Progress 06/01/24 to 05/31/25
Outputs
Target Audience:During the reporting period, our project focused on individuals pursuing skills and careers that support the agricultural sector, including farmers, ranchers, producers, non-industrial foresters, and rural communities. The aim was to equip students with knowledge and practical experience that align with workforce needs in Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Human Sciences (FANH) fields. The primary target audience included prospective students at St. Edward's University who expressed interest in FANH-related careers, especially those planning to major in Environmental Biology and Conservation & Ecology (EBCC) or Biology (professions). These students were supported with scholarships that enabled enrollment and academic progress. They also received structured support for professional development and internships that align with agriculture and natural resources. A second target group consisted of current SEU students--from a variety of majors--who showed interest in developing skills relevant to FANH fields. These students were offered hands-on internship opportunities designed to build career readiness and applied knowledge that serves rural and agricultural communities. Another key audience was SEU students attending the Lucian Symposium, where student interns presented posters highlighting their internship experiences and work related to FANH topics. This provided peer-to-peer exposure to career paths and real-world applications in agriculture and natural resources. Additionally, students at the national MANRRS conference were reached through poster presentations by our interns, allowing them to share their work and gain insights from professionals and fellow students with similar interests in agricultural careers. Finally, students enrolled in specific SEU science and leadership courses were engaged through course content that incorporated FANH-related topics, datasets, and examples. Courses included freshman Biology Lab II, Biostatistics, Microbiology Lab, and two FANH-focused leadership classes. These efforts introduced students to career-relevant material and highlighted opportunities in sectors that support the agricultural workforce. These audiences were targeted to build interest and capability in essential career areas that directly benefit U.S. agriculture, strengthen rural economies, and support the mission of USDA through education and workforce development. Changes/Problems:There were several challenges that have had an impact on the rate of expenditure and/or the student experience. 1. In advance of fall 2024, the FAFSA application portal was "updated" and this caused serious malfunctions that impacted students' abilities to use this resource. Private universities use the FAFSA to generate aid offers to students and the problems with the portal resulted in delayed or absent evaluations for financial aid. As a result, there was a decrease in the number of students who could enroll at the university and participate in the grant. We eventually modified our protocol to not require FAFSA and focus on merit. Even in this situation, it appears that some students decided not to attend college due to the FAFSA problems. 2. Austin Community College (ACC) is free of charge for the next five years starting in fall 2024. St. Edward's is in Austin, too, so ACC is an attractive option for students and is strong competition for the students' first two years. As a result, we are shifting our focus to transfer students rather than first time freshmen. I have already begun to network wth people at ACC and they are happy to help make SEU a transfer university of choice for their students.This will be a strength of the NextGen E3 program as we will be able to support additionalactivities and scholarships for FANH students. 3. Some change of personnel in the USDA forest service and agricultural research service resulted in the need to network with additional FANH professionals. Our network is now much broader than the original partners and it can grow further. 4. Access to funding was paused at a critical point in spring 2025. We spent time finding back-up funding for our internship students for summer in case funding was not available by that time. We were forced to suspend networking and outreach activities that depended on continued scholarship and internship funding. We were not able to recruit freshmen or transfer students for our program during the spring due to the insecurity of funding availability. Now thatfunding is more secure we willmake up for this pause. 5. The NextGen Student Forum in Washington DC was postponed. We had many student signed up to attend including some on a waitlist. There is not a way that we can give students a national networking and development experience like this on our own. Students would benefit so much from visiting DC and attending the Forum. We are happy one of our students attended in 2024. 6. One of the student majors supported by this grant environmental biology. This is a relatively new major that is gaining in popularity. One setback is that our program director has transferred to another university so we had no director this year. Students and their parents are frequently more enthusiastic for their students to join a program when they meet or feel they know something about the director and this was a weakness this year. We hired a new director this year that will start in the fall. We look forward to robust assistance with recruiting from the new director. 7. Some of our internship mentors requested longer internship lengths. Initially, our partner at the ARS in College Station indicated a limit of 2 weeks, but upon interviewing the student, setttled on 8 weeks as ideal. We had budgeted 8 weeks for most internships, but some mentors requested 10 weeks. We strongly support our partners to tell us what the ideal internship length should be and we think this results in stronger outcomes and ongoing relationships. This change in internship length increased the amount expended per intern, but we see this increased internship time as a strength and a compliment to the quality of our students. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Opportunities for training and professional development in Year 2 Training and Professional Development for Faculty and Staff Our administrative coordinator received training in software used for tracking grant budget activities. Two faculty attended a regional American Society for Microbiology meeting, One faculty member attended the national MANRRS meeting. Career and Proffessional Development for Students Other professional development activities are included in the Accomplishments section and are also included here: 6 summer undergraduate internships:3 students worked for the USFS, 3 students worked for the ARS.One intern worked at the USDA Agricultural Research Service in College Station studying cow rumen fermentation, two worked at the USDA ARS in Fargo, ND (studying oat rust and ben pollination), and three worked with the USFS at the Pagosa Ranger District in Colorado, another in the San Juan National Forest in Colorado and the third in the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico. 6 student presentations at the Lucian Symposium 5 student presentations at the national MANRRS meeting 2 student presentations at the Texas Branch of the American Society for Microbiology meeting. 16 studentscompleted a resume workshop and made federal resumes. 16 students completed an interview training and practice session 16 students attended a session led by an ARS scientist on campus 10 students took a week-long water quality abroad experience in Costa Rica. 8 were funded by the NextGen E3 fund that supports scholar and intern enrichment. 16 students took a leadership module training Hundreds of students took the three core courses (freshman biology lab II, microbiology lab, biostatistics)with updated FANH information included. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Dissemination of Results and Outreach Activities The dissemination of results from the USDA NextGen E3 project has been an integral part of our broader mission to build awareness of career pathways in agriculture, science, and public service, and to strengthen connections between education, workforce preparation, and community engagement. Web Presence and Public Communication We launched the NextGen E3 project webpage in year 1 as a central platform for sharing information with a wide range of audiences. This website was updated and further developedthis year to provide informationon project milestones, profiles of student participants, and highlights from ongoing activities. It serves as a user-friendly resource for students, educators, institutional partners, and members of the public interested in learning more about the USDA's investment in education and career readiness and related careers. The project was also featured in a campus news article published by Hilltop Views, which helped extend visibility to readers beyond the university community. The article presents a clear overview of the program's goals and early achievements in preparing students for future roles in agriculture, natural resources and related sectors. The article can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/4mZ0k0y. Outreach to FANH field sites During summer 2024, one of the senior personnel visited 5 of the 6 internship sites to share the goals and activitiesof the NextGen E3 project with mentors in the field. This included visits to the ARS in Fargo, ND and USFS locations in Colorado and New Mexico. Theseinteractions opened two-way communication,enablingthe best internship experience for both mentor and mentee andpreparingthese future graduates for the workforce. Academic Presentations and Events Student participants in the NextGen E3 program presented their work at the Lucian Symposium, a long-standing interdisciplinary SEU event that brings together students, faculty, alums, and professionals from across science and policy fields. This poster session provided a structured environment for students to share their learning experiences, communicate their interests, and develop presentation skills relevant to careers in food science and natural resourceswhile exposing their colleagues to these topics. Professional Engagement and Networking In April, a project team member and five studentsattended the annual MANRRS conference (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences). While the conference focuses on professional development, it also offers a platform for institutions to highlight educational initiatives that prepare students for USDA-related careers. We used this opportunity to network with other educatorsthe goals and progress of the NextGen E3 project and open the possibility of future collaborations. Community and Educational Outreach The project team has participated in a variety of outreach activities designed to raise awareness of USDA-supported programs among students, parents, and educators. These activities have included presentations during new student orientation, classroom visits, and guest lectures in courses focused on environmental science, civic engagement, and public health. We have also initiated conversations with local schools and organizations to explore future collaborations that will expand the reach of the program. These activities were not as extensive in spring 2025 due to the funding pause. Faculty and staff have integratedUSDA-relevant topics into existing coursework, with the goal of helping students make informed decisions about their academic and professional futures. Students in the various classes connected their water quality techniques with possible futurecareers, food safety topics in microbiology, and how to apply biostatistics to relevent agricultrue and naturals resources data sets. Theskills and knowledge gainedwill increase student awareness of the needs and perspectives of farmers, ranchers, and non-industrial foresters. Through a combination of online resources, academic engagement, and public-facing outreach, the NextGen E3 project has helped inform and connect students and stakeholders with the wide array of opportunities available in agriculture, food science, and natural resource fields. These are important fields for NIFA and promote food security and safetyas well as clean air and water. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We have made a wonderful start to the NextGen E3 project at St. Edward's University. We have had many accomplishments and look forward to further attracting, retaining and supporing our FANH majors. Objective I: Attract Students to FANH Majors Recruit and award scholarships for FANH majors. We currently have 17 scholars and will be recruiting additional applicants. Our total number of graduates means that we need 11 or more additional scholars. Major challenges for year 2 recruitment efforts include the malfunction of the FAFSA portal and our local community college (Austin Community College, ACC) announcing free tuition for the next 5 years. Both of these things made our goal of supporting a total of 28 scholars this year challenging. We will focus in the next year on recruiting transfer students from the ACC, where we have already cultivated strong contacts among biology faculty and the transfer advisors. The Admissions department at SEU awards less support for transfer students and so the NextGen scholarships will be very important. As we award two-year or three-year scholarships, we can increase the number of scholarships for FANH students that we award since each will be fewer years of support for each student. The fall 2025 cohort has been affected by the pause in funding during spring 2025, so we expect more of the remaining 11 scholars may come duing spring or fall of 2026. We will not strongly promote the scholarship to freshmen now since they could not graduate by the time the project is completed. We are confident that we will reach, if not exceed, our goals. We will continue to update and revise the NextGen E3 website and the relevent core classes (freshman biology lab II, mirobiology lab, urban ecology, and biostatistics). We will strive to make the content as current as possible and find other ways to share outcomes such as social media or other strategies, such as posters or publications. Objective II: Retain FANH Majors We will continue to support the MANRRS chapter. This includes mentoring and advising the chapter officers and club, attending regional and/or national MANRRS meetings. The NextGen E3 office will continue to support students as they apply for E3 funding, scholarships, and internships. This office also make videos of student activities (such as internships) to share with the broader community. The Canvas course will be used so that the project leadership can monitor student progress and intervene if necessary. Additionally, students can be made aware of opportunities and deadlines. Objective III: Advance the careers of FANH majors We will monitor the 18 interns in summer 2025. They are enrolled in a Canvas course and complete reflections each week of 1-2 paragraphs. Project leadership is meeting via zoom during weeks 1 or 2 of the internship in order to provide effective communication and networking. One of the mentors has already requested student interns for next summer. Students will make a draft poster that is due the last week of their internship. They will then take a one hour course in fall to assimilate their internship experiences and prepare for presentations both on and off campus. They will be eligible to take the Advanced FANH Leadership class in spring of 2026. Students in this class will be very focused on outreach to ACC to attract additional scholars as transfer students. We will continue to update the FANH Leadership class. We are encouraging students to make presentations and attend meetings via the E3 fund. We look forward to seeing these impacts. We will recruit additional internship students via posters, classroom visits, networking of previous interns, etc. They will take the spring FANH Leadership class in anticipation of the summer 2026 internship. We will support an average of 28 students for summer 2026 and summer 2027. We will explore additional opportunities for scholar and intern development in the future. The Costa Rica water quality experiential learning opportunity was a great success. This project directly supports the SEU strategic plan which has a strong focus on experiential learning and career readiness. We look forward to further building on our project successes and reaching our goals.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The Challenge Many students--particularly those who are first generation and/or from rural backgrounds--lack awareness of and access to careers in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH). Even when interest exists, financial barriers and limited academic or professional support can make it difficult to enter the FANH workforce. The E3 project addresses these challenges by supporting students through scholarships, experiential learning, and leadership development to improve recruitment, retention and career readiness in FANH fields. Objective I: Attract Students to FANH Majors Activity: We recruited 14 additional FANH scholars this year for a total of 17, through outreach to high schools, community colleges, and through peer-led recruiting via our student MANRRS chapter and website. Outcome: 100% of scholars reported that the NextGen E3 scholarship was crucial for reducing financial stress, allowing them to attend full-time and focus on academics. Students reported: "no financial stress. I can focus on my classes more." "With the scholarship, I have been able to lessen the hardship of being a fulltime student and having to support my family." Impact: Students plan to complete an internship, their FANH degrees, and pursue careers--addressing workforce needs that support farmers, ranchers, and non-industrial foresters. Activity: We updated the E3 public-facing websitewith student and advisory board testimonials, project updates, and FANH career info. Videos of the first cohort of interns and project activities such as from the Costa Rica water quality trip are now available. Outcome: Students used it as a resource for scholarship and internship information and as inspiration for what they can accomplish in their time as SEU students and in the future. Impact: Increases visibility and interest in FANH majors among potential students, enables students to visualize themselves in FANH career or activities supporting our broader recruitment goals. Activity: Faculty revised content in three core classes (freshman biology lab II, microbiology lab, and biostatistics) including FANH-related case studies and projects in agriculture, water quality, forestry, and food safety. Outcome: Students showed increased confidence in data analysis and awareness of and motivation to pursue FANH careers. One notable outcome was a non-credit experiential learning opportunity in water quality study in Costa Rica during spring break 2025 and associated with freshman biology lab II. The E3 Fund suuported 8 of the 10 students on the trip where students engaged with non-industrial foresters and a clean water access initiative. Impact: Strengthened academic preparation and career interest in FANH sectors. Students described the Costa Rica experience as "life-changing" and the highlight of their college career. Objective II: Retain FANH Majors Activity: Our new MANRRS chapter grew from 6 to 24 members and is now nationally recognized. Five students presented at the 2025 national conference, with one earning a national finalist spot. Outcome: Students reported increased confidence, professional networks, and a strengthened FANH identity. Impact: Enhanced student leadership and retention in FANH fields through mentorship and visibility in national forums. Activity: The E3 Office provided centralized support for scholarships, internships, and emergency/enrichment funding (E3 fund). Outcome: Students used the E3 Fund for tutoring, professional gear, and travel. Eight students attended a spring-break water quality trip in Costa Rica. Impact: Students easily accessed the E3 Fund, applied for scholarships and internships in an organized and fair way. This increased the number of students in the pipeline for FANH fields. Activity: We created a dedicated Canvas course in year 1 and revised this in year 2 to centralize communication and monitor NextGen E3 intern and scholar needs. Outcome: 89% of interns and scholars found the system easy to use. Mid- and end-of-semester check-ins helped identify and address academic concerns early. Impact: Students understand that as a part of the NextGen E3 community, they will be monitored and supported. One student at risk of failing brought up two grades with mentoring. This directly supports student success and retention in FANH majors. Objective III: Advance the careers of FANH majors Activity: In Summer 2024, six students completed paid internships: three with USDA ARS and three with US Forest Service. Outcome: 100% rated the experience 9-10/10. Students reported increased clarity on career and graduate school plans. Interns shared that the experience was "incredible" and "extremely difficult" and that they gained new career insights. Other observations included "I have been unsure about graduate school, but I got to work with another intern that is in graduate school currently and I got to talk a lot with different professionals about their schooling. All of this has made me want to go to graduate school more." "[After working to save some money] ...essentially get a doctorate in computational biology and then apply to either the Forest Service or the Agricultural Research Service through USA Jobs and see if I can work in a research lab or as an engineer on some project." Impact: Building the future workforce with well-prepared, motivated students ready to support farmers, producers and non-industrial foresters. Interns gained professional connections, technical skills, and new career goals. Activity: We revised FANH Leadership elective to emphasize networking, resume building, and interviewing. Invited professionals and SEU alumni for mentorship. Visited Texas A&M University to expose students to food safety collaborators. Outcome: 87% of students reported increased confidence in leadership skills. All 16 students secured summer internships. (Two additional students from cohort one will also complete a second internship, resulting in 18 internships in summer 2025). Students were inspired by the scientists in the graduate school at TAMU. "I too am a child of immigrant farmers and ranchers...seeing [an alumna] so well established in an agricultural field allowed me to see myeself in that field. ....allowed me to feel a lot more in control...inspired me completely." "Alot of people [working at the TAMU microbiology labs] were sort of close to where I'm at and a lot of people were a lot further on. Being able to see people in that continuum of where I'm going to end up was very helpful and very inspiring." Impact: Students gained concrete skills, a network of professionals and confidence to pursue FANH careers. Five students will complete internships at TAMU in summer 2025. Activity: we piloted an Advanced FANH Leadership course. Past interns mentored students in the core leadership class. Outcome: Two peer mentors helped guide students through internship application processes. Impact: Strengthened the pipeline by developing leadership and mentorship within the student community. Summary of Impact In Year 2 of the NextGen E3 project we demonstrated significant progress in attracting, retaining, and advancing students in FANH fields. Measurable outcomes include: 17 students funded through Educational Assistance Awards 6 students placed in high-impact FANH internships 18+ students engaged in leadership courses 24 active MANRRS members, 5 national presenters 8 students participated in international fieldwork 100% of internship participants and scholars reported career-altering impacts This project directly contributes to building a strong, skilled workforce in FANH fields--particularly for farmers, ranchers, producers and rural communities--supporting long-term USDA priorities related to food security, environmental sustainability, and rural development.
Publications
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Progress 06/01/23 to 05/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:Undergraduates at St. Edward's University, an HSI and MSI, were the target audience. There are two target audiences at SEU for this project.One focus is on students who are majoring in biology at SEU who have limited FANH career exposure. The other includes students interested in FANH fields of study who are or plan to pursue majors in biology.Additionally, we focused on students who are in biology classes but may not have thought of FANH careers includingstudents in the following classes: freshman biology lab, microbiology lab, urban ecology, biostatistics, FANH Leadership. Students majoring in biology professions or environmental biology and climate change (EBCC) are recruited for scholarships where merit, interest, need, and belonging to an underserved community were used to evaluate them.Those majoring in biology professions or EBCC or minoring in a biological subject are recruited for internships and completea leadership course in preparation for this internship. These students are chosen based on merit, interest, and belonging to an underserved community. Students attending the biology seminars featuring a FANH speaker are also targeted. Changes/Problems:We had planned to have 7 scholars and 20 interns the first year. This has been adjusted to 4scholars and 6interns the first year. This is due to the June project start date rather than March. This is not a major change that requires special reporting. For year 2 there is a challenge with FAFSA. Private universities require FAFSA in order to make financial aid offers to students. The cost of attendance is higher at private universiities and without an offer, students do not know what their cost of attendance will be. With the current problems in the FAFSA process, the student offers are taking much longer to process. We expect overall enrollment at many universities to decrease as a result of the FAFSA problem. If there are fewer scholars this fall we can make up for this in future years as the process smooths. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Five faculty attended a culturally responsive teaching seminar in May 2023 in order to prep for constructing the culturally responsive courses that areinfused with food, agriculture and natural resources data and scientists. They updated or created classes and taught them in AY 2023-24. In May 2024, a follow-up seminar was offered. Every faculty member had information of how their course was received and felt they could do better (each class isunder "other" in the next section). Although there were only 2 seminars planned, all faculty committed to repeating this annually in order to continue to iterate. Our administrative coordinator, Ariana Gonzalez, took a graphic design night course at UT which has helped her with webpage and document design. She also took the international student section ofEnglish Writing and Rhetoric at SEU which helps her with communication. She is originally from Venezuela and is confident with speaking but has benefitted from the class. She is outstanding and wewant to retain her on our project, so her training is very valuable. She has indicated that both experiences were extremely important for her and she is much more confident in her skills. Six students took the FANH Leadership course which provided leadership training, mentoring by FANH alums, and networking withprofessionals in the field with USFS and ARS and others. They also learned to make a federal resume, developed an application portfolio and interviewed for internships. Every student found the construction of a federal resume informative and this will remove barriers to federal work once they graduate. Meeting real professionals who were approachable and supportive helped the students grow their network and broaden their horizons. One student summed it up, "Yeah. I would say the most useful resource we've been provided so far is from the mentors, various mentors, has been this information on, like, their sections inside the USDA. Otherwise, the USDA was just kind of this monolith to me before...." One student attended the NextGen activities along with the USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum and grew her network and perspective and shared her resulting information and enthusiasm with the other students in the class. She indicated that she now realizes how important this project and is even more determined to focus on a FANH career. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have developed the NextGen E3 website to inform our audience of the career possibilities with USDA, internship and scholarship opportunities and our activities(https://sites.stedwards.edu/e3/). It contains examples of professionals who are alums and their career path. They look like our students and inspire to pursue FANH careers. Our student newspaper interviewed relevant people and published a wonderful article (https://www.hilltopviewsonline.com/27086/featured-stories/federal-funding-finances-new-nextgen-experiential-learning-program/ ). This reachedall students on campus as well as having an online presence. The NextGen E3 scholar quoted was a transfer student and said he now feels that he is an important part of campus. Our team has participated in 5 recruitment events with prospective students to increase awareness of FANH careers and our program opportunities. We spoke with students and parents and explain the value of a these careers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Timeline of activities (activities not in the timeline are ongoing throughout the year) Summer 2024: Students participate in internships of 8-10 weeks (6 students total) with ARS (3)and USFS (3) Recruit additional students for scholarships (24) Teaching seminar for faculty, iterate Fall 2024: Students assimilate their 2024 internship experience and present on and off campus Microbiology lab (core class) Recruit students for su25 internships and sp25 Leadership class Spring 2025: FANH Leadership class and core classes taught (microbiology lab, biostatistics, freshman biology lab) Freshman Biology lab has an abroad component over spring break (scholars can apply to the E3 fund to help support this). A subset of the internship students take Advanced FANH Leadership, mentoring new interns and HS students. May-Advisory Board meets for an update and to offer advice. More detail on the activities: 1. Recruit additional applications and award 28 (4-year) Educational Assistance Awards (EAAs) to FANH majors. We currently have 4 of these students awarded during year 1. 2. Continue to enrich the NextGen E3 website including additionalrole models. 3. Continue to iterate and teach the 4 core classes enhanced withculturally responsive FANH curriculafeaturing diverse role models. 4. Further promote theMANRRS chapter to raise the profile of FANH careers, give opportunities for leadership,networking, and honing presentation skills. Students can share their internship data throughregional and national MANRRS Conferences each year. 5. Continue to support the E3 Office that includes support for student development and unexpected situations via the E3 fund (Enrichment, Emergency and Equity). 6. Continue to monitor students via surveys and faculty check-in to determine any unmet need (assistance with class, encouragement to seek leadership roles, etc.) 7.Provide 6robust, paid, summer experiential learning experiences in FANH fields at ARS and USFS in year 2. There will bemore in future years. 8. Continue to iterate and teach theelective FANH Leadership classto impart crucial knowledge, skills, and leadership training, internship preparation, and career navigation and also to bond more closely with our partners who will visit the class. 9. Teach the Advanced FANH Leadership class with a subset of year one internship students who can help to mentor the new students and promote FANH careers to high school students. 10. Desseminate the work via meetings on and off campus including at the MANRRS conference.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1. Scholarships to attract and retain students.The cost of college attendance is a barrier to attracting strong FANH students who may also suffer from financial stress.We recruited and awarded 2 one-year $15k scholarships and 2, ½ year $7500 scholarships for FANH biology students.All scholars feel less financial stress and indicate that they could not have attended college full time without this support and are confident they will graduate with their FANH degree.These students have beenattracted and retained and will contribute to a strong and resilient federal workforce which is an administrative priority. All of the scholars indicated that they could not have attended the university full time without this funding. 2. NextGen E3 website.Students at St. Edward's get a lot of information regarding healthcare. They need to understand FANH options in order to help foster a strong federal workforce.The NextGen E3 website was developed to show examples of federal internships and job satisfaction as well as scholarship and internship applications.We have used our NextGenE3 website to help us recruit 6 students for internships and 4 students for scholarships.Students and their parents will benefit from understanding the federal workforce and opportunities for support. This puts them on track for a successful federal career. Student participantvideos and quotes will be featured on the website as they are collected. (Please see: https://sites.stedwards.edu/e3/) 3. FANH infused core courses in biology.A strong, federal workforce is crucial, but students at St. Edward's lack exposure to these fields.We updated four core classes with a FANH focus: freshman biology lab, microbiology lab, urban ecology, and biostatistics.The majority of students responding to a detailedsurvey (n=177) indicate this experience increased their awareness of FANH careers, careers in the USDA, and their confidence to succeed in future courses.These students will be open to opportunities with the USDA and contribute to a resilient workforce. A more specific consideration of each class is in the "othter products". 4. Starting a MANRRS chapter.At St. Edward's there is a need to support students as they develop their FANH identity. There is a lack of clubs to help students grow their network.NextGen E3 scholars founded a MANRRS Chapter at St. Edward's.Students now have a place to interact with otherswith like interests and a national network to support their development. There are currently 6 members in the inaugural year.The MANRRS club is giving students leadership experience. They will network nationally and hone their presentation skills. This will help them attain fulfilling federal employment. This club founding will allow us to attend the MANRRS meeting after students have completed their internships. 5. NextGen E3Support Committee and NextGen E3 Fund.Students sometimes have challenges that can allow their grades and to slip and they do may not seek support on their own.We established the "E3 Support Committee" that monitors scholars and makes suggestions for their success.One scholar had poor grades at midterm in spring. Through the "E3 Support Committee", we had the opportunity to seek timely advice and support from professors and encourage her to succeed.Monitoring students helps to support their success so they can graduate and attain federal employment. They learn problem solving skills and are more open to seeking assistance. Studentsgained funds from the Emergency, Enrichment, and Equity (E3) fund which is also monitored by the Support Committee. Students sometimes have unexpected expenses that can get in the way of their focus on school, cause stress, and/or hamper their success..Several students have used the fund to purchase essentail equipmentfor their internship, fund background checks for upcoming internship, decreasing stress.Students indicated that they could not have afforded the boots on their own and would have worn clothing unsuitable for the terrain. This gave them more confidence to pursue opportunities they may have shied away from. 6. NextGen E3 Office.The NextGen E3 Office is maintained by our administrative coordinator, Ariana Gonzalez. She is present to answer questions and support students as well as representing the project in a number of ways on campus to other stakeholders. She developed the website and recruiting materials, our NextGen E3 logo,and she communicates with our scholars and interns. She will arrangehousing and transportation for the internships off campus and is an invaluable asset. 7. FANH Leadership class. Students do not have ample opportunity to interact with role models and prepare for their future FANH careers.We developed a FANH Leadership class, featuring FANH alums, USDA professionals, and other FANH professionals, with leadership training.All 6 students in the class indicated they gained confidence in keeping a group running smoothly, interviewing for internships, and diversifying their network. One disabled student gained confidence during the course to identify as disabled.These students are now prepared to undertake internships with the USDA and will continue to grow their networks. This will lead to fulfilling work in the federal sector. We took a field trip to the ARS in College STation as well as our partners at TAMU. One student summarized the experience "I really valued how they prepared us for interviews and the amount of detail we went into when talking with people in the field. I feel that the field trip we took was something which really was meaningful to me, as it allowed us to see the environment we might be working in and the kinds of people we might be working with. It was kind of like seeing into the future. I really liked that we also made so many connections that we could reach out to in case we needed help with anything or had any questions about the internship or the place in which we might work. Having mentors to talk to and guide us through the process of applying for internships and preparing for interviews was really helpful." When asked what they values most about the Leadership class one student summed it up"The opportunity to speak with people inside the USDA and hear from previous interns." Exposure to outstanding professionals had an impact. All 6 students have a federal resume, an orientation to USAjobs.gov and they all chose USDA summer internships. This is exactly what we had hoped would happen. The first year of the course was challenging, but now we cancontinue to work with our ARS and USFS contacts to improve the class.
Publications
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