Progress 07/15/23 to 07/14/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The scholarship recipients for the SC State 1890 Agriculture Innovation Scholarship (AIS) program are students from the United States of America who have excelled academically and who have an interest in agriculture and food production related careers. Potential scholars for the AIS program must meet the following selection criteria: (1) Must be a citizen or national of the United States; (2) Accepted for admission to SC State; (3) Begin school at SC State no later than the first fallsemester following their high school or community college graduation; (4) Agree to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree within an accepted food and agricultural sciences and related fields within the College of Agriculture and Family & Consumer Sciences departments; (5) Intend to pursue a career in the food and agricultural sciences or other related disciplines; (6) Have a minimum cumulative 3.0 grade point average (GPA) or higher at the time of application (either from high school if entering as a freshman or community college if entering as a transfer student), and maintain at least a 3.0 GPA or higher on a semester and cumulative basis while receiving scholarship support from the program; (7) Be enrolled in at least 15 credits in the food and agricultural sciences and related fields degree program leading to an undergraduate degree during each semester he/she receives 1890 AIS support. Hence, the scholarship award is good for a maximum of 8 consecutive fall/spring semesters (excluding summers) at SC State, provided the 1890 scholars maintain the required minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Scholars who wish to be reconsidered as a scholar, must first regain admission to the university and reapply for the scholarship program; funding will be awarded based upon availability. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?To accomplish this goal, AIS program has instituted actionable strategic and intentional initiatives providing academic and professional coaching to scholarship recipients. Scholarship recipients are required to meet collectively for WIN Wednesdays (Fall Semester) and AG Mondays (Spring 2023), which provides academic, professional, leadership, and personal development opportunities. This monthly development workshop originally began as WIN Wednesdays during the Fall 2022 semester, but we changed it to AG Mondays during Spring 2023 to better accommodate the class schedules and availability of our scholarship recipients. The workshop occurred once a month for 2 hours. In addition to this development workshop, each scholars met twice 1:1 with a staff member of the program team during the academic year, once during the beginning of the Fall semester to set goals and expectations for the academic year and then once at the end of the Spring semester to review and discuss successes and challenges of the academic year. Research indicates that students who make early meaningful connections with faculty and/or staff are more likely to persist to graduation. AIS program collaborated with the USDA liaison to host the Ag Speaker Series. The Ag Speaker series is a monthly virtual meeting that introduces the scholars to a wide array of professionals in different career fields connected to agriculture and nutrition. Students were able to attend Professional Development Conferences such as Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences Regional and National Conference, USDA Outlook Forum, Men of Color National Summit, Association of Research Administrators Symposium, USDA-NRC Career Development Fall and Spring Conferences, Professional Agriculture Workers Conference, National Black Growers Council Field Day, Agriculture Future of America. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated to communities of interest through social media, press releases, podcasts, surveys, and emails. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?To accomplish the goals of the AIS program we will coordinate robust recruiting efforts to obtain outstanding students who were interested in majoring in the College of Agriculture and Family and Consumer and Sciences at SC State University. The recruitment team will host both in-person and virtual recruitment events to provide information about the AIS to potential students, parents, and high school administrators. The AIS program will continue to hold its monthly professional development workshops and continue to take students of professional development trips where they will have the opportunity to present research and compete in competitions related to agriculture and natural resources.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Under these goals the AIS program was able to accomplish the following: 1. Thirteen graduates in May 2024 all under the College of Agriculture and Family Consumer Sciences. 2. No students removed from the program due to academic ineligibility.
Publications
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Progress 07/15/22 to 07/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The scholarship recipients for the SC State 1890 Agriculture Innovation Scholarship (AIS) program are students from South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina who have excelled academically and who have an interest in agriculture and food production related careers. Potential scholars for the AIS program must meet the following selection criteria: (1) Must be a citizen or national of the United States; (2) Accepted for admission to SC State; (3) Begin school at SC State no later than the first fall semester following their high school or community college graduation; (4) Agree to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree within an accepted food and agricultural sciences and related fields within the College of Agriculture and Family & Consumer Sciences departments; (5) Intend to pursue a career in the food and agricultural sciences or other related disciplines; (6) Have a minimum cumulative 2.8 grade point average (GPA) or higher at the time of application (either from high school if entering as a freshman or community college if entering as a transfer student), and maintain at least a 2.8 GPA or higher on a semester and cumulative basis while receiving scholarship support from the program; (7) Be enrolled in at least 15 credits in the food and agricultural sciences and related fields degree program leading to an undergraduate degree during each semester he/she receives 1890 AIS support. Hence, the scholarship award is good for a maximum of 8 consecutive fall/spring semesters (excluding summers) at SC State, provided the 1890 scholars maintain the required minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Scholars who wish to be reconsidered as a scholar, must first regain admission to the university and reapply for the scholarship program; funding will be awarded based upon availability. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The SC State 1890 AIS Program is committed to the professional development of its scholars. The AIS program hosts monthly academic, professional, and personal development workshops. The sessions encouraged scholars to form a winning mindset in every endeavor in their life and to introduce and teach practical skills that will prepare them for the workforce and life after graduation. Topics have included: connecting to campus life, civic responsibility, resume and cover letter writing, how to dress for a professional interview, financial management, and meet the Deans. Each of the topics and speakers were specifically chosen to advance the scholar's knowledge so they can become productive students, leaders, and members of society. The AIS program also encourages practical career related experiences. The monthly Ag Speakers Series has provided a space where scholars could hear directly from professionals in various agriculture related occupations. The speakers provided a general overview of their occupation and detailed their journey into their current job. Scholars also had the opportunity to engage with the speakers and ask questions. It is believed the experience will connect the scholars to an array of job possibilities and open their minds to jobs they typically were not aware of. In addition, it is expected that each scholar obtains a summer internship during their matriculation at SC State. The AIS program introduced the scholars to USDA and the internship application process this year. Partnering with the SC State USDA liaison, the scholars had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the USDA website and the process of obtaining an internship. Scholars could also e-mail their resumes to be reviewed by the USDA liaison. Trainings and professional development opportunities helped the scholars come one step closer to mastering leadership and professionalism. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The SC State 1890 Agriculture Innovation Scholarship (AIS) Program has impacted communities of interest. First, the AIS program recruitment plan is to engage underserved communities South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. The goal of the AIS program was to recruit a diverse student population who desire to pursue a professional career in agriculture related professions. This was accomplished by an aggressive marketing campaign utilizing social media, print media, radio, streaming services, connecting with education leaders, and like mission community organizations and agencies. Secondly, the AIS program seeks to assist scholars with internships with USDA around the country. Through the professional development workshops, scholars are positioned to excel as young professionals adhering to learned workforce norms and expectations. Twenty (20) Ag Scholars obtained an internship for summer 2024. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Continue implementing the goals and objectives. Hire a tutor to support the study lab Continue offering Win Wednesday and Ag Thursdays student development activities Recruit and enroll students into cohort #6 Offering mentoring and coaching sessions to AIS students
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The SC State 1890 AIS program identified three major goals to guide the direction of the program for the four-year scholarship period. In summary, the three goals are: (1) increase student enrollment in agriculture fields, (2) increase the number of graduates in agriculture fields, and (3) expand experimental learning opportunities. To meet these goals by the end of the four-year period, the AIS program created a plan of action. The AIS program has had many accomplishments along the way. Recruitment - During Year 1, 2020-2021 academic year, 26 scholars were recruited to be a part of the inaugural cohort of the SC State 1890 AIS Program. For Year 2, 2021-2022 academic year, 25 scholars were recruited for the 2nd cohort. Fifteen scholars were male, and 10 scholars were female. Twenty-two of the scholars were South Carolina natives, while 3 of the scholars are out-of-state students representing Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. The average GPA of the 2nd cohort was 3.63. For Year 3, 2022 - 2023 academic year, 27 scholars were recruited to be a part of the 3rd cohort. 5 out of the 27 students are classified as out-of-state students. Thirteen scholars are female while fourteen scholars are male. For the 4th cohort the average GPA was above a 3.25. 9 were males and 5 females.7 were in state and 7 were out-of-state all from Georgia. During the recruitment periods, AIS program was able to make meaningful and lasting connections with school districts, high schools, principals, and counselors across the State of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. The connections allowed 1890 Research and Extension to be a gateway to opportunities to coordinate organizational initiatives and help with the publicity and promotion of the SC State 1890 AIS in the future. During this time AIS also had a both at the Battle of the Bands in Atlanta, GA where we were able to share information concerning the program. To cumulate the recruitment period, the AIS program hosted a one in-person Welcome Orientations during the summer to welcome the new scholars and their families to the SC State. Scholars were allowed to bring up to 2 parental guests. During the orientation, participates were able to meet their cohort, tour the campus, meet with executive director of 1890 Research and Extension, meet their academic deans and faculty, and first year academic advisors. The program was a major success and a great introduction to campus life. During this time we also assigned roommates and the students were able to break out into small groups according to major. Professional Development - In addition to orientation, the AIS program also hosted monthly professional development workshop (Win Wednesday in the Fall 2023 and Ag Mondays in Spring 2024) and the Ag Speaker Series virtually. These opportunities kept the scholars connected and engaged with the program and with their peers while providing meaningful, relevant, and consistent programming is also part of the retention plan for the scholars. AIS Program sponsored 30 AG Scholars to attend different professional development conferences such as MANRRS Regional and National Conferences, 1890 Career Development Conference, Men of Color National Summit, Association of Research Administrators and the USDA Agriculture Outlook Forum. AIS Program encourages internship attainment. All AG Scholars are expected to obtain an internship in their desired career field. Connection to resources - The SC State 1890 AIS Program strives to meet the relevant academic needs of its scholars. The AIS program remain continuously connected to its scholars to ensure the scholars remain successful in their academic and college journey. All scholars received a complimentary laptop to assist with their assignment. Many of the scholars did not have a personal laptop so this helped ease anxieties to focus more on their class assignments. The AIS program has connected with the Office of Student Success and Retention (SSRP) to provide extra assistance with class registration, FAFSA completion, and tutoring assistance. The AIS program has connected with the USDA liaison to assist scholars with providing information about USDA internships, applying for internships, reviewing resumes and cover letters, and hosting USDA and NIFA representatives on campus. To meet the needs of our scholars AIS program opened the AG Scholars Study Lab in Spring 2022 to provide a dedicated workspace for scholars to focus on their class work and to receive tutoring. A graduate assistant was hired to oversee the operations of the lab and to provide 'intrusive' advising/coaching to the students whose GPA is on the verge of 3.0 cumulative minimum. One student assistant was hired to work the receptionist desk and provide onsite tutoring. In Fall of 2023 seeing the need for the students we hired a full-time Tutor for the study lab.
Publications
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Progress 07/15/21 to 07/14/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The scholarship recipients for the SC State 1890 Agriculture Innovation Scholarship program are students from South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina who have excelled academically and who have an interest in agriculture and food production related careers. Potential scholars for the SC State 1890 AgricultureInnovation Scholarship must meet the following selection criteria: (1) Must be a citizen or national of the United States; (2) Accepted for admission to SC State; (3) Begin school at SC State no later than the first fall semester following their high school or community college graduation; (4) Agree to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree within an accepted food and agricultural sciences and related fields within the agribusiness and Family & Consumer Sciences departments; (5) Intend to pursue a career in the food and agricultural sciences or other related disciplines; (6) Have a minimum cumulative 2.8 grade point average (GPA) or higher at the time of application (either from high school if entering as a freshman or community college if entering as a transfer student), and maintain at least a 2.8 GPA or higher on a semester and cumulative basis while receiving scholarship support from the program; (7) Be enrolled in at least 15 credits in the food and agricultural sciences and related fields degree program leading to an undergraduate degree during each semester he/she receives 1890 Agriculture Innovation Scholarship support. Hence, the scholarship award is good for a maximum of 8 consecutive fall/spring semesters (excluding summers) at SC State, provided the 1890 scholars maintain the required minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher. Scholars who wish to be reconsidered as a scholar, must first regain admission to the university and reapply for the scholarship program; funding will be awarded based upon availability. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The SC State 1890 Agriculture Innovation Scholarship Program was committed to the professional development of its scholars. The scholars program hosts monthly academic, professional, and personal development workshops called WIN Wednesdays. The sessions encouraged scholars to form a winning mindset in every endeavor in their life and to introduce and teach practical skills that will prepare them for the workforce and life after graduation. Topics have included: connecting to campus life, civic responsibility, resume and cover letter writing, how to dress for a professional interview, financial management, and meet the Deans. Each of the topics and speakers were specifically chosen to advance the scholar's knowledge so they can become productive students and members of society. A highlight of WIN Wednesdays this year was Sc State alumni and author Jarrett Wofford who spoke with the students about how his college experiences helped shaped his career as an author and entrepreneur. The scholars program also encourages practical career related experiences. The monthly Ag Speakers Series has provided a space where scholars could hear directly from professionals in various agriculture related occupations. The speakers provided a general overview of their occupation and detailed their journey into their current job. Scholars also had the opportunity to engage with the speakers and ask questions. It is believed the experience will connect the scholars to an array of job possibilities and open their minds to jobs they typically were not aware of. In addition, it is expected that each scholar obtains a summer internship during their matriculation at SC State. The scholars program introduced the scholars to USDA and the internship application process this year. Partnering with the SC State USDA liaison, the scholars had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the USDA website and the process of obtaining an internship. Scholars could also e-mail their resumes to be reviewed by the USDA liaison. Trainings and professional development opportunities helped the scholars come one step closer to mastering leadership and professionalism. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The SC State 1890 Agriculture Innovation Scholarship Program has impacted communities of interest. First, part of the scholars program recruitment plan is to engage underserved communities South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. The goal of the scholars program was to recruit a diverse student population who desired to pursue a professional career in agriculture related professions. This was accomplished by anaggressive marketing campaign utilizing social media, print media, radio, streaming services, connecting with education leaders, and like mission community organizations and agencies. Secondly, the scholars program also seeks to assist scholars with internships with USDA around the country. Through the professional development workshops, scholar's are positioned to excel as young professionals adhering to learned workforce norms and expectations. The majority of cohort have obtained an internship for summer 2022. Thirdly, several scholars participated in agriculture day at the South Carolina state fair. This was an opportunity for scholars highlight the SC State University and it's College of Agriculture, Family, and Consumer Science. Finally, the scholars created an informational video offering tips on how to dress for a professional job interview. The video was disseminated on the SC State 1890 Research and Extension social media pages. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?To accomplish the goals of the SC State 1890 Agriculture Innovation Scholarship Program, we plan to continue to assess and evaluate the programs effectiveness. Every month during the academic year, the scholarship team, along with the Vice President and Executive Director of 1890 Research and Extension, Director of Strategic Initiatives, USDA liaison, and 1890 fiscal manager meets to discuss the progress, challenges, and direction of the scholarship program. These meetings are very helpful for the sustainability of the program because it brings all concerned parties to the table on a regular basis to ensure that the program remains in compliance and that the program is meeting the needs of the scholars. At the end of each semester, scholars complete an evaluation where they can provide feedback concerning the program. Their collective responses are instrumental for making meaningful changes. Utilizing the survey responses and learned experiences from coordinating the scholars program, the following are additional plans to help meet the scholars program goals: Goal 1 - Increase student enrollment in agriculture related fields: The scholars program will continue to coordinate with the SC State Office of Admissions to recruit outstanding incoming freshmen and transfer students into the scholars program. Utilizing SC State Admissions office will allow the scholars program to coordinate more targeted student populations to increase the capacity of the program. To ensure the scholars program reach our targeted enrollment numbers, the plan is to expand the recruiting timeline from November 2022 through April 2023. This will allow the scholars program more time to recruit students and to capture top-tier scholars earlier. The scholars program will be more aggressive in the advertising and marketing of the scholars program, utilizing social media, printed media, radio, and streaming services. Due to COVID-19, we were limited in some areas for in-person recruiting but now that many of the COVID-19 precautions has been lifted, we will be able to attend more in-person college and scholarship fairs and to set up recruiting tables at high schools of interest. Lastly, SC State has a renown educational leadership program where many of South Carolina's school counselors, principals, and superintendents are alumni. The scholars program will utilize its alumni connections to assist in the publicity and recommend outstanding students for the scholarship. These collective efforts in concert with each will help the program meet its four-year goal of increasing student enrollment in agriculture related fields by 15%. Goal 2 - Increase number of graduates in agriculture related fields: The SC State 1890 Agriculture Innovation Scholarship Program will continue to be aggressive in ensuring that the scholars excel as productive students at SC State and persist to graduation, which is the ultimate goal. The scholars program has coordinated with the SC State data manager to receive mid-terms grades and final semester grades. This will ensure that the scholars program are regularly tracking the scholars along their academic journey and allow the scholars program to provide early interventions, if needed. The scholars program will continue to consult with faculty advisors and the Office of Student Success and Retention to keep the scholars informed about university academic resources and opportunities. Lastly, the scholars program will remain diligent in offering holistic student development opportunities, including attending and presenting at regional and national conferences, to ensure that the scholar's spiritual, mental, and social needs are being met. Student development research has proven that these types of opportunities can have a major affect on matriculation. Goal 3 - Increase experimental learning opportunities: The SC State 1890 Agriculture Innovation Scholarship Program plans to provide various experimental learning opportunities to broaden the scholar's knowledge. Three signature programs that the scholars will participate in are WIN Wednesdays, Ag Speakers Series, and MANRRS. WIN Wednesdays will offer academic, professional, and personal development opportunities. The Ag Speaker Series will offer the opportunity for scholars to engage with current professionals in agriculture related careers. MANRRS is a national student organization that promotes academic and professional achievement and offer leadership and national agriculture opportunities. In addition to the three programs, scholars are expected to obtain an agriculture related internship during their matriculation at SC State. Lastly, scholars who are seeking employment and/or a work-study position will be encouraged to apply for student positions within the 1890 Research and Extension Department.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The SC State 1890 Agriculture Innovation Scholarship has had an immediate impact on the post-secondary access and persistence of college students from around the country and the university at large. The scholars' program has encouraged outstanding students to attend the university to pursue and graduate with a baccalaureate degree in the food and agricultural sciences and other related fields which would lead to a highly skilled food and agricultural systems workforce. As a direct result, more students have enrolled in the majors of Agribusiness and Family & Consumer Sciences. In addition to providing the necessary funding for students to pay for college, the 1890 Agriculture Innovation Scholarships has helped mitigate the risk of students withdrawing from the university and not earning their degrees. Thus, helping to reduce student's financial constraints and concerns, the scholarship program allowed students more time for studying, learning in the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human science degree programs and engaging in personal and professional development opportunities. The SC State 1890 Agriculture Innovation Scholarship Program has witnessed many accomplishments during 2021-2022 academic year. With the support and assistance of the 1890 Research and Extension leadership, university officials, and community partners, we were able to make major impacts in the lives of our scholarship recipients and the university. The measurable goals for the SC State 1890 Agriculture Innovation Scholarship Program: Increase student enrollment to prepare a diverse workforce from the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences and the Department of Accounting, Agribusiness and Economics by 15% within the 4-year project period. Increase the number of graduates from the Department of Accounting, Agribusiness and Economics, and the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences by 15% within the 4-year project period. Expand the experiential learning opportunities for SC State 1890 Agriculture Innovation Scholars within the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences and Department of Accounting, Agribusiness and Economics, by 20% within the 4-year project period. To accomplish Goal #1, the scholars program coordinated robust recruiting efforts to obtain outstanding students who were interested in majoring in Agribusiness or Family & Consumer Sciences at SC State. Our recruitment team were able to host and attend both in-person and virtual recruitment events. The recruitment team visited over 25 high schools in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia publicizing and talking to students, teachers, counselors, parents, and administrators about the scholarship opportunity. We also participated in college and scholarship fairs, both in-person and virtual. We publicize the scholarship at our College 101 Workshops across the state which our current scholarship recipients were able to talk directly to attendees about their college experiences. In addition, we worked with 1890 Marketing and Communications Department to advertise the scholarship program in local newspapers and our social media outlets, such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Lastly, we worked with the SC State Admissions Department to obtain a list of all accepted students who declared Agribusiness or Family & Consumer Science as a major. We, then, sent an e-mail and mailing to publicize the scholarship. A scholarship review committee was formed that consisted of the faculty in Agribusiness and Family & Consumer Science Departments and 1890 staff. The scholarship review committee was tasked with reviewing scholarship applications, making sure each applicant met minimum requirements, and recommended formidable Ag Scholars to the program director. The recruitment goal for Fall 2022 is sixteen (16) new scholars in the 3rd cohort. Currently, there are 39 students in the Agriculture Innovation Scholarship program. To accomplish Goal #2, the scholars program has been strategic and intentional about providing academic and professional coaching to scholarship recipients. Scholarship recipients are required to meet collectively for WIN Wednesdays, which provides academic, professional, and personal development opportunities. WIN Wednesdays occurs once a month during the academic year. In addition to WIN Wednesdays, scholars meet twice 1:1 with the program director during the academic year, once during the beginning of the Fall semester to set goals and expectations for the academic year and then once at the end of the Spring semester to review and discuss successes and challenges of the academic year. Research shows students who make early meaningful connections with faculty and/or staff are more likely to persist to graduation. The scholars program served as a resource with the Office of Student Success and Retention. The scholars program worked diligently with the Office of Student Success and Retention to ensure scholars were knowledgeable of various free tutoring opportunities, class registration, and other academic success workshops the university offered. The program director receives grade reports of each scholar at the conclusion of each semester to ensure each one performing satisfactory and maintained the minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. If a scholar's GPA fell below a 3.0 during the fast semester, the program director met with student to devise an improvement plan. In addition to submitting bi-weekly progress reports from their professor, the student is also expected to do a minimum of 5 hours in the AG Stud Lab. 1890 opened an Ag Study Lab to provide a dedicated space were students could study peacefully, work on class assignments, and receive tutoring in their classes. We believe the cumulation of these academic related efforts proved to be beneficial to ensure the scholars persisted successfully and ultimately graduate from SC State University. We are proud to announce that our first Ag scholar will graduate from SC State during the May 2022 commencement ceremony. To accomplish Goal #3, the scholars program has been strategic and intentional about providing experimental learning opportunities for the scholarship recipients. All Ag Scholars are expected to participate in monthly professional and academic workshops hosted by the program. WIN Wednesday is an academic, professional and personal development workshop series that meets once a month with the collective group. During the sessions, the scholars are encouraged to win holistically in life. Workshops have ranged from professionalism, campus academic resources, True Colors personality assessment, resume writing, interviewing skills, entrepreneurship, along with a host of other topics that are focused on improving the scholars skillset. In addition to WIN Wednesdays, program collaborates with the USDA liaison to host another student development program called the Ag Speaker Series. The series introduces the scholars to a wide array of professionals in different career fields connected to agriculture and nutrition. The scholars also became members of MANRRS and created an executive leadership board. MANRRS is an acronym for Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences. MANRRS is a national student organization with a local chapter at SC State. Lastly, the scholars program promotes obtaining an internship with USDA and/or other related organizations so students can begin receiving hands on experience in their career field of choice. All scholars are expected to obtain an internship related to their major at least on summer before he/she graduates from SC State.
Publications
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