Progress 06/15/24 to 06/14/25
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience included postsecondary faculty members serving as REEU Project Directors (PDs) and postsecondary students, and members of the public. PDs and students are the primary audiences for inter-project networking outcomes (Community of Practice, digital clearinghouse, online meetings, etc.), while public engagement will be the focus of the website, forums, and other online spaces (i.e., social media). Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?From June 2024 to June 2025, the REEU-ECN provided multiple opportunities for training and professional development for Project Directors (PDs) and affiliated personnel. Virtual onboarding sessions were held to orient new members to the ECN SharePoint system, including training on navigation, uploading and sharing materials, and using communication tools. These sessions were recorded and made available for asynchronous access via the private SharePoint network. The REEU Ready? Workshop Series was developed to prepare students and early-career professionals for successful participation in academic and professional conferences. The inaugural session, "Navigating Conferences," focused on strategies for engaging with peers, presenting research, and making the most of conference opportunities in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH) disciplines. The workshop drew 30 participants from across the REEU-ECN community. Attendees represented a range of academic backgrounds, including: 12 Doctoral Graduate Students, 11 Undergraduate Students, two Master's Graduate Students, and two Faculty Members. Participants came from institutions such as Texas A&M University, Oregon State University, and the University of Florida. Their feedback helped guide the development of future sessions on professional development, conference planning, and science communication. The REEU-ECN YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@REEU-ECN/playlists) along with the public-facing REEU website serves as a repository for professional development and student engagement content. It features curated playlists such as the "REEU Ready? Workshop Series," which includes sessions like "Navigating Conferences," "Why Research and Extension Experiences Matter," and "Mastering Public Speaking". Additionally, the channel hosts recordings from the annual Science Influencers Fall Research Symposium, showcasing student presentations on diverse topics, including cave microbiomes and biosensor technology. This platform enhances accessibility to training materials and highlights the impactful work of REEU participants. The Science Influencers video series, produced in the previous year, remained a central professional development resource. These six short videos--covering topics such as preparing for REEU internships, reflective practice, public engagement through social media, writing impact statements, and integrating PR into internships--were widely shared and utilized by PDs to supplement their training for students. Professional development planning takes place through recurrent meetings to organize the future national REEU PD meetings. These planning meetings began in early 2025 and served both logistical and peer-learning purposes, allowing PDs to share strategies and collaborate across institutions. In addition, the ECN team continued curating project management materials--including internship guidelines, SMART objective templates, podcast promotions, and student symposium calls--that were disseminated through the SharePoint site as educational aids. These activities reflect the project's continued commitment to equipping REEU leaders with tools to enhance program quality, communication, and impact. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In this reporting cycle, project results were actively shared through multiple digital platforms and scholarly channels. REEU-ECN social media accounts on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter (now X) regularly promoted program news, internship highlights, and PD accomplishments. According to metrics from the REEU-ECN Engagement report, REEU LinkedIn content reached over 4,900 users and generated more than 13,700 impressions across platforms between May 2024 and May 2025. Instagram reached over 1,800 views highlighting internships, program updates, and student engagement. The public website, www.reeu.org, served as a central hub for sharing project updates and resources. Content updates included internship announcements, project highlights, and links to professional development resources. Additionally, the ECN team continued developing scholarly materials. Abstracts describing the structure and purpose of the REEU-ECN were submitted to national agricultural education conferences, and a poster on SharePoint-based collaboration strategies was accepted for presentation in Fall 2025. These dissemination strategies helped raise national awareness of REEU efforts and encouraged broader adoption of best practices in undergraduate research coordination. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the upcoming year, the REEU-ECN will prioritize expanding visibility and deepening engagement across platforms. Planned activities include conducting interviews with PDs and students to feature weekly highlights on ECN social media and the REEU.org website. A new round of professional development resources--including videos, podcasts, and templates--will be produced and shared with all ECN members. These materials will align with emerging needs identified through ongoing feedback. The REEU-ECN advisory board will continue holding biannual meetings to guide training priorities and explore co-hosting opportunities for future conferences and events. In fall 2025, we will host a virtual REEU-ECN recruitment party to create interest and recruit undergraduate students for upcoming REEU programs. PDs will prepare overviews of their programs for prospective students. Students and PDs will connect in breakout sessions designed to promote specific programs and application processes. Former REEU students will share their experiences with recruits. We will showcase REEU-ECN opportunities to increase faculty and student engagement.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During the second year of the REEU-ECN project, progress was made toward advancing all six project objectives. Building on the momentum from the prior year, we deepened engagement through both the private REEU SharePoint network and the public-facing website (www.reeu.org) while expanding the scope and visibility of the REEU community. Objective 1 (Establish a REEU Community of Practice) was strengthened with continued onboarding and active participation from more than 75 REEU Project Directors (PDs) and affiliated personnel. Site analytics from the USDA-REEU SharePoint private network indicated strong and sustained engagement. The ECN SharePoint recorded 59 unique viewers with over 4,400 site visits, including document downloads, chat forum participation, and event attendance logs. PDs reported frequent access to training resources, communications templates, and collaborative planning tools, reinforcing the network as a daily-use hub. Objective 2 (Provide a national clearinghouse for REEU projects) continued through frequent updates to SharePoint content areas, including directories of REEU sites, upcoming student opportunities, and best practices guides. A refined tagging and search system was implemented to make the clearinghouse more navigable and responsive to user feedback. Objective 3 (Create and maintain secure online spaces and listservs) expanded in functionality. The SharePoint platform Office365 integration allowed for seamless sharing of sensitive documents, calendar syncing, and direct messaging. Additional private channels were created for student coordinators and evaluation teams to collaborate within secure digital workspaces. Objective 4 (Bridge communication gaps between scientists and the public) saw meaningful implementation through outreach campaigns, video development, and social media engagement. Six original training videos produced the prior year were incorporated into professional development plans by PDs across the network, each focusing on public communication of science. Public engagement strategies were also deployed on social platforms and via the reeu.org site (see below) We launched the REEU-ECN Podeo (Podcast+Video) Series, which provides a platform for students, researchers, practitioners, and PDs to share their expertise through science-based chats. This casual format is clear and relatable for non-expert audiences, sparking public interest in REEUs through participants' experiences in research, extension, and science communications. The Podeo episodes are available in the REEU-ECN YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@REEU-ECN) Objective 5 (Create and maintain a public website to promote REEU programs) was actively maintained and expanded. The public-facing website (https://www.reeu.org) logged 2,896 sessions, 5,148 pageviews, and over 2,300 unique visitors according to Monster Insights analytics. The top countries for visitors were the United States (1,123), Canada (42), India (31), and Germany (18), with traffic referred by USDA.gov, Google, LinkedIn, and university partner pages. New content featured PD spotlights, internship opportunities, and a REEU resource library for public audiences. Objective 6 (Co-organize the REEU PD meeting in collaboration with NIFA) progressed significantly through organization and execution of the national REEU PD meeting held at NIFA headquarters in Kansas City during October, 2024. The national meeting resulted from several planning meetings with the PD advisory board and NIFA staff. Future PD national meetings will be planned as in-person gatherings at NIFA headquarters in Kansas City, or as co-hosted meetings with national science societies (e.g., AAAS). The REEU-ECN administrative team, PD advisory board, and NIFA staff will develop meeting themes, secure facilitators, and draft session schedule to focus on communication strategies and student mentoring. These accomplishments reflect a maturing and increasingly active community of practice. The integration of digital tools, curated resources, and professional engagement opportunities has elevated the visibility and connectivity of REEU programs nationwide.
Publications
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Progress 06/15/23 to 06/14/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audienceincluded postsecondary faculty members serving as REEU Project Directors (PDs) and postsecondary students, and members of the public. PDs and students are the primary audiences for inter-project networking outcomes (Community of Practice, digital clearinghouse, online meetings, etc.), while public engagement will be the focus of the website, forums, and other online spaces (i.e., social media). Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?An onboarding workshop (to the private ECN) was held in late March2024. Training sessions included navigating theUSDA-REEU SharePoint network, communication channels, uploading/sharing materials, and creating communications (news and events). A spring retreat for the REEU project, Science Influencers, was held on April 30-May 1, 2024.Six videos were produced during the retreat for distribution to all REEU PDs. Video topics included 1) preparing for REEU summer internships; 2) reflective practice to promote scientific inquiry; 3) engaging the public in science using social media; 4) writing impact statements; 5) integrating public relations into your internship; and 6) creating social media content during the internship. These videos are applicable to all ECN PDs to augment their project materials for REEU students. The ECN PDs have participated in several planning meetings for the REEU PDs' national meeting (fall, 2024), initiating completion of objective 6. Initial co-host sites included joining the Western Region of the American Association of Agricultural Education in Chico, CA during its annual research conference. A poll was conducted among all REEU PDs, who preferred an in-person meeting (mid-October) at NIFA HQ in Kansas City. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We developed social media channels (Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter) to promote REEU.org. Additional materials, such as the processes to establish a nationwide ECN, are being used to develop research poster abstracts for submission to a conference in September. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Future tasks include conducting interviews of PDs and their students to create weekly highlights through all ECN social channels. Increased advertisements of REEU opportunities will be posted in pathwaystoscience.org to maximize exposure of student research and extension internships nationwide. Professional development workshops (videos, news releases, podcasts, etc.) will be developed and delivered to all ECN members and their students in the next 12 months. The REEU-ECN advisory board will conduct regular fall/spring meetings to advise the ECN about members' training needs and co-host possibilities for conference/meeting events in public and private venues.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Development of the USDA-REEU SharePoint private network began in January 2024. Although this network will change, per changing needs of REEU PDs, the initial structure was solidified by the end of February. From there, 50 REEU PDs were invited and added to the ECN before the official launch, which occurred on March 28, 2204. Objective 1 was realized within the first six months of 2024. Member surveys, program materials, chats, training sessions, etc. have occurred since the launch date. More than 2,280 visitors have accessed the private community of practice since its launch, with 1,330 REEU PD visits in the past 90 days. Objective 2 was initiated and will be ongoing throughout the life of project, even beyond project end date. Objective 3 was realized with the initiation of the SharePoint private network, which includes an interface with Office365 for private groups and email lists. The public facing website, REEU-ECN: The FANH Scientists Network (https://www.reeu.org/) was launched in tandem with the private network, USDA-REEU SharePoint, thus fulfilling objective 5. This publicsite promotes REEU projects, PDs, workshops, publications (from all REEU projects), news, and resources for members and the public. Since its launch, more than 1,000 pageviews were logged in 580+ sessions. Top countries for site visits were from USA (528), China (24), Australia (6), and Germany (5); others included Spain, India, Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, and the United Kingdom. Top referrals were from usda.gov (163) and agnettamu.sharepoint.com (23).
Publications
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