Progress 02/15/24 to 02/14/25
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audience for the 3rd summer of the grant period was to capture the previous two cohorts of participants in their entirety which would include forty teachers. We were expecting all participants to return to Bismarck State College for the final summer of drone instruction, curriculum sharing, and information gathering to wrap up the grant period. We did not achieve the number of teachers we hoped for in the final cohort with many teachers claiming conflicts with scheduling. Some teachers had resigned their positions from their school districts and/or had completely left the profession. Changes/Problems:A major challenge that presented itself during the course of this grant from the beginning of the grant period consisted of the following key areas: 2- Teachers leaving the teaching profession which then proliferated non-involvement. Eight teachers out of the original 40 dropped out of the teaching profession completely. The final cohort of teachers that came for the wrap-up session in the summer of 2024 were only twenty. It was a dissapointing turnout. More on this and reasons why we project the data should be investivagted further will be explained in the final report when the project concludes in the summer/fall of 2025. 3- A request to extend the life of the grant for one-year no-cost in order to reach more students/schools with outreach opportunities. When the grant was originally written we asked for a sum around the $250,000 mark, but was awarded $300,000. With that, we were thrilled as we were able to buy more equipment for teachers that directly and positively impacted their students and communities in rural North Dakota. On the flip side of this exciting opportunity for funding, many of the items needed to fulfill grant objectives and deliverables costs changed from high to low, and sometimes to no-cost. Software we needed that was expensive suddenly became free over the years due to site licensing agreements with the college, for example. We will be using the last few months of the grant to buy the drone that we need for the outreach activites at various participating schools that came in at a lower price than expected, and meet the project deliverables set forth by the project narrative on time. 4-Due to federal laws changing with UAS in relation to foreign policy, the drones we currently own that were bought with USDA monies were included in the "no fly" policy of DJI drones on a black-list, but we have been granted a waiver through the FAA that these drones will be safe and able to fly in the United States even though they were manufactured in China. This caused a significant amount of stress on the project as our drone curriculum would be harder to utilize without the drones if they were grounded due to new federal law. It seems that at the writing of this report, we have moved beyond this scare and should be able to move forward as expected. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Agenda: ND AgGET Teacher Workshop - 2024 June 18 9 - 9:30am Welcome to Bismarck State College Angie & Jeff 9:30-11:30 UAS and Renewable Energy - ENEL Energywww.enel.com Kenton Dreiling, Robotics & Technology Manager Cross Technical Services Management 11:30-12:30 Working Lunch -3ANDME Catering 12:30-2:30 Introduction to Soils & Web Mapper Dr. Vandeberg, University of North Dakota, Geography Dr. Mbuh, University of North Dakota, Geography 2:30-3 UAS, GIS and Engineering Technology Mr. Mark Steele, Energetic Grant Director, BSC 3-? Gateway to Science Tour 4:00-5 Check into hotel - 4:00-? ND Geographic Alliance Board of Directors Meeting @ BSC A & B Pizza @ Quality Inn Conference Room 6-9 Kent Ellis, T4 Director T4 introduces students to workforce skills, needs, training and networking opportunities with industry leaders and technicians! June 19 8:30-9 Overview of the day Angie & Jeff 9:30-12 USDA ARS Station Field Trip (Mandan) 12-1 pm Working Lunch -PIZZA RANCH 1 - 3 pm Campus Field Trip - Soil Profiles Lab Dr. Vandeberg 3 - 4 pm North Dakota "Ag in the Classroom" Director (and more!) Heather Lang, ND Department of Agriculture 4-5 pm The Famous Organic Garden Carmen Hoffner's House 5-9 pm Dinner Lesson Plan Sharing Reports - Student and Community Impacts How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The final dissemination of information will occur this summer with the website development and central location for all curriculum. At this time dissemination of information has only occurred at the schools the teachers currently teachat to students that were directly impacted by the drone curriculum generated by those teachers. The no-cost extension was granted for this project in order for us to continue a limited number of newopportunities for outreach to disseminate information and to finish the website. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to visit at least two more schools and work with teachers and the drone technology in the classrooms. These are activities that have been added with the granting of the extension. We plan to host a UAS camp on the Bismarck State College campus in April for Junior and Senior girls from the surrounding area hoping to enroll students from participating AgGETT schools. The final report will include statistics on outreach and impact of the project. The final website will be complete to showcase the work of students and teachers through the course of the project.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Twenty teachers returned to Bismarck State College in June 2024 to complete their obligation to the grant by sharing what they had accomplished with the drones and resources provided to them through being selected for the grant as project participants. This final cohort was to come back to Bismarck to report out on what they had accomplished. Each participant that came to the workshop created a powerpoint presentation that outlined how they used the technology to teach drones, agriculture, and career development at their schools. One example of acomplishments is this lesson plan: Lesson Plan Name: What is Biochar and What is it Good For? Course/Class/Subject: History, Geography, Biology Topic: Soil health Lesson Duration: Four class periods (two consecutive periods and two periods at later dates) Lesson Objectives: Students will identify what biochar is and how it is produced. Students will list two benefits of adding biochar to soil. Students will apply biochar to soil according to manufacturer's directions. Students will fly drone to remotely observe plant growth remotely, and draw conclusions from those observations. Summary of Tasks/Actions: Biochar is a black substance similar to charcoal, made by heating biomass with limited oxygen so it does not burn, but chars. Many believe that ancient people of the Amazon Basin created fertile terra preta (dark earth) in part by practicing slash-and-char agriculture. This may have been as simple as digging a hole in the ground, lighting a big fire, and covering it with dirt. However, the process they may have used is unclear. Adding biochar to the soil stores or sequesters carbon in the soil, and it may improve soil fertility (although improving fertility is usually not as simple as adding one material to the soil). Biochar may provide other benefits to soil health as well. Students will read the following article by Kurt Spokas of the USDA Agricultural Research Service. After learning about biochar, students will work biochar into a section of an agricultural field or garden plot according to the manufacturer's directions. Then the plot will be planted as usual. At two future intervals, students will fly a drone over the plot to see if there is a noticeable difference in plant growth. Materials/Equipment Needed: Computer, Internet connection, Commercial biochar, shovel, drone Key words: biochar, terra preta, carbon sequestration, slash-and-char, pyrolysis, biomass, soil fertility Three key questions: What is biochar and how is it produced? What is terra preta and where is it found? What are two main benefits of adding biochar to soil? Answers to questions Biochar is charred, charcoal-like material made by heating organic matter with little oxygen supply. Terra preta is "black earth" that is found in the Amazon Basin. Adding biochar to soil sequesters carbon in the soil and may improve soil fertility. Reflections: This activity is designed to teach students about biochar. It is NOT a scientific experiment. However, it could be adapted to an experiment. The lesson calls for the use of commercially produced biochar. This can be purchased at many garden supply or home improvement stores, or ordered online. It is possible to make biochar but this calls for a high temperature fire, which may be problematic for a school setting. Also, getting "good" biochar and finding the proper mix with a homemade system can be complicated. USDA's Agricultural Research Service web site has a great article on biochar by Kurt Spokas. Biochar : USDA ARS As always, when using the Internet, students should be aware of their sources. When searching the Internet for information on biochar, often the 'articles" that pop up are promotional materials for commercial biochar products, and will be heavily biased. Many more lesson plans were submitted in a similar fashion. These lesson plans will be displayed for downloading on the website once completed.
Publications
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Progress 02/15/23 to 02/14/24
Outputs
Target Audience:This was the second year of K-14 teacher training, and was quite similar to the year one training schedule. We tried to keep the workshop presenters consistent for the second cohort when possible.Evaluation data gathered from participants during and after the workshop was mainly very positive. One-hundred percent of participants believed that the training was worthwhile and useful. They would definately be using the USDA funded drone they received at the workshop to train students in their home schools about the technology, agriculture applications, and career paths. All teachers agreed that the Autel Drones that were purchased for them through the grant were fantastic and there was no way that they would have had the opportunity to purchase or learn the elements of flight in the same way without the workshop. The hands-on components of the workshop were the participants favorite parts of the training, along with the fieldtrips to the North Dakota Heritage Center (archeology and ground penetrating radar applications with drones and other types of technology), the Burleigh County Soil Conservation District, and Papa's Pumpkin Patch for flight time and practice. Impact statements gathered from participants about the training: (more available upon request): "Great information on many different things you can do with drones, as well as how to operate them safely and legally." "Very informative on what John Deere is doing in the area of agricultural technology." "Great job of clearly stating the basics of drone operation. Great work!" "Would have liked the lesson plan template sooner". This is something we have taken into consideration and will modify it for future gatherings. "Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this class. What a great group of people! The knowledge gained was tremendous. The leaders of this group make this what it is. There are so many opportunities presented that will be beneficial to our students. Thanks again for a great workshop . I hope it works out to come again next summer." Eighteen teachers attended the 2023summer drone UASAg-GET workshop in Bismarck, ND. This group served as Cohort 2. Cohorts 1 and 2will meet on the Bismarck State College campus in the summer of 2024 to wrap up the grant and share accomplishments. Demographically the teachers represented as 65%rural, 35% urban, withno college faculty. Tenpercent of faculty in attendance represented rural tribal nation schools, and 15% of rural schools represented economically disadvantaged areas. Ninety-percent of teachers identified as Caucasian. 10% of faculty identified as Native American. Seventy-sixpercent of instructors had no experience in drone technology and were only aware of agriculture in the classroom because of the "Ag in the Classroom" program. Teachers represented discpline specialties ranging from a specific grade (3rd for example) to middle school Social Studies to high school Agriculture classes. The experience level was wide and varied in technology and agriculture. All attendees comprised of elementary, middle and high school teachers impacting an estimated 380students to date. One teacher is an Extension Agent in 4H from a rural county that is entirely comprised of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in SW North Dakota. Her impact is much higher with a higher number of students reached, with 95% of students identifying as Native American. Her outreach numbers will be recorded at the Summer 2024 workshop. Changes/Problems:We haven'treleased the lesson plans beyond the teacher groups, but plan to at the end of the grant cycle when the website is ready to go live.One of the goals for professional development originally written into the grant was to provide regular webinars to keep educators on-track with professional development opportunitiesto gain more education on UAS and classroomtechniques. Webinars were scheduled but were poorly attended. Teacher schedules were erratic with littleparticipation. This turned out to not be the best way to disseminate information to teachers. It was a very hit and miss way to try to communicate with K-14 teachers. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The workshop consisted of 4 intensive days equaling 42 hours of instruction which led to teachers having the opportunity to apply for continuing education credit towards their teaching licensure through North Dakota State University. The agenda for the workshop reads as follows (See below): Monday 9-9:15am Welcome to Bismarck State College Dr. Doug Jensen, President, Bismarck State College 9:15-10am Introductions Information about AgGETT and USDA NIFA Program and Funding 10-12am Introduction to Drone Technology, Regulation and Safety 12-1:30pm Walk to the Student Union for a working lunch *We will all sit together in a designated area 1:30-4pm Drone Unboxing and Registration 4-5pm Site Orientation @ BSC Bowl Everyone will drive to the BSC Bowl 5-7pm Hotel Check-In (Quality Inn) Working Supper at Quality Inn Conference Room 7-9pm Hands-On Drones @ BSC Bowl (back to campus) Tuesday 8-11:30am Meet outside the front door of the Quality Inn Field Trip! RDO Equipment - Precision Farming/Technology and see the new GPS run tractors/combines 11:30-1:30pm Working Lunch at Bismarck State College Drone Lesson Plans Drone Curriculum Writing 1:30-4pm Overview of Precision Agriculture Simple GPS/Field Crop Scouting Activity Outside Ipad Activity - Monitors Farmers Utilize in the Field OER Overview 4-5pm Introduction to Remote Sensing 5-7:30pm Working Dinner @ Quality Inn Conference Room Mapping and Image Processing Software 7:30-9pmNorth Dakota State Historical Preservation Office - Drones and Soil Penetrating Radar - Historical Agriculture Remotely Sensed Imagery Overview Research Results and Applications Wednesday 8-11:30am Field Trip! Menoken Farm - Burleigh County Soil Conservation Service - USDA Bus will load at Bismarck State College at 8am 11:30-3pm Engaging Youth as Leaders in Your UAS Program - NDSU Extension Service - Fargo, ND. Explore strategies to empower your students to step up and take leadership with your new UAS resources and technology in your school and community Drone Discovery: An Easy Introductory Activity for Youth 3-4:30pm Field Trip! Frontier Precision Bus will load and return to Bismarck State College "Latest Geotechnology Presentation and the field of Geotech" 4:30-5:30pm Dinner 5:30-9pm Field Trip! Papa's Pumpkin Patch Bring drones to fly and learn about the business of Pumpkin farming from an entrepreneurial standpoint. Thursday 8-10am Drone2Map Demonstration 10-12pm Drone Training Modalities-Simulator-Hands on-Lecture-Video (Options for teaching). 12-1:30pm Working Lunch at Bismarck State College *we will all sit together 1-2pm AgGET Lesson Plan Deliverables What happens next? How to pull it all together 2-2:30pm Bismarck State College Admissions Presentation with Q and A 2:30-5pm Lesson Plans STEM/Geography/Drones/Soil Health/GIS in Schools Roundtable Discussion Evaluation Wrap-up with technology demonstrations Workshop Presenters Chris Cruz I have served as the Department Chair for Park Management, Geospatial and Unmanned Aircraft Technology at West Valley College in California for the last 24 years. Before that, I worked full-time for the National Park Service for 18 years and another 10 years seasonally as a Resource Protection Ranger, I have been fortunate to work in 12 national park units. Some of the positions he has held in the NPS, include SAR-EMS Officer for Yosemite NP, Law Enforcement Specialist and Operations Supervisor- Haleakala NP, Law Enforcement Specialist, Lake Roosevelt NRA, Backcountry Ranger Grand Canyon NP, Backcountry Ranger/Patrol- Lassen Volcanic NP, Patrol Ranger, Grand Tetons and Big Bend NP. I have a BA in Spanish Culture and Civilization from Indiana University and an MA in Environmental Studies from Prescott College, Az. I was a CO-PI on a National Science Foundation Project called iGETT Remote Sensing Education. I currently serve as a senior team member of the team for the National Geotech Center with a focus on UAS Technology. I am an FAA Part 107 certified Remote Pilot and maintain a GISP Certification. I love to hike and explore our public lands and share those experiences with family, friends and students. Dr. Rachelle Vettern Rachelle Vettern is a Professor and the Leadership and Volunteer Development Specialist for North Dakota State University Extension. In her Extension role, she conducts research and provides education for youth and adults in the areas of leadership, ethics, generations, youth development, and volunteer development.She works with both the NDSU Extension Center for 4-H Youth Development and Family and Community Wellness. In her faculty role, she teaches online classes for the Great Plains IDEA Youth Development master's program. She has her B.A. in Psychology and her M.S. in Counseling and Human Resource Development from South Dakota State University. Solli Frank Solli wears many hats as the co-founder and owner of Kajaer GeoConsulting, LLC, a federally designated Women Owned Small Business based out of Bismarck, ND. She is an adjunct faculty at Bismarck State College in Geographic Information Systems. She holds an FAA Part 107 Drone Pilot's License. She holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from North Dakota State University. www.kajaergeoconsulting.com Carmel Miller Carmel is an Associate Professor of Precision Agriculture at Bismarck State College and serves as the lead faculty member in the Agriculture, Technology and Natural Resources Department. Before her tenure at BSC she worked for the NDSU Extension Service in Grant, Bowman, and Stark Counties as an Agriculture Agent. She is known nationally for her work in precision agriculture and is active in the National Association of Agriculture Educators and Association for Career and Technical Education. She is an Honorary Chapter Farmer in FFA by the Bismarck, Carson and Bowman Chapters. How have How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated within the teacher cohort groups between 2022 and 2023. Teachers have gained a new community of users to test new methodologies and teaching strategies with one another to use with the drones they took home with them. Results of the entire grant cycle/project will be published for public consumption on the website created after the June 2024 teacher training concludes. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will meet as a large group in the summer of 2024 to wrap up the grant by brining all teachers who successfully completed and were paid for their lesson plans back to Bismarck State College for a wrap up session. We will have a time of sharing where each teacher will talk and present a short video or slideshow on what they accomplished with the drone in agriculture and incorporation of soil health into their classroom activities. We hope to learn more about how many students they have served along with demographics and target audience information. After the workshop ends, we will work with staff to create the website promised in the deliverables to promote UAS/Drone Lesson Plans for soil health from the Bismarck State College website. Starting in the fall of 2024, we will start making site visites to rural and economically disadvantaged schools in North Dakota with drones and lesson plans created by teachers to disseminate information to a larger audience. We will be represented at the North Dakota Geographic Allaince and will work with North Dakota Career and Technical Education to showcase the lesson plans once the website is running. We plan to have this website finished and live by January 2025.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Teachers had a wide variety of experiences over the 4-day workshop directly related to soil health, UAS operations, safety, and student engagement. OER lesson plans were submitted, and peer reviewed by workshop participants for various grade levels. A private Facebook Group was created for participants to talk amongst each other, share photos, and upload examples of experiences that were had in the classroom using the drones and lessons they created. Eighteen teachers completed lesson plans and submitted them for use on the website. Examples of lesson plans submitted (limited): Lesson Plan: Ag-GETT - Soil Health/Agriculture with Drone Technology - Lesson Plan Name: Community Gardens - Course/Class/Subject: Technology and Engineering Education - Grade Level: 7-8 - Standards: STEL 6 History of Technology - 6C Compare various technologies and how they have contributed to human progress. - 6D Engage in a research and development process to simulate how Invention and Innovation have evolved through systematic tests and refinements. Community Gardens: Lesson Description: Students will learn about drone technology and how it has helped farmers check soil quality. Students will plan out a community garden and how drones could be used to check on the crops, soil, and water quality. Lesson Objectives: Students will learn about the history of drone technology through making a drone timeline. Students will learn about the history of drones in agriculture. Students will learn about community gardens with planning one. Precision Ag - Soil Mapping: Grade Level 9-12: Soil Nutrient Deficiencies:Description: Students will learn about soil nutrient deficiencies, their causes, plant symptoms to identify conditions, and treatments to restore soil nutrients. Students will then learn about Unmanned Aerial Systems, safe and legal parameters to operate UAS, and how to apply UAS abilities to solve soil nutrition issues. ?
Publications
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Progress 02/15/22 to 02/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:Twenty teachers attended the 2022 summer drone UASAg-GET workshop in Bismarck, ND. This group served as Cohort 1. Cohort 2 will meet on the Bismarck State College campus in the summer of 2023. Demographically the teachers represented as 55% rural, 30% urban, and 15% college faculty. Ten percent of faculty in attendance represented rural tribal nation schools, and 25% of rural schools represented economically disadvantaged areas. Ninety-percent of teachers identified as Caucasian. 10% of faculty identified as Native American. Eighty-two percent of instructors had no experience in drone technology and were only aware of agriculture in the classroom because of the "Ag in the Classroom" program. Teachers represented discpline specialties ranging from a specific grade (3rd for example) to middle school Social Studies to high school Agriculture classes. The experience level was wide and varied in technology and agriculture. As teachers implement lessons in their classrooms, the secondary target audience were students of these instructors. Fifteen percentof attendes were college faculty teaching 4 separate courses (at the time) where approximately 65 students at the college level were exposedto UAS in agriculture concepts and the curriculum written by instructors from Cohort 1. The remaining 85% of attendees comprised of elementary, middle and high school teachers impacting an estimated 420 students to date. Plans are underway for the second cohor of instructors with a similar target audience with socioeconomic and ethnic diversity in mind. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The workshop consisted of 4 intensive days equaling 42 hours of instruction which led to teachers having the opportunity to apply for continuing education credit towards their teaching licensure through North Dakota State University. The agenda for the workshop reads as follows (See below): Monday August 1st 9-9:15am Welcome to Bismarck State College Dr. Doug Jensen, President, Bismarck State College 9:15-10am Introductions Information about AgGETT and USDA NIFA Program and Funding 10-12am Introduction to Drone Technology, Regulation and Safety 12-1:30pm Walk to the Student Union for a working lunch *We will all sit together in a designated area 1:30-4pm Drone Unboxing and Registration 4-5pm Site Orientation @ BSC Bowl Everyone will drive to the BSC Bowl 5-7pm Hotel Check-In (Quality Inn) Working Supper at Quality Inn Conference Room 7-9pm Hands-On Drones @ BSC Bowl (back to campus) Tuesday, August 2nd 8-11:30am Meet outside the front door of the Quality Inn Field Trip! Gabe Brown Ranch - https://brownsranch.us/ "Regenerating Landscapes for a Sustainable Future" Gabe Brown - Soil Health 11:30-1:30pm Working Lunch at Bismarck State College Drone Lesson Plans Drone Curriculum 1:30-4pm Overview of Precision Agriculture Simple GPS/Field Crop Scouting Activity Outside Ipad Activity - Monitors Farmers Utilize in the Field OER Overview 4-5pm Introduction to Remote Sensing 5-7:30pm Working Dinner @ Quality Inn Conference Room Drone Applications in Agriculture, Archeology, and More Mapping and Image Processing Software 7:30-9pm Introduction to the USDA ARS Station in Mandan, ND -NGPRL Remotely SensedImagery Overview Research Results and Applications Wednesday, August 3rd 8-11:30amField Trip! Menoken Farm - Burleigh County Soil Conservation Service - USDA Bus will load at Bismarck State College at 8am 11:30-3pmEngaging Youth as Leaders in Your UAS Program Explore strategies to empower your students to step up and take leadership with your new UAS resources and technology in your school and community Drone Discovery: An Easy Introductory Activity for Youth 3-4:30pm Field Trip! Frontier Precision Bus will load and return to Bismarck State College "Latest Geotechnology Presentation and the field of Geotech" 4:30-5:30pm Dinner 5:30-9pm Field Trip! Papa's Pumpkin Patch Bring drones to fly and learn about the business of Pumpkin farming from an entrepreneurial standpoint. Thursday August 4th 8-10am Drone2Map Demonstration 10-12pm Drone Training Modalities-Simulator-Hands on-Lecture-Video (Options for teaching). 12-1:30pm Working Lunch at Bismarck State College *we will all sit together 1-2pm AgGET Lesson Plan Deliverables What happens next? How to pull it all together 2-2:30pm Bismarck State College Admissions Presentation with Q and A 2:30-5pm Lesson Plans STEM/Geography/Drones/Soil Health/GIS in Schools Roundtable Discussion Evaluation Wrap-up with technology demonstrations Workshop Presenters Chris Cruz I have served as the Department Chair for Park Management, Geospatial and Unmanned Aircraft Technology at West Valley College in California for the last 24 years. Before that, I worked full-time for the National Park Service for 18 years and another 10 years seasonally as a Resource Protection Ranger, I have been fortunate to work in 12 national park units. Some of the positions he has held in the NPS, include SAR-EMS Officer for Yosemite NP, Law Enforcement Specialist and Operations Supervisor- Haleakala NP, Law Enforcement Specialist, Lake Roosevelt NRA, Backcountry Ranger Grand Canyon NP, Backcountry Ranger/Patrol- Lassen Volcanic NP, Patrol Ranger, Grand Tetons and Big Bend NP. I have a BA in Spanish Culture and Civilization from Indiana University and an MA in Environmental Studies from Prescott College, Az. I was a CO-PI on a National Science Foundation Project called iGETT Remote Sensing Education. I currently serve as a senior team member of the team for the National Geotech Center with a focus on UAS Technology. I am an FAA Part 107 certified Remote Pilot and maintain a GISP Certification. I love to hike and explore our public lands and share those experiences with family, friends and students. Dr. Rachelle Vettern Rachelle Vettern is a Professor and the Leadership and Volunteer Development Specialist for North Dakota State University Extension. In her Extension role, she conducts research and provides education for youth and adults in the areas of leadership, ethics, generations, youth development, and volunteer development.She works with both the NDSU Extension Center for 4-H Youth Development and Family and Community Wellness. In her faculty role, she teaches online classes for the Great Plains IDEA Youth Development master's program. She has her B.A. in Psychology and her M.S. in Counseling and Human Resource Development from South Dakota State University. Her Ph.D. is in Counselor Education and Supervision from North Dakota State University. Dr. Lindsey Leker Lindsey is a 4-H Youth Development Specialist at North Dakota State University. She is in charge of state-wide STEM programming and also has a leadership role within the 4-H summer camping program. Lindsey received her PhD in Educational Foundations of Research from the University of North Dakota, and her M.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience from North Dakota State University. Prior to her employment with NDSU she taught psychology and neuroscience courses at Minnesota State University Moorhead and Mayville State University. Dr. Nicador Saliendra Nicador serves as an Ecologist at the Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory (NGPRL). His current research includes the study of sustainable rangeland productivity in conjunction with ground-level biometric/spectral measurements and air-borne hyperspectral imageries or remote sensing. He recently joined the NGPRL in June 2011 after working on biophysical research projects that involve measurements and modeling of carbon, water and energy fluxes at different spatial scales such as ecosystem and landscape levels. His past research has encompassed a wide range of ecosystems including suburban forests in Maryland, regenerating forests and wetlands in northern Wisconsin, and various rangelands in Utah, Idaho and Central Asia at the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. His post-doctoral research topics have included water relations, hydraulic conductance, carbon isotope discrimination, and leaf/whole plant gas exchange, i.e., water vapor and carbon dioxide, in sugarcane cultivars, coffee varieties and a riparian tree species. He obtained his Ph.D. in agronomy and soil science from the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, and M.S. in agronomy and B.S. in agriculture from the University of the Philippines at Los Baos. Solli Frank Solli wears many hats as the co-founder and owner of Kajaer GeoConsulting, LLC, a federally designated Women Owned Small Business based out of Bismarck, ND. She is an adjunct faculty at Bismarck State College in Geographic Information Systems. She holds an FAA Part 107 Drone Pilot's License. She holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from North Dakota State University. www.kajaergeoconsulting.com Carmel Miller Carmel is an Associate Professor of Precision Agriculture at Bismarck State College and serves as the lead faculty member in the Agriculture, Technology and Natural Resources Department. Before her tenure at BSC she worked for the NDSU Extension Service in Grant, Bowman, and Stark Counties as an Agriculture Agent. She is known nationally for her work in precision agriculture and is active in the National Association of Agriculture Educators and Association for Career and Technical Education. She is an Honorary Chapter Farmer in FFA by the Bismarck, Carson and Bowman Chapters. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?All of the open source resources will be posted on a new website created by Bismarck State College dedicated to these USDA funded curricula. The estimated "go live" time for these lessons will be the fall of 2023 after Cohort 2 supplies their curricula after the summer 2023 workshop ends. The curricula from both cohorts will be matched, edited for clarity, peer reviewed a final time and made public. Twenty curricula are complete. One of the goals for professional development originally written into the grant was to provide regular webinars to keep educators on-track with professional development opportunities, or ways to gain more education on UAS and classroom techniques. We had a lengthy discussion about teaacher time commitments during the school year. We decided that we would hold off on the webinars until the 2nd teacher cohort finished their training, and then regularly scheduledweb-based zoom calls/training opportunities would start in the fall of 2023. This way all 40 teachers can listen in and stay connected in anticipation of the entire group getting back together in the summer of 2024. In the mean-time teachers stayed connected through the development of a private Facebook page where they could share successes amongst each other and share photo's of classroom drone use through the technology provided by the grant and the lesson plan they created and not miss any of the planned speaker series. All forty teachers and invited guests will have access to these resources. Although time may still be a factor in a teachers' ability to attend, we will offer opportunities that will not be a requirement to attend, but an opportunity to stay connected until the last summer workshop in summer 2024 when we wrap up the grant and all deliverables. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We had originally planned to add the first twenty lesson plans to a custom-built website on the Bismarck State College site, but after thinking about it we decided to wait until the second cohort completed lesson plans in order to format and maintain consistency amongst all curricula. Cohort 1 had an extended deadline set in December 2022 to submit their lesson plans, so we decided to combine the efforts of Cohorts 1 and 2 into one curriculum library instead of two. Cohort 2 will be meeting on the Bismarck State College campus June 19-22 with a full line-up of agricultural technology experiences, UAS and field trips similar to the Cohort 1 experience. We have a great line-up and a solid agenda to lead a successful summer workshop.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Evaluation data gathered from participants during and after the workshop was mainly very positive. Ninety-five percent of participants believed that the training was worthwhile and useful. They would definately be using the USDA funded drone they received at the workshop to train students in their home schools about the technology, agriculture applications, and career paths. All teachers agreed that the Autel Drones that were purchased for them through the grant were fantastic and there was no way that they would have had the opportunity to purchase or learn the elements of flight in the same way without the workshop. The hands-on components of the workshop were theparticipants favorite parts of the training, along with the field-trips to the Gabe Brown Ranch, the Burleigh County Soil Conservation District, and Papa's Pumpkin Patch for flight time and practice. Limited impact statements gathered from participants about the training: (more available upon request) "Jeff Beck and Angie Milakovic were able to organize and present a very information-packedprogram. There were three specific highlights that centered around the importanceof Regenerative Agriculture. First was a visit to Brown's Ranch to visit the nationally acclaimedGabe Brown the Author of "Dirt to Soil" and a focal point in the Movie "Kiss the Ground". We wereable to see firsthand on his ranch the power of regenerative agriculture specifically the use of multi-speciescover crops (diversity), living roots in the ground, animal integration, no soil disturbance-No-till/no chemical,and understanding your context. We then visited Menoken Conservation Farm which furthered the importanceof conservation this farm is part of the Burleigh County Soil Conservation District. We were also able to learn the useofdrones at that location, Bismarck State College and Papa's Pumpkin Patch. This workshop was crucial to my learningof the importance of regenerative agriculture. I appreciate the support received from the USDA in providing this opportunity." "As a result of this training I am building two new college courses for Williston State College. UAS 101: Introduction to UAS Operations, and UAS 102: Basic Flight Training." "I just wanted to let you both know how very much I appreciate all you did to make this week amazing. I look forward to sharing my experiences with my students and then hearing their questions!" "I love to see the posts about all of the neat ways you are empowering youth to use the drones. Your students are lucky to have you as incredible, experiential teachers. Thanks for inviting me to your class this summer." "Great program! I would highly recommend this workshop for teachers next year!"
Publications
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Progress 02/15/21 to 02/14/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The application for K-16 teachers and faculty to apply for competitive admission to Cohort 1 was developed and marketed through various North Dakota teacher networks in November 2021. The application was due in December 2021. Twenty teachers spanning from grade school, middle school, high school and 2 community college instructors were chosen to participate from the applications received in Cohort 1 of the on-site summer professional development workshop. Teachers were selected with diversity of applications in mind with emphasis on underserved populations.We have a diverse group of participants from varied socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. The participants are from all corners of North Dakota. Changes/Problems:The application for Cohort 1 was due in December 2021. We had trouble getting enough teachers with diverse backgrounds to apply for the opportunity to be part of the grant workshop. It was a challenge to reach underserved audiences, but the grant team did further outreach through word-of-mouth, direct contact with schools, and extended the invitation to teachers in Minnesota who wanted to apply. Through these efforts, we reached our capacity of 20 diverse participants for the first workshop. COVID might still be an issue as teachers are not sure if they can or want to travel to a training, but we are working to ensure that there are alternates in case teachers must drop out of the training at the last minute. Securing drones that are approved for use by the US Federal Government and product availability have been a challenge. Ordering drones in bulk and ongoing supply chain bottlenecks are an issue. We are working on securing a USA made drone to ensure greater availability. It could still take a few months for the shipment to arrive. 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?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The first workshop for Cohort 1 dates were set for August 1-4th, 2022. It will take place on the Bismarck State College campus. The teacher participants for Cohort 1 were selected from an application process. The schedule for the 4-day training is being developed. We have secured field trips to local farms and the Burleigh County Soil Conservation Service for teachers to learn more about soil science and other agricultural literacy. A connection was made with a California Community College educator from West Valley Community College Park Management, Geospatial and UAS Technology through the NSF funded National Geospatial Center of Excellence grant. He will be traveling to North Dakota to teach a large part of the drone technology for teachers and will be largely funded through the National Science Foundation for his time, as a project deliverable for NSF and geospatial outreach. The drones for the summer program are being researched and should be ordered in the month of February 2022. Logistics for housing have been secured, buildings and grounds have the workshop scheduled on the BSC campus, and Campus Security is aware of our training and will file paperwork on our behalf to fly drones on campus for insurance and liability. Accounting services at BSC have been set-up and processes are in place for payments, purchases, and other miscellaneous items. Contracts have been issued to Jeff Beck as per the project activity for year one. The project director has begun work on the evaluation of the project through the creation and implementation of survey instruments to capture in-take and out-take knowledge of participants. Data will be retained and used for qualitative evaluation of the project and continuous improvement for future workshops. Evaluation data will be retained for final, summative evaluation of the project and reporting.
Publications
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