Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The intended audience for our extension programing is centered around our students, their families and native communities from around the nation, and our faculty and staff. Although it should be noted that most of our events and activities are open to the public and surrounding tribal and non-tribal communities. The Land Grant department offers a wide range of academic and non-academic programs. The diversity of programing is highlighted in our mission statement: "education and services on agriculture, gardening, nutrition, food sovereignty, cooking skills, food safety, disease prevention, family wellness, management, and life skills." Changes/Problems: This year we hired two new positions within the Land Grant Department; Food Sovereignty Coordinator and Cultural Wellness Coordinator. For over a year, our Food Sovereignty Coordinator position has been vacant, and having trouble trying to fill-it. In May of 2024, we found an exceptional person to take the role. Since her time in the department she has already taken many initiatives to expand the UTTC Food Sovereignty goals. She is teaching two 3-credit classes for the Fall semester, Indigenous Food Sovereignty and Food Preservation and Storage. Our second position was filled in July of 2024. The Cultural Wellness Coordinator will facilitate Food Sovereignty activities to students, staff and children at our on-campus Elementary school. He will also co-support cultural events on campus such as: sweet lodge, native crafts, story-telling, hunts, cooking demonstrations and foraging. In addition to the two new hires, we have hired an hourly FTE to assist in all of Land Grants activities, with an emphasis on managing the '5-Tribes Community Kitchen'. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?All of our FTE and many of our student Interns, had more then one opportunity to attend professional development this grant year. Some of the events included; 1) Annual FALCON conference, 2) Annual IAC conference, 3) Great Lake Indigenous Food conference, 4) day trips to local tribally controlled nurseries/gardens. In addition, a number of on-campus events are held each year that foster training and professional development with real-life working meetings, cultural events, and speakers from around the country. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Advisory Boards Some staff members in the Land Grant department service on local, state, and national boards. During scheduled meetings and annual events, information on the UTTC SAFS program, Food Sovereignty and Nutrition extension is shared. • Office of Institutional Research The Office of Institutional Research (OIR) is one way the Land Grant department will capture quantitative metrics and success stories to demonstrate the impacts of its programs. Each quarter, OIR aids each department in the creation of a Department Action Plan (DAP) which clearly defines a number of yearly objectives and measurable outcomes. Through this process, the Land Grant department reports on the progress it has made and turns this into a project review and evaluation. OIR presents its data collected on the UTTC webpage and makes it accessible for download. • Recruitment outreach materials Materials generated from the OIR evaluation and review of our program will become integrated into future recruitment and outreach resources. These resources are also used to share the progress of our project with potential students and communities interested in partnering for outreach efforts. • Social Media A very effective way to communicate the results and activities of the project is through the college's many social media platforms. This is extremely good at reaching younger people in the community. • Local Farmer's Markets (summer/fall) During the summer and fall semesters, our student governed club participates as a vendor at the local Bismarck Farmer's market. The market is held each Saturday morning during the growing session. During the markets, project results, activities and outcomes are shared. • Monthly Board of Director's meeting Monthly reports are created from each department and then provided to the College's monthly Board of Directors assembly. Project goals, activities and outcomes are communicated to the Directors. This process presents an assessment of the LandGrant department project's value to its stakeholders and demonstrates its sustainability. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue to make steady progress to support and grow our Food Sovereignty Initiative. This will include the proporagation and research of culturally important native plant species, seed rematriation and extension outreach of our Food Sovereignty achomplishments.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
A major accomplishment this year, was the establishment and certification of a 'commercial kitchen' space on campus. Tilted; '5-Tribes Community Kitchen', the kitchen has been certified by the North Dakota Department of Health as a usable space for persons and organization to create commercial level goods, that can be sold on the open market. Our priority is to have this space utilized by Tribal persons and organizations, by support their need to grow business and cultural opportunities in their community. Another major accomplishment this year, has been the completed construction of an on-campus 4-Season Net Zero Greenhouse. Much of the space in the new greenhouse will be focused on Food Sovereignty projects and seed rematriation venues. This new structure will strengthen our Land Grant goals/objectives, by allowing us to grow year-round. This is extremely important, noting that North Dakota only has 4-months of out-side growing potential.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:UTTC has a unique community and audience, as the college itself is owned by five Tribal Nations in North Dakota, but is located in the urban setting of Bismarck, North Dakota. The institution is owned and governed by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa; The Three Affiliated tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa, & Arikara Nations) of Fort Berthold Reservation; the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe; the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate; and the Spirit Lake Nation. The campus serves approximately 400 college students each semester coming from over 36 different Tribal nations, the campus based elementary school, TJES, (K-8) enrolls 122 students, and another 160 children, under the age of five, are cared for in the childcare facilities. About 200 employees serve this community. Housing for students and families is accommodated with four dormitories for single students and sixty family housing units. Our audience for this grant is expanded to include: All tribal members within the State of North Dakota. The intended audience for our Equity programing is centered around our students, their families and native communities from around the nation, and our faculty and staff. Although it should be noted that most of our events and activities are open to the public and surrounding tribal and non-tribal communities. The Land Grant department offers a wide range of academic and non-academic programs. The diversity of programing is highlighted in our mission statement: "education and services on agriculture, gardening, nutrition, food sovereignty, cooking skills, food safety, disease prevention, family wellness, management, and life skills." Changes/Problems:There have been no major objective/goal changes or problems to our project during this reporting period. Below are some of the minor adjustments made, to improve and strengthen our project: Our Cultural Wellness Specialist position became vacant in the summer of 2023. We have begun discussions on how to improve the job duties and responsibilities of this position to better serve more of the student body, beyond SAFS. UTTC campus training fields and gardens continue to expand. More area has been put in production this year and crop yields and crop quality has improved. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has provided a plethora of training and professional development opportunities; this list is not exclusive. May, 2023 Food Sovereignty trip in Minneapolis, MN to tour local eateries, native owned businesses and food processing enterprises. July, 2023 Indigenous Sustainable Community Design Course in Espanola, NM. Students and staff, spent 2-week in an intensive food sovereignty workshop. Certifications were earned by all participants. June, 2023 Visit sister TCU, Lac Courte Orielle Community College in Hayward, WI. Staff toured the sustainable farm and community gardens. November 2022, Staff and students attended the annual FALCON conference in Albuquerque, NM. October 2022, Staff and 4 students attended the annual Intertribal Ariculture Council in Las Vegas, NV. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Office of Institutional Research The Office of Institutional Research (OIR) is one way the Land Grant department will capture quantitative metrics and success stories to demonstrate the impacts of its programs. Each quarter, OIR aids each department in the creation of a Department Action Plan (DAP) which clearly defines a number of yearly objectives and measurable outcomes. Through this process, the Land Grant department reports on the progress it has made and turns this into a project review and evaluation. OIR presents its data collected on the UTTC webpage and makes it accessible for download. Recruitment outreach materials Materials generated from the OIR evaluation and review of our program will become integrated into future recruitment and outreach resources. These resources are also used to share the progress of our project with potential students and communities interested in partnering for outreach efforts. Social Media A very effective way to communicate the results and activities of the project is through the college's many social media platforms. This is extremely good at reaching younger people in the community. Local Farmer's Markets (summer/fall) During the summer and fall semesters, our student governed club participates as a vendor at the local Bismarck Farmer's market. The market is held each Saturday morning during the growing session. During the markets, project results, activities and outcomes are shared. Monthly Board of Director's meeting Monthly reports are created from each department and then provided to the College's monthly Board of Directors assembly. Project goals, activities and outcomes are communicated to the Directors. This process presents an assessment of the Land Grant department project's value to its stakeholders and demonstrates its sustainability. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue to work with focus and mindfulness to address all the goals and objects of this project. We plan on expanding post-graduation work opportunities to our SAFS graduates, and make stronger partnerships with out-side agriculture organizations to potentially provide post-graduate work opportunities. Increase the number and variety of native and culturally important plants on campus and to bring awareness of these increases to the entire campus community.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Products Activities, Objectives, and Performance Measures Activity #1 - Continue to support and expand UTTC Food Sovereignty initiative for students, staff, and community Objective #1 - Support professional development for faculty and staff in learning more about Food Sovereignty • Performance Measure #1 - Faculty and staff attend local or region conferences/training/workshop • Goal - Each faculty/staff member of Land Grant attend two (2) conferences/training/workshop per calendar year. Goals were met for year-1. All staff had the opportunity to attend two (2) conferences/training/workshop Objective #2 - Support all UTTC students in learning more about Food Sovereignty • Performance Measure #1 - SAFS students attend local or region conferences/training/workshop • Goal - Each student of the SAFS degree program to attend one (1) conferences/training/workshop per calendar year. Goals were met for year-1. All SAFS were offered to attend a conference/training. Roughly 80% of the students were able to attend. • Performance Measure #2 - Any UTTC students attend local or region conferences/training/workshop • Goal - Recruit five (5) non-SAFS degree seeking students to attend one (1) conferences/training/workshop per calendar year. UTTC's travel policies are being developed to incorporate more 'non' degree student travel. The challenge is limited budgets and limited number of staff to act as chaperones. Discussions are underway to find policies and funding avenues that work. Objective #3 - Provide Food Sovereignty activities at on-campus events • Performance Measure #1 - Once per year, organize a different Food Sovereignty event for all students/faculty/staff and local community • Goal - Have 20+ individuals attend Goals were met for year-1. Staff and students of the SAFS program, hosted four different events. • Performance Measure #2 - Provide (2) two per year, on campus "plant walks" to education individuals about local plants and flora • Goal - Have 20+ individuals attend each session Only one plant walk was conducted, due to the extra long winter. Activity #2 - Incorporate Tribal Leadership skill building into academic and non-academic programs Objective #1 - Continue to support and expand the Sustainable Agriculture, Gathering and Eating (SAGE) student club • Performance Measure #1 - Use the SAGE club to promote shared leadership responsibilities and expose students to Robert's Rules of Order and officer positions. • Goal - Maintain or exceed a membership base of 10+ students Goals were met for year-1. 12 students were involved in the SAGE club during year-1 of the project. • Performance Measure #2 - Encourage and support students to participate in weekly "Lunch and Learns". Lunch and Learns allow students to cook and present a lunch meal for fellow students. • Goal - Have 5 different students take lead as cook and present one lunch meal per semester Still a work in progress. We did have 5 different students cook meals for the SAGE club and SAFS staff, but need to reinforce the component of presentation. Objective #2 - Expose students to real-life Tribal Leadership meetings and events • Performance Measure #1 - Have students attend (1) one monthly UTTC Board-of-Director meetings. • Goal - Each SAFS student will attend (1) meeting annually Only a few students attended a meeting. Staff needs to make students aware for meeting opportunities dates and time. • Performance Measure #2 - Have students attend the Annual Leadership Summit at UTTC • Goal - Have each SAFS student attend one (1) session, during the 3-day summit Goals were met for year-1. All students attended the annual Tribal Leadership Summitt in September of 2022. Objective #3 - Incorporate culturally relevant curricula that focus on Leadership • Performance Measure #1 - (Year 1) Through the use of student/staff focuses groups, establish culturally relevant curricula ideas. • Goal - Incorporate focus groups into monthly department meetings. Ground work has begun. Culturally relevant curricula has been given a permanent topic on the monthly agenda. • Performance Measure #2 - (Year 2-4) Implement agreed upon ideas • Goal - Implement 4 new activities/ideas into curricula and non-academic experiences Land Grant activities have increased the number of native and culturally important plants into our curriculum and non-academic programing. Host Indigenous food cooking events during lunch time hours. Begun project of propagating/growing/harvesting native plants. Increase student awareness of grant/internship/fellowship opportunities from out-side organizations.
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