Source: FOND DU LAC TRIBAL AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE submitted to
NEXTGEN TIER II FDLTCC AND LLTC: DEVELOPMENT OF ENHANCED EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN FANH CAREERS (DEET)
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1030684
Grant No.
2023-70440-40152
Cumulative Award Amt.
$9,000,000.00
Proposal No.
2022-11875
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jun 1, 2023
Project End Date
May 31, 2028
Grant Year
2023
Program Code
[NEXTG]- NEXTGEN Program
Project Director
Kowalczak, C.
Recipient Organization
FOND DU LAC TRIBAL AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE
(N/A)
CLOQUET,MN 55720
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Our project "Development of Enhanced Education and Training (DEET) in FANH" brings together two 1994 Land Grant colleges to build sustainable educational and experiential systems on preparing Tribal College students to enter into the agricultural and STEM workforces. Using Student Scholarships (SSP), Experiential Learning (ELP), and Outreach and Engagement (OEP) activities our proposal offers holistic support to students to successfully achieve both academic and career goals. Our Tier II proposal brings Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (PI Courtney Kowalczak), Leech Lake Tribal College (Co-PI Melinda Neville), as well as USDA focused internship partnerships with USDA APHIS, and the American Indian College Fund. Our goals are to:Build institutional capacity at FDLTCC and LLTC through the DEET partnership by leveraging existing programs for student access to FANH-related courses and opportunitiesSupport students throughout their educational journey with academic and financial assistance with access to mentoring, peer-to-peer learning, and scholarshipsProvide experiential learning opportunities for youth, college students, and community to explore FANH disciplines through field trips, research projects, internships, and camps.Increase student interest in food and agriculture careers through community outreach, career counseling, direct recruiting, and professional developmentThe DEET project will result in greater capacity to deliver FANH classes and activities at the TCUs, increased student retention and matriculation rates, stronger partnerships with UDSA and project collaborators, increased capacity for outreach and experiential learning opportunities, and as a result, more students prepared for and interested in careers with the USDA.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1020199107025%
1120210107025%
1230699107025%
1360899107025%
Goals / Objectives
Located in Northern Minnesota, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC) and Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC) have served their Anishinaabe communities by providing higher education opportunities based in Indigenous values. Chartered by their respective Bands, FDLTCC and LLTC fulfill the land grant mission through teaching, research, and service with an emphasis on environmental sustainability. This proposed partnership,Development ofEnhancedEducation andTraining (DEET) in FANH, leverages our unique program strengths at each campus to increase student interest, access and success in future FANH careers.Our goals are to:Build institutional capacity at FDLTCC and LLTC through the DEET partnership by leveraging existing programs for student access to FANH-related courses and opportunitiesSupport students throughout their educational journey with academic and financial assistance with access to mentoring, peer-to-peer learning, and scholarshipsProvide experiential learning opportunities for youth, college students, and community to explore FANH disciplines through field trips, research projects, internships, and camps.Increase student interest in food and agriculture careers through community outreach, career counseling, direct recruiting, and professional developmentFor Tribal communities, higher education provides the opportunity to continue to build strong Nations. Not only does the attainment of higher education provide for a more skilled workforce, but it also enriches Tribal economies with entrepreneurs, job creation, and economic development in Indian Country. More specifically, Tribal Colleges provide Native identity affirming learning environments, rooted in Indigenous ways of thought, language, and culture that serve their communities. Tribal Colleges contribute to Nation building and these investments in higher education serve both socioeconomic and cultural interests of their (NCAI, 2012)."
Project Methods
Goal 1: Building Institutional CapacityWith new programs, both LLTC and FDLTCC seek to strengthen and build upon the current momentum. For this goal, we seek to formalize both policy and methodology for course sharing and dual enrollment. In our first year, we will identify a subset of courses that are well adapted to distance delivery to begin the exchange. We will offer the first shared course at the beginning of Year 2 and provide enough courses that LLTC students could enroll in an Environmental Sustainability Certificate based onFDLTCC's programby Year 3.To expand our FANH course offerings and maintain our accreditation, some faculty will enroll in graduate-level courses. Our project will support faculty to teach and innovate in our SUST and ISCI courses for the next five years. Supporting faculty will allow our Tribal colleges to build up our programs through scholarships, recruitment, and retention of students without the strain of continuously securing adjunct faculty to teach these new courses.Goal 2: Supporting Student AchievementOur proposal creates a net of support for our Tribal college students at several touch points to ensure success as they pursue either higher degrees or STEM careers. To address student identified barriers and implement best practices for academic and career success, we propose a series of proactive steps.Scholarships:The array of challenges awaiting lower-income or first-generation students and other historically under-served Native American students are pervasive and generational. Each Tribal college will offer scholarships that ease the burden of attending college. These scholarships will target students that enroll in Sustainability and Indigenous Science coursesCollege Preparation:We work towards the constant improvement of curricula and programs at our colleges. FDLTCC and LLTC will work together to host workshops, presentations, and tours that will help DEET students prepare for the challenges they will face at a 4-year university. College Prep week will feature presentations from financial aid staff from regional colleges and universities. Students will receive help with their FAFSA and applying for scholarships and financial aid.Mentorship:Role models and mentors influence students' decisions to pursue science careers and mentoring relationships help students develop the personal skills necessary to navigate the social interactions in their careers and increase their sense of competence and self-sufficiency (Armstrong et al., 2007; Adams et al., 2016). Our project offers mentorship at many levels, starting with multigenerational learning during summer programming for youth, DEET students in the local high schools, TCU graduates mentoring current TCU students, and we are offering a graduate fellowship with an active role in mentoring upcoming students.Goal 3: Experiential LearningDEET will use experiential learning to create a pathway from youth to college students with hands-on experiences that encourage Native American students to consider a career in FANH disciplines.Multigenerational Informal Education:Using the connecting thread of harvest, both in the sense of food sovereignty and traditional cultural events, we will ground youth in community and skills that build resiliency (Fig. 2). The foundation of programming is cultural connection, youth engagement, cultural events, youth mentorship, and leadership all built around a holistic understanding of harvest. Using seasonal harvest of traditional foods as well as organic agricultural production students will gain skills, knowledge, and connection through the understanding of food sovereignty. Our programming will connect our youth to regional food system experts as well as USDA professionals. Continuing our partnerships with USDA APHIS, NRCS, and SARE, we will create a network of state and federal agricultural staff that widens the youth's ideas of career opportunities in the USDA. By grounding our programming in food sovereignty, we are hoping for an increase in participation in traditional food harvest, growing and consumption of fresh, local foods, and participation in traditional seasonal activities. FDLTCC brings a successful model of multigenerational learning to the DEET partnership from which LLTC will learn and grow through student and staff exchange opportunities. The goal is to offer multigenerational programming at LLTC by Year 3 of the DEET project.Experiential Projects:Undergraduates who engage in faculty-mentored research experiences are significantly more likely to graduate with STEM baccalaureate and graduate degrees, and engage in STEM-related careers (Hernandez et al., 2018). We will expand our capacity through DEET by developing meaningful internships through relationship building and modeling mentorship best practices for new partnerships.LLTC and FDLTCC summer research program supports TCU students for 10-14 week full time research internships working with Tribal, State and Federal agencies on local natural resource research and restoration.The LLBO Reservation is co-located with the Chippewa National Forest; our USDA partnerships have primarily been with the US Forest Service.FDLTCC, through our USDA Area of Expertise grant, has developed a model of student research that builds both regional mentors through partner research institutions and peer to peer mentorship. As our students move through our research program, they build leadership skills, take on responsibility for the projects, and support new students entering the program.Internships:Through our program, we offer internships that build important mentorship relationships and tiers of experience that build skills and confidence in students so that they can be successful in FANH careers. A barrier to successful internships for Native American students has been a lack of understanding between agency and student. The DEET program will support students and agencies to foster successful experiences and create opportunities on both sides of the equation. The TCUs will provide guidance to agencies on how to attract and retain Native American students at their institutions, and how to support interns when a lack of reliable transportation, responsibility for family care, need for ceremony, or financial constraints become issues. Interns are supported by TCU mentorship, problem-solving, and advocacy.Goal 4: FANH CareersUSDA APHIS will partner with FDLTCC and LLTC to create a job shadowing internship. This internship will be tailored to meet our student needs by being close to home, flexible length, and based on a relationship built between the APHIS staff and our colleges. The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) is acting as an internship liaison between NRCS and TCUs. AIHEC is working on internship best practices for tribal college students. Our project will take advantage of this relationship building and place our students with NRCS opportunities. AIHEC has also created a long distance internship model, Climate Resilience Research program, which includes leadership building, Peer to Peer Mentoring, and guided professional development. We will be working with AIHEC to learn this model with the intention of building a similar model among other TCUs.Our College Prep and Leadership series will bring in USDA professionals to speak about their careers and academic paths. Our research projects will have our students working directly with both USDA and other FANH staff. Our internship projects will bring students into USDA agencies to get direct career experiences. DEET students will gain skills, knowledge, and a network of mentors that encourage pursuit of careers in USDA and FANH.

Progress 06/01/23 to 05/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Located in Northern Minnesota, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC) and Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC) have served their Anishinaabe communities by providing higher education opportunities based in Indigenous values. Chartered by their respective Bands, FDLTCC and LLTC fulfill the land grant mission through teaching, research, and service with an emphasis on environmental sustainability. This proposed partnership,Development ofEnhancedEducation andTraining (DEET) in FANH, leverages our unique program strengths at each campus to increase student interest, access and success in future FANH careers. Our goals are to: 1. Build institutional capacity at FDLTCC and LLTC through the DEET partnership by leveraging existing programs for student access to FANH-related courses and opportunities. Our Target audience is our faculty and staff. Working together they have started to create shared or complementary courses that give students at each institution a more robust educational experience that creates stronger transfer pathways to 4-year Universities. 2. Support students throughout their educational journey with academic and financial assistance with access to mentoring, peer-to-peer learning, and scholarships. Our Target audience is our tribal college students. These students are being supported in an holistic manner that brings together cultural values with financial, and educational support. 3. Provide experiential learning opportunities for youth, college students, and community to explore FANH disciplines through field trips, research projects, internships, and camps. Our Target Audience is both our students and the agencies with which we are partnering on these experiential opportunities. Our students build knowledge, skills, and a network of agency professionals that can help their advancement in careers. The agency staff will be able to make valuable connections with people entering the work force and challenge their agency culture that might be a barrier to welcoming a more diverse workforce. 4. Increase student interest in food and agriculture careers through community outreach, career counseling, direct recruiting, and professional development For Tribal communities, higher education provides the opportunity to continue to build strong Nations. Not only does the attainment of higher education provide for a more skilled workforce, but it also enriches Tribal economies with entrepreneurs, job creation, and economic development in Indian Country. More specifically, Tribal Colleges provide Native identity affirming learning environments, rooted in Indigenous ways of thought, language, and culture that serve their communities. Tribal Colleges contribute to Nation building and these investments in higher education serve both socioeconomic and cultural interests of their (NCAI, 2012)." As 2-year colleges, FDLTCC and LLTC serve a broad range of students. At LLTC, the average student is 28 years old, has children, and works either part-time or full-time while attending college. These students often are looking for meaningful career opportunities, and thus are investing in their education after significant time away. During interviews with students and in community surveys, the interest in degree programs often coincided with those disciplines that are seen as marketable. Our students tend to choose degree programs based on their confidence in being employable after graduation. Our Target audience is this unique range of students that are underserved by other institutions. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During the first year of the Nextgen DEET project there were many options provided to our staff and faculty for professional development. All these conferences, trainings, and classes were geared to educate our college educators on topics that are integral to FANH fields. Four LLTC-DEET faculty participated in professional development goals with certification from the Online Learning Consortium (3), completing master's degree research (2), and non-degree seeking continuing education (1). In summer 2024 Leech Lake Tribal College hosted two Native American high school students as research interns. For one young man, it was his first professional experience and quite a game changer. He shared "my only regret was that my friends weren't able to participate as well, because this was a valuable learning experience.."For the first time, this young man expressed a desire to go to college after earning his high school diploma. Leech Lake Tribal College's Indigenous Science Research Program supported interns that focused on various projects including working with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Division of Resource Management. These students worked on cataloguing aquatic plants including invasive plants, such starry stonewort, that are impacting tribal lands.One of the Indigenous Science Research interns was able to network with marine biologists and learn about career opportunities out of state, including working with sea turtles. Despite all these opportunities, this intern has a newfound passion for continuing his projects with the Leech Lake Band because he has seen the importance of their impacts on our local community. This intern is now asenior at Bemidji State University, where he is required to create and present new research projects, and his experience here at Leech Lake Tribal College has provided him with exceptional confidence and skills in this area.Working with other professionals, attending professional workshops and conferences, and undergoing a professional interview process while also receiving mentorship from tribal college faculty helped this young man to be confident in entering a scientific career as a research professional. FDLTCC staff and faculty pursued certifications this year to improve their knowledge and skills in FANH fields. Staff received certification in Wilderness First Aid. The Wilderness first aid course is designed to meet the needs of individuals who are responsible for the medical care of others in a wilderness setting, people who work in remote settings, and recreationalists who want to be prepared in the case of an emergency. The WFA course is also beneficial to people who live in remote areas or in locations that are prone to natural disasters whose aftermath may delay emergency response and for medical professionals seeking ways to apply their skills outside of the clinic setting. Fourteen FDLTCC students, 2 staff, and 1 faculty member received Good Agricultural Practices (GAPS) On Farm Food Safety Certification from the University of Minnesota Extension in March 2024.GAPs can improve the quality and safety of fruits and vegetables and help access new markets. This online training provided a deep-dive into GAPs on the farm. GAPs are science-based, farm-level practices for keeping fresh produce safe. Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) training is for farm owners, workers and gardeners who grow, harvest and pack fresh vegetables for sale to all markets, including farmers markets, CSA, retail, schools, restaurants, or who donate produce to others.These certificates help with student professional development as well as ensure high safety standards at our campus and community growing spaces. A NextGen Scholar shared " I learned a lot from the GAPS training from the U of M extension about safe food harvesting,handling and cleaning of produce. I taught my wife what we learned the GAPS training and we use those practices in our garden. It really plays into my deep interest and drive to protect our natural resources and develop food sovereignty for tribes in our state."? GAPS Certification was the first professional agricultural experience for 90% of our NextGen scholars. Staff also registered for University of Minnesota Extension "Beekeeping in Northern Climates" online course. Dr. Katie Lee, Gary Reuter, Dr. Marla Spivak, and others from the University of Minnesota Bee Lab and Bee Squad helped get our beginning bee keeping staff started in beekeeping. Beekeeping in Northern Climates taught the foundations of cold weather bee keeping and the course modules covered honeybee biology, management, wintering of colonies, managing diseases and pests. The online course contains over 14 hours of pre-recorded instruction divided into modules. The manual Beekeeping in Northern Climates, Third Edition accompanies the course. Our staff and students received a printed manual in the mail as part of the course. Our faculty and staff also attended the two-day Great Lakes Intertribal Agriculture Council Conference in April, 2024. The purpose of the Intertribal Agriculture Council's purpose is to provide accessible resources to American Indiana and Alaska Native agricultural producers nationwide. Informed by the trade routes and food system on this continent before colonization, the target audience of the regional summits are Tribal communities and agencies, individual Tribal producers, and others who want to learn more about agricultural trends, financial resources, natural resources, youth programs, and access to USDA programs. Topics included presentations from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, IAC Intertribal Food Business Center, Intertribal Food Coalition, Regional Priorities and the 2023 Farm Bill. In October 2023 staff attended the First American Land Grant Consortium (FALCON) conference. The conference included sessions in 1994 land-grant teaching, extension programs and research that benefit Native American students, communities, governments, and lands. There was a strong student focus on tribal college students to participate and present their work. The conference also included a USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) update, training workshops, information-sharing, and networking opportunities. In March 2024 staff and faculty as well as students attended the 14thAnnual St. Louis River Summit. The St. Louis River Summit was a full in-person gathering at the Yellowjacket Union on the campus of University ofWisconsin-Superior. In 2024, the Summit program featured two days of in-person sessions and a selection of field trip options on the last day. The Summit features a single main session track of speakers as well as art displays and an evening poster session. FDLTCC research students presented 2 posters at the St. Louis River Summit. Various webinars were also attended by staff and faculty. These webinars included; "Incorporating Climate and Environmental Justice into Research and Resource Management" hosted by the US Forest Service. "Navigating USAJOBS and the Federal Application Process" offered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Center for Federal Executive Board (FEB) Operations. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Both Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and Leech Lake Tribal Colllegeused their close relationships with communityand partners to reach a wide audience At Leech Lake Tribal College theircommunity is theraudience, and public events on campus are advertised through social media and directly to the Local Indian Councils (LIC). The annual State of the Band meeting included a report from LLTC which highlighted the DEET program. Professional conferences have also provided opportunities to share information about the NextGen program as a whole as well as the details of our project. A press release was shared on July 5, 2023. This press release stated: Through a new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC) in Cloquet, MN, and Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC) in Cass Lake, MN, are excited to work together to build sustainable educational and experiential systems that prepare Tribal college students to enter agricultural and STEM workforces. The $9 million grant is part of the USDA's inaugural From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals Program (NextGen). "Our tribal colleges have served their Anishinaabe communities by providing higher education opportunities based in Indigenous values," shared Courtney Kowalczak, Director of the Environmental Institute at FDLTCC, "We are excited that this USDA funding allows us to have the opportunity to work with Leech Lake Tribal College. Our partnership leverages the unique program strengths at each campus to increase student interest, access and success in future food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences careers." The project from FDLTCC and LLTC is titled "Development of Enhanced Education and Training (DEET) in FANH (food, agriculture, natural and human sciences)" and brings together two Tribally chartered colleges to build sustainable educational and experiential systems for preparing Tribal College students to enter the agricultural and STEM workforces. The DEET project offers holistic support for students to successfully achieve academic and career goals through scholarships, experiences and community engagement. The project will result in greater capacity to deliver FANH classes and activities at both Tribal colleges, increased student retention and matriculation rates, stronger partnerships with USDA and project collaborators, increased capacity for outreach and experiential learning opportunities, and as a result, more students prepared for and interested in careers in food, agriculture, natural science, and human health. "DEET strengthens our ability to serve the whole student, beyond just their academic success," shared Melinda Neville, Director of Sponsored Programs at LLTC, "Focus areas include traditional foods, food sovereignty, sustainability, and community well-being, which reflect the Anishinaabe land ethic of reciprocity and responsibility. At Leech Lake Tribal College, we are launching our DEET program with new demonstration gardens on campus that will provide learning, nutrition, and research opportunities to our community." The launch of the NextGen DEET project was featured on the Environmental Institute Facebook page and the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College social media. The FDLTCC DEET Coordinator provided community outreach by hostinginformational tables and handing out NextGen DEET scholarship materials at community events.This year the DEET Coordinator attended the FDLTCC Campus Visit Day and Nursing & Healthcare Expo, the 9thAnnual Bee Symposium, Indigenous Wellness Gathering, FDLTCC Career Fair, as well as the Intertribal Agriculture Council Conference. These events served high school through Elder ages from the regional community with a total outreach ofover 300 community members. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Both Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC) and Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC) have work plans outlining their goals for the next year. A strength that our NextGen DEET project will have during the second year of the project will be the feedback of our external evaluation team on missed opportunities and the impacts of our program. LLTC-DEET will focus on youth outreach, and continuing curricula development with FDLTCC. Some activities like College Prep Week and the Leadership Institute are still in the planning stage. LLTC-DEET will be offering food preservation and cooking classes as the garden harvest comes in. FDLTCCis focusing on additional new courses to be developed including Environmental Policy and Conservation, Environmental Science Careers, and a practicum/certification course to supplement our research experience course already in the catalog. We are also proposing to split Ecology of Minnesota into lecture (3 credits) and lab (1 credit) for flexibility for students and add more intensive lab experiences for the Environmental Science students. Our summer 2024 student research season started in May and will continue into the second year of our grant project. Together our colleges have 30 students participating in research projects this summer. We have developed a pilot program curriculum with USDA APHIS to host 4 students during the summer of 2024 at various sites within the Ojibwe Ceded Territory. These experiences will be a total of two weeks with the Plant and Pest Quarantine as well as the Wildlife divisions of USDA APHIS. During the APHIS PPQ internship the participants will receive an introduction to the USDA APHIS PPQ program and state cooperator work to survey for and respond to invasive species. The focus will be methods for surveying for invasive species and respond to an established invasive species using biocontrol. The information will be presented using classroom, lab, and field work with multiple presenters. This is a "hands-on" approach and participants will work alongside staff to complete learning activities at the onsite location and at a home location. The details of the Wildlife division internship are still in progress. Two students are starting the American Indian Higher Education Consortium Climate Resilience Summer Research Program. The program is designed for TCU students that would like to do research that addresses climate change affecting Tribal lands and supporting Tribal leadership in areas of Nation -building affected by climate challenges. These internships run from May 28- August 16, 2024. Undergraduate students will participate in identifying and addressing climate change and energy issues in their respective communities. Our evaluation team has also helped us identify some areas under each of our goals where are program would like to improve our project design. Goal 1: Institutional Capacity Building Key evaluation questions: How can the DEET partnership refine and expand its strategy to enhance access to FANH-related courses and opportunities at FDLTCC and LLTC, including leveraging existing programs, formalizing course sharing, and integrating distance delivery? Faculty and staff discussed: Sharing courses and delivering coursework online to expand programs, while aligning with Higher Learning Commission requirements. Expanding distance delivery to ensure all students benefit from expertise at other institutions. Enrolled or potential graduate students pursuing further credentials. Integrating local customs and traditions in curricula. Recommendations for Year 2 Enhance curriculum sharing through on-campus, field experiences, and online learning. Use a common communications platform for tracking curricular materials and activities. Align programs and courses with the Minnesota system for cross-institutional equivalents. Goal 3: Experiential Learning Key Evaluation Question: How can the inclusion of culture in experiential learning enhance students' skills in food sovereignty, academic engagement, and career aspirations in FANH disciplines? Faculty and staff discussed: Cultural backgrounds shaped experiential learning, especially in community gardens. Activities immersed students in real-life settings connected to community agriculture. Garden plots served both college students and the community, with coordinated summer activities and student exchange ideas. Research on specific plants for harvest isneeded. Recommendations for Year 2 Integrate garden plots and natural areas at each TCU for hands-on FANH activities locally and at sister institutions. Continue using HOBO sensing equipment and other FANH technologies for experiential learning. Goal 4: Career Preparation Key Evaluation Question: How can the DEET project refine strategies (job shadowing, internships, college prep, leadership series, mentorship) to enhance students' understanding, preparedness, and support for FANH careers? Faculty and staff discussed: Networking and expanding relationships were identified as key components. Time was a challenge, but sustainability was not an issue due to small communities. Job shadowing will start later; leadership development and college prep workshops are scheduled for summer 2024. Expanding opportunities for exploring FANH careers across institutions. Micro-credentials and cross-institutional certificates were discussed. Recommendations for Year 2 Offer diverse opportunities for working with professionals through internships, externships, and job placements. Cross-campus mentoring to broaden student experiences. Increase micro-credentials and sustain opportunities for students. Our Goal 2 was not addressed directly in our evaluaton and faculty exchanges this year. We will continue to refine our scholarship program at each college. We willcontinue to develop a model of peer team building through the DEET Scholar program as well as continue to arrange for workshops and activies that addresses wellness, self-advocacy, and financial literacy. Over all several suggestions for improvement were identified to enhance the effectiveness and impact of college to college exchanges as we strive to build institutional capacity in this partnership.These suggestions encompass a range of areas, including communication, collaboration, networking, and cultural enrichment. By addressing these areas of improvement, we can create a more inclusive, engaging, and productive exchange experience that fosters meaningful connections and drives positive outcomes for all participants involved. Participants expressed a desire for ongoing interaction beyond the physical exchange.During our second year we are going to work on creating virtual forums where faculty and staff can continue discussions, plan events, and develop courses collaboratively and concurrently. Implementing online platforms would facilitate continuous communication and allow for real-time collaboration, enhancing the effectiveness of future exchanges. We will also be incorporating more small group sessions focused specifically on staff-to-staff interactions. These sessions would provide opportunities for staff members to discuss how they can support faculty initiatives, share best practices, and explore ways to collaborate more effectively in their respective roles.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Build Institutional Capacity Hiring of additional staff and faculty was the first item on our timeline, and we successfully filled those positions in 2023.The NextGen DEET program has catalyzed the development and renewal of coursework at both colleges.At LLTC, three natural resource career skills and exploration classes were offered in 2024. Introduction to Field Research and the GIS Skills and Survey and Measurement will be offered in June, and Indigenous Science Careers will be offered in Fall 2024. These courses are open to all students, but our summer intern crew, DEET scholarship students, and incoming freshman are highly encouraged to enroll. We are in the midst of planning to cross- or co-offering these classes with FDLTCC. The ability to offer consistent coursework to ensure timely graduation and the knowledge and skills to enter into USDA FANH fields. Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College faculty met 10 times during the 2024 spring semester to work on planning and visioning for the FDLTCC Environmental Science Associate of Science degree and related certificates. These weekly meetings resulted in robust discussion and the compilation of a draft Associate of Science degree plan and a map for new courses to be developed. FDLTCC faculty decided to develop a new environmental chemistry course and created a course outline, course syllabus, and lab book/on-line materials for this new course. It was approved by AASC in April 2024 as CHEM 1020 Environmental Chemistry. Additional new courses yet to be developed include Environmental Policy and Conservation, Environmental Science Careers, and a practicum/certification course to supplement our research experience course already in the catalog. Building Institutional Capacity at tribal colleges is a complex project that needs constant communication between faculty and staff both within each college and between colleges. In August 2023 our FDLTCC - LLTC NextGen Development of Enhanced Education and Training (DEET) project, held our first Faculty to Faculty partnership meeting. During this meeting we discussed each college's course catalogue, how can we collaborate, and how can we build institutional capacity. We discussed our evaluation plan and next steps for collaboration. By December of 2023 both colleges had hired their NextGen DEET Coordinators. The Coordinator positions are an integral part of our project as these Coordinators meet bi-weekly to report on progress on the academic, research, and internships that are being created as part of this program. This communication helps ensure that progress is being made and opportunities to collaborate are constantly being shared between FDLTCC and LLTC. Our External Evaluation team was present during the second face to face DEET faculty meeting in May 2024. Several suggestions for improvement were identified to enhance the effectiveness and impact of future exchanges. These suggestions encompass a range of areas, including communication, collaboration, networking, and cultural enrichment. By addressing these areas of improvement, organizers can create a more inclusive, engaging, and productive exchange experience that fosters meaningful connections and drives positive outcomes for all participants involved. Goal 2:Support students throughout their educational journey with academic and financial assistance with access to mentoring, peer-to-peer learning, and scholarships Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC) awarded 8 scholarships in Spring of 2024 and are working on a rolling online application process for incoming, ongoing, and alumni continuing to four-year colleges. Student mentorship is built into the fabric of teaching and learning at Leech Lake Tribal College, which gives faculty and staff many occasions to bring up FANH opportunities. The added incentive of paid internships, scholarships, and career support from DEET has resulted in higher student participation in DEET events than we have seen since before the pandemic. At Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College we awarded DEET scholarship to students that were enrolled in Geospatial Technologies certification courses, Environmental Science degrees, and Sustainability degrees. There were 18 scholarships awarded.As a NextGen scholar shared "The DEET Scholarship has helped me immensely financially, but it has also helped me understand more about and increase my interest in agriculture, the world, and sustainability as a whole, especially through the GAPS training and research symposium." Our DEET Coordinator kept in close contact with all the scholars, did wellness check ins, and linked students with needed tutoring during the academic year. Our DEET Scholar co-hort had mandatory events during the year that they attended together.Another scholar stated "The award helped so much with the cost of attending college but it was also a tremendous time learning, having fun and getting spending time with fellow student peers and friends at these DEET activities/events."This requirement of the scholarship served to make sure that the additional programming support is given to all the students as well as creating a peer support team. Goal 3: Provide Experiential Learning Opportunities LLTC DEET coordinated with Indigenous Leadership to bring science students out during ricing days. These cultural practices are essential to the identity of the Ojibwe people, and part of our reciprocal relationship with the land. Additional field trips including visiting the sugarbush, though the climate shocks of this past winter meant no syrup harvest was conducted. Storytelling, tree health, winter tree identification and community assemblages around the sugarbush were discussed. LLTC DEET expanded our relationship with local partners at USDA, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe (LLBO), and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. For the 2024 summer, three interns have been placed with the Chippewa National Forest, four with the LLBO Department of Resource Management, six in collaborative research teams with the same local partners, and three focusing on LLTC gardens and orchards. Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College increased the number of external internship partnerships as well as increasing the student research program. During the first year of our project we placed one student with the US Forest Service for a 3 week internship, and set up logisticsfor a 2 week internship with regional USDA APHIS offices that will serve 4 of our students. FDLTCC hired 13 students as part of the summer research and sustainability experiential learning programming. Goal 4: Increase Student Interest in Food and Agriculture Careers In Spring Semester of 2024 Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College held a Research Symposium. The Research Symposium had six FDLTCC student research presentations and one LLTC student researcher poster. An evening poster session was held that had over 40 student poster presentations. These events were open to the public.These events were open to the public. 84% of surveyed Research Symposium students said that the Symposium positively influenced their academic or career plans by instilling confidence in their futures and provided practical insights for their FANH career paths. The NextGen DEET project opportunities were shared with potential DEET Scholars in various events such as college tours, academic fairs and community events. A College Prep Student Panel was hosted on April 24th. This panel featured current and former graduate students. The Panel presented on the opportunities and challenges of transferring from a 2 year tribal college to a 4 year University. This panel was attended by 28 FDLTCC - LLTC students.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Auralia Bellecourt. 2023. All Stoneworts Arent Starry On Leech Lake Reservation. FALCON Annual Conference. Denver CO. October 13-15, 2023
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Shandell Martell. 2024. Black Backed Woodpecker Monitoring. The Wildlife Society Minnesota Chapter Annual Meeting. Bemidji, MN. February 27-29, 2024
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Joey Riley. 2023. Anishinaabe Gikendaasowin: Indigenous Science, Tribal Sovereignty, and Native Student Empowerment. Gordon Research Conference on Undergraduate Biology Education. Lewiston, ME. June 25-30, 2023
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Melinda Neville. 2024. Cross-Cultural Equity in Tribal Partnerships. 41st Annual Red River Basin Land and Water International Summit Conference. Fargo, ND. January 16-18, 2024
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Donna Perleberg, Kenneth Karol, Kate Hagsten, Melinda Neville. 2024. Collaborating to Conserving Native Characeae in Minnesota Lakes. Minnesota Native Plant Society General Meeting. May 2, 2023. Online.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Tyler Selin, Hailey Anderson, Steve Gebhard, Kelsey Taylor, Eric Larson. 2023. eDNA Methods to Detect Rusty Crayfish (Faxonius rusticus) in Manoomin (Wild Rice) Watersheds. FALCON Annual Conference. Denver CO. October 13-15, 2023
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Zoie Soder, Addie Rikkola, Steve Gebhard, David Grosshuesch, Margaret Robertson. 2023. Monitoring Dwarf Bilberry (Vaccinium caespitosum) in the Superior National Forest. FALCON Annual Conference. Denver CO. October 13-15, 2023
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Tyler Selin, Hailey Anderson, Steve Gebhard, Kelsey Taylor, Eric Larson. 2023. eDNA Methods to Detect Rusty Crayfish (Faxonius rusticus) in Manoomin (Wild Rice) Watersheds. FDLTCC Research Symposium. Cloquet, MN. April 24, 2024
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Zoie Soder. 2024. Bird Impact Study on FDLTCC Campus. FDLTCC Research Symposium. Cloquet, MN. April 24, 2024