 34% (Census, 2018a). The lack of degree completion contributes to the persistent levels of poverty observed across the region (Good & La Prad, 2013).There is an urgent regional need to form an educational pipeline that both retains FANH students in their baccalaureate degree programs while guiding them towards graduation and subsequent enrollment in a graduate degree program. This pipeline program will increase college retention rates by 10% through its integrated programming that taps into belonging, mentoring, and support issues identified by FANH students as critical components in their persistence toward degree completion (Wimmer & Meyers, 2013).
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
80260103020100%
Knowledge Area
802 - Human Development and Family Well-Being;

Subject Of Investigation
6010 - Individuals;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
This project has one goal and one objective that will be achieved through multiple targeted activities.The major goal of this project is to form a regional pipeline between Texas Tech University and Eastern New Mexico University to increase graduate and undergraduate student retention and graduation rates among underrepresented students in the region.Objective: enhance retention and graduation rates of underrepresented graduate and undergraduate students in FANH disciplines by 10% annually by providing these students with experiences that tap into the areas of belonging, mentoring, and support.
Project Methods
The IMPACT program will specifically address the problem of low student retention and degree completion, as well as the low pursuit of graduate degrees in FANH disciplines among underserved students at two Hispanic Serving Institutions (Texas Tech University and Eastern New Mexico University). The focus of the project is on developing a regionally appropriate solution to increase the retention and graduation statistics of underserved students. The scope of the project centers on integrating the notions of belonging, mentoring, and support - identified as critical components in retention in interviews with Hispanic students in the TTU College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) - into a collaborative, regional program to increase baccalaureate degree attainment and graduate school enrollment in underserved students. Our methods to achieve and evaluate project objectives include the following:1) Tap into the sense of belonging with students: undergraduate students will be part of a cross-institutional cohort that meets bi-weekly for collaborative support and career exploration activities; in addition, all students in the program will be required to join a club, such as Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS); graduate students will be required to participate in a graduate student association on campus, such as the Agricultural Education and Communications Graduate Organization (AECGO);Evaluation measures: number of students attending bi-weekly activities, pre/post Sense of Belonging Instrument administered at beginning and end of each semester; measure of participant satisfaction after activities, exit interviews with participants at end of each semester; number of students involved in clubs, measure of participant satisfaction with clubs, focus group discussion with participants at end of spring semester.2) Provide faculty and peer mentoring for students: faculty advisors will undergo a two-hour mentorship training workshop with MentorTech at TTU prior to the start of the IMPACT program; undergraduate and graduate students at both universities will complete an individualized development plan (IDP) upon their affiliation with the IMPACT program, which they will use to work with their assigned IMPACT advisor (ENMU - Swafford or Sansom; TTU - Boren Alpízar or Irlbeck) to guide career development; undergraduate IMPACT students at TTU will also participate in MentorTech, a formal mentoring program for undergraduate students; at ENMU and TTU, IMPACT students will participate in TRIO peer mentoring services geared toward underserved students; internship experiences with FANH professionals; graduate students will receive additional mentoring and professional development from the Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development Center on the TTU campus through their Groundwork Program for graduate students;Evaluation measures: number of faculty completing mentorship training; number of IDPs completed with students; pre/post agricultural career awareness measure administered at beginning of fall semester and end of spring semester; number of students participating in TTU's MentorTech; number of students participating in TRIO peer mentoring; number of students participating in internships; student evaluations of internships; weekly student reflections during internship; supervisor evaluation of student interns; exit interviews with student interns; number of graduate students participating in Groundwork Program; measure of participant satisfaction with mentoring activities at end of each semester; exit interviews with participants at end of each semester; focus group discussion at end of spring semester. 3) Provide ongoing student support: undergraduate IMPACT students will receive monthly support modules, including financial literacy, nutrition, and meal preparation, as well as regional career exploration experiences with FANH professionals; in the May intersession both undergraduate and graduate students will participate in the leadership development workshops - during this time undergraduate students will also complete career exploration in the FANH departments at TTU; graduate students will participate in the development of the documentary on the IMPACT program, attend at least three writing appointments with the Graduate Writing Center every semester; graduate students will also be required to meet with the CASNR librarian at least once for assistance with literature reviews; if appropriate, graduate students will be required to meet with a statistical consultant for assistance with quantitative research analyses. Evaluation measures: number of financial literacy and nutrition/meal prep education modules; number of students participating in modules; pre/post National Financial Educator's Council Financial Literacy Survey; pre/post financial priority ranking sheet; pre/post USDA 18-item Household Food Security Survey; pre/post The Newest Vital Sign Food Label Instrument; measure of participant satisfaction after each module; number of students participating in regional career exploration site visits; measure of participant satisfaction after each site visit; participant assessment of value of visit; number of leadership development modules; number of students participating in modules; pre/post Student Leadership Practices Inventory; measure of participant satisfaction after leadership development modules; number of career exploration experiences with FANH faculty; measure of participant satisfaction with career exploration; focus group discussions at end of intersession activities; number of activities completed for documentary development; number of writing appointments completed at writing center; number of students who met with CASNR librarian; number of students who met with statistical consultant.These integrated experiences will encourage undergraduate students to complete their degrees and enroll in graduate school and will encourage graduate students to persist in degree attainment.

Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:Undergraduate students and graduate students at Eastern New Mexico University and Texas Tech University were the target audiences. Changes/Problems:Students were growing restless with our focus only on the border region between TX and NM, so we expanded our reach for professional site visits and activities. We went to Las Cruces, NM and to Houston, TX to explore different industry opportunities, including value-added chile processing, pistachio processing, and branding/marketing of the Hatch chiles. In Houston, the opportunities for understanding international trade through the Port of Houston, exploring livestock development and marketing at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, as well as urban organic farming. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?All students participated in food preparation, nutrition, and budget development and adherence training over the course of this year. All students participated in a research conference in Las Cruces, NM, which provided them opportunities for professional development. All students visited six site visits to industry partners: 3 in New Mexico and 3 in Texas. All students received additional training in technical writing and qualitative research. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?All students collaborated on the research project and submitted two research abstracts to the Western Region American Association for Agricultural Education conference. These abstracts were accepted and will be presented in September at the conference. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue with financial literacy and nutrition education. We will continue to follow student interest in professional development, such as the provision of additional research tools and training.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Undergraduate students at ENMU worked with undergraduate and graduate students at TTU to develop skills in independent research. This peer-mentoring process included collaboratively identifying a research problem, creating researchable questions, designing a research strategy to appropriately answer the research questions, creating tools to collect data, collecting the data, analyzing the data, and writing up results. This process was borne from the students' own interests - they expressed the desire to conduct research and faculty provided opportunities for this collaboration. All students received faculty mentoring during their research process. Undergraduate students have expressed an interest in pursuing graduate education in the future as they learned that research is an important part of graduate education. This indicates that a pipeline is beginning to form organically among the undergraduate students.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Acevedo, N.F., Garc�a, A., Schroeder, K., Boren Alp�zar, A.E., Lamino Jaramillo, P., Duran Gabela, C., Ceme Vinces. R., & Suchiapa Magdaleno, G. (2022, September 19-21). Assessing immigrant caretakers wellbeing in the US swine industry. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Western Association of Agricultural Educators. Las Cruces, NM.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Lee, P-H. & Boren Alp�zar, A.E. (2022, September 19-21). Application of Witkins needs assessment to Taiwanese extension. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Western Association of Agricultural Educators. Las Cruces, NM.


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

Outputs
Target Audience:Undergraduate and graduate students were the target audience during this reporting period. Changes/Problems:We encountered a problem with the planned leadership and professional development training scheduled for the students at Texas Tech in the spring semester. Wildfires in the region limited the participation of some students who needed to tend to clean up efforts. Other students were completing their internships and indicated that the May timeframe was not conducive to their schedules. We rescheduled the leadership and professional development training for the third week of September, to coincide with a regional professional conference in Las Cruces, NM. In addition to the professional development provided by the conference, we will be conducting our leadership and professional development training with the students. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Undergraduate students received training in financial literacy and nutrition. Graduate also students received training in financial literacy and nutrition. Graduate students also received professional development in technical writing and statistical analysis. Graduate students and undergraduate students have begun a collaborative research project. It is in its incipient stage. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Preliminary results were presented at the national conference of the American Association for Agricultural Education in Oklahoma City, OK. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The financial literacy and nutrition education programming will take place during the next reporting period. Career exploration activities, leadership development and professional development activities, and internships for undergraduates will take place during the next reporting period. An unexpected collaboration on research between undergraduate and graduate students in the program will lead to additional dissemination opportunities. Faculty will work with the students to guide the project development and implementation.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Undergraduate students received mentoring from faculty, completed all workshops on financial literacy, and participated in six site visits to industry partners. Graduate students received professional development in technical writing and statistical analysis, received one-on-one mentoring from faculty, participated in all workshops on financial literacy, and participated in six site visits to industry partners.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Lamino Jaramillo, P., Boren Alpizar, A., Morales, S. (2022). Training, trust, and technology: A mixed-methods study of Latin American extension workers' experiences during COVID-19. Journal of International Agriculture and Extension Education, 29(1), 40 - 56.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Lami�o Jaramillo, P., Boren Alpizar, A., Millares Forno, C., Quijada Landaverde, R. (2021). Agricultural education and migration: A comparison of rural youth in El Salvador and Honduras. Advancements in Agricultural Development, 2(1), 70-82.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Baldock, K., Boren-Alpizar, A., & Irlbeck, E. (2022). Initiating and mobilizing a pipeline in agricultural careers training. Proceedings of the American Association of Agricultural Education National Conference, May 16 - 19, 2022. Oklahoma City, OK.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Lamino, P., Boren Alpizar, A., Morales, S., Burris, S., Carpio, C. (2021). A love-hate relationship: An ethnographic study of migration with Lenca women in rural Honduras. Migration and Development.10(2), 1-24.


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

Outputs
Target Audience:For this reporting period our target audience consisted of graduate students. Changes/Problems:The only change was the inability of ENMU to contract students during the reporting period due to restrictions related to the pandemic. The co-PIs at ENMU sought to reallocate approximately $28,000 from student salaries for the purchase of equipment. This was not approved. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Faculty were trained in appropriate mentoring techniques. Graduate students were provided with professional development in writing and statistics. 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?The program begins in September. All supportive services, such as financial literacy and nutrition, will be delivered. All career exploration activities will be implemented, in addition to the leadership development and professional development activities. Internships for undergraduates are slated to begin in May, 2022.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Curricula were developed to support students in their degree completion. Graduate students were provided with writing and statistical support and began their membership in graduate student organizations. Graduate students completed individual development plans to mark their progress in achieving professional goals. All faculty participated in mentor training to provide better support for graduate and undergraduate students. Recruitment materials for program participation were developed and students were recruited to participate in the program.

Publications