Recipient Organization
SISTEMA UNIVERSITARIO ANA G. MENDEZ, INC.
ANA G MENDEZ AVE 8
SAN JUAN,PR 00928
Performing Department
CEDES
Non Technical Summary
Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus (UAGM-C) presents a four-year regular project to address the AFRI priorities areas: Bioenergy, natural resources and environment, and Agriculture systems and technology. EXPLORA-Ag is a sustainable agriculture non-formal education program with a STEM-Ag, land-based learning approach, based in biotechnology and data science, to foster the development of technology-savvy youth, improve STEM-Ag competence and enhance the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, communication skills, and training in ethics and professionalism required for employment in the food and agricultural sectors or in graduate programs. The project is is designed to impact high school youth (9th to 12th grade) around Puerto Rico, through the following objectives:•Develop 4 virtual modules and 8 droplets of knowledge, as non-formal education strategies, in themes of agriculture biotechnology related to soil, water, biodiversity and food management, to enhance youth's understanding of sustainable agriculture and biotechnology and helping them meet the needs of the future workforce.•Develop EXPLORA-Ag webpage in the CEDES-UAGM-Cupey online page and open a Facebook account to publish all the virtual modules, droplets of knowledge and outreach materials, developed by the project participants that clearly communicate the demonstrated benefits of agricultural technologies and biotechnology.•Enroll 90 high schoolers, per semester in the Saturday Virtual Activities (4hrs per day) and a two-week Summer camp with a STEM-Ag land-based learning approach for implementation and evaluation of activities that lead to the development of consumer-friendly content that builds public confidence in the safe use of biotechnology in agriculture and the food system.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Implement EXPLORA-Ag: a sustainable agriculture non-formal education program with a STEM-Ag, land-based learning approach, based in biotechnology and data science, to foster the development of technology-savvy youth, improve STEM-Ag competence and enhance the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, communication skills, and training in ethics and professionalism required for employment in the food and agricultural sectors or in graduate programs.EXPLORA-Ag is designed to impact high school youth (9th to 12th grade) around Puerto Rico, through the following objectives:By, January 2022 to January 2024, develop 4 virtual modules and 8 droplets of knowledge, as non-formal education strategies, in themes of agriculture biotechnology related to soil, water, biodiversity and food management, to enhance youth's understanding of sustainable agriculture and biotechnology and helping them meet the needs of the future workforce.By February to May 2022, develop EXPLORA-Ag webpage in the CEDES-UAGM-Cupey online page and open a Facebook account to publish all the virtual modules, droplets of knowledge and outreach materials, developed by the project participants that clearly communicate the demonstrated benefits of agricultural technologies and biotechnology.By January 2024 to December 2025 enroll 90 high schoolers (9th to 12th grade), the Saturday Virtual Activities (4hrs per day) and a two-week Summer camp with experiential learning activities in farms and organizations of the CEDES' Conservation of Natural and Agricultural Resources Learning Network and applying STEM-Ag land-based learning for implementation and evaluation of activities to develop consumer-friendly content that builds public confidence in the safe use of biotechnology in agriculture and the food system.
Project Methods
The project period is four years, starting on January 10th, 2022 and ending on January 9th, 2026. During the first two years (Jan 2022 to Jan2024), the project will be dedicated to develop the 4 virtual modules about agriculture biotechnology related to soil, water, biodiversity and food management. For the development of the virtual modules, CEDES will create a multisectoral non-formal educational model, integrated by voluntary members of CEDES' CNARL, UAGM's graduate students of FANH related sciences and under-graduate Communications students, and highly-qualified in-service teachers that will be participating in the development of the base-line outreach materials with land-based approach. Ms. Febres, as Co-Pi, will be coordinating the work with this multisectoral non-formal educational model. In the same timeframe, this model will help in the development of eight (8) droplets of knowledge videos and the EXPLORA-Ag webpage and Facebook account. CEDES will recruit 3, active, under-graduate Communications students, for the development of the eight (8) videos. These under-graduates will receive stipends and will be selected through an interview with project staff (PI & co-PIs). During the first two years, tablets and materials boxes that will be used for youth participant during the Virtual Saturday Academy and the two-week summer camp, will be bought. The CEDES administrative coordinator will be in charge of making purchases and contracts, following institutional policies. From November to December 2023, the first 30 participants of the Virtual Saturday Academy, that will start on January to May 2024, will be recruited. During 16 weeks (Saturdays), 4hrs per day, participants will interact with mentors (UAGM graduate students of FANH science academic programs) and lectures, using the 4 virtual modules. During this process, they will develop their own materials about the use of biotechnology in sustainable agriculture in Puerto Rico. All those materials will be posted on the EXPLORA-Ag webpage and social media. At the end of the Virtual Saturday Academy, (May 2024), these 30 participants, will be grouped in two teams of 15 members. Each team will participate in the first two-week summer camp at the Arecibo Observatory on June 2024. The two-week summer camp will be coordinated by Abniel Machin, Co-PI and executive director of the ARFSVC. Co-PI Febres will be helping Dr. Machin in the coordination of the experiential learning activities in any of the CEDES' CNARL sites. From May to July 2024, the project will recruit another 30 participants for the Saturday Virtual Academy (SVA) that will run from August to December 2024. At the end of this SVA, the participant will be grouped in another two teams of 15 members. Each team will be participating in the second two-week summer camp at the Arecibo Observatory on June 2025. From November to December 2024, the project will recruit 30 more participants SVA that will run from January to May 2025. Another two teams of 15 participants will be formed at the end of this SVA and will be participating in the third two-week summer camp on July 2025. There will be a closing activity at the end of each summer camp, so that the participants can share their experiences with each other. During this activity, the parents and/or guardians of the participants will be able to appreciate the work developed by their children and listen to their impressions of the project. The Pi and Co-PIs will be in charge of preparing said closing activities. This closing activity is part of the dissemination plan. From August 2025 to January 2026, the project staff will be working in the overall closing of the project, and giving follow-up to the participants. The project dissemination plan will begin as soon as CEDES receives the proposal approval letter. As a first step, the project team will write a press release that will be distributed by UAGM Associate Vice Presidency of Communications, through the various social platforms of UAGM, including internal emails. The press release will be aimed at notifying the approval of the project, its goals and objectives. At the same time, the PI and Co-PIs will be working with the UAGM website manager to create a page about the project under CEDES, where students and the general public can learn about it. In addition, the platform will serve as the site for high school (9th to 12th grade) to apply for admission to the project. As the project progresses, the dissemination plan will include the participation of the PI or Co-PI in local scientific forums and events where issues of education, agriculture or any other topic related to the project are discussed, including the UAGM Education Congress. The PI will participate in the USDA-FANE annual meeting during the 4 years of the project, where he will share the results and lessons learned during the project implementation, through a poster or oral presentation and distributing materials to other FANE grantees. The project's outreach material will be available in EXPLORA-Ag webpage and social media platform for the general public. The plan contemplates that the results of the evaluations carried out by the external evaluator, serve as the basis for the publication of the findings and lessons learned in a free publication arbitrated journal, once the project is finished.