Performing Department
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Non Technical Summary
Workforce diversification of the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH) must begin with equity-driven outreach, teaching, and mentoring to foster students' deep understanding of science, cross-cutting themes unique to USDA, and applications of learned experiences.Through this SSS ELP Tier I project, "TExAS FAST: Texas Experiential learning & Scholarship program for Food & Agricultural Science Training," Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) will prepare undergraduate students in the new, interdisciplinary Environmental Science and Sustainability (ESS) program for careers in FANH.Located in San Antonio, with an undergraduate population of 1,195 (73% Latinx, 41% first-generation, 55 % Pell-eligible) and with expertise in culturally relevant pedagogy, curriculum, and student support, OLLU is uniquely positioned to diversify the future FANH workforce.TExAS FAST aims to build and sustain the next generation of FANH workforce by 1) eliminating barriers to retention and graduation by providing scholarships, mentoring, and a living learning community and by 2) expanding career awareness across diverse FANH sectors and increasing employability skills through meaningful experiential learning opportunities and paid internships at the University of South Alabama and the Canada Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food.Utilizing a lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, TExAS FAST will create programming that nurtures engagement with natural resources and fosters interest in FANH careers. Students will develop the research, leadership, and employability skills necessary for high-demand FANH occupations.?
Animal Health Component
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Research Effort Categories
Basic
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Applied
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Developmental
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Goals / Objectives
TExAS FAST (Texas Experiential learning & Scholarship program for Food & Agricultural Science Training) addresses the goal of increasing FANH workforce diversification by intentionally creating inclusive learning environments through experiential learning, scholarship, collaborative educational opportunities, and systematic training within the Environmental Science and Sustainability (ESS) program, a program directly aligned with USDA career pathways. The ESS major/minor at OLLU began in Fall 2021 and contains a multidisciplinary degree plan grounded in science and flexibility for students to design elective courses in multiple fields like business, social justice, science, marketing, and communications.To increase skills, investment, and motivation in FANH for scholars to thrive in USDA careers, TExAS FAST enacts three culturally responsive, interrelated objectives that will address NEXTGEN program priorities of scholarship and experiential learning:(Objective 1) Increase the number of students who declare ESS major or minor to build a sustainable pipeline of highly qualified persons (HQP) for USDA employment. The ESS program currently has 5 majors and 6 minors. Under this objective, the program PI will work closely with OLLU Admissions, local high school liaisons, and Northwest Vista College (NVC) to establish a regional pipeline of ESS students.(Objective 2) Increase engagement of ESS students through development of an LLC, experiential learning opportunities, and employability skills in preparation for USDA careers. This objective will build an LLC under an already established, successful model at OLLU. Students who declare ESS as a major or minor are eligible and will live cooperatively and take program-required courses together. Experiential learning opportunities as an intervention are infused throughout programmatic events as activities that will guide scholar interests and goals with USDA-career options and experiences.(Objective 3) Retain and graduate ESS students through scholarship, mentorship, equitydriven, and research focused approaches to STEM education, and internships. Scholars will receive room and board scholarships and Educational Assistance Awards (EAA) that allow them to focus fully on their studies and engage in program activities. Utilizing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) and research-based approaches to science curriculum, TExAS FAST seeks to create programming that nurtures passionate engagement with natural resource environments, involving students in the diversity of FANH activities and experiences to increase access to FANH career opportunities. Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) curriculum and culturally inclusive pedagogies that recognize systemic racial and economic inequities27 will improve delivery of FANH-related curricula. Participation in the program culminates in an ESS program-required internship, preferably with USDA partners.
Project Methods
The evaluation plan has been designed to: (1) address the primary evaluation questions, which in turn will contribute to the existing literature and share lessons learned with educators who are seeking to impact students in similar environments; (2) ensure appropriate implementation of grant activities at the intended scope; (3) provide project team with timely and meaningful feedback that can be used to guide decision-making during and after the grant period; and (4) assess the extent to which grant activities have led to the desired outcomes.Overview of Evaluation Design: The evaluation period will span the life of the grant and will include both formative and summative elements. The formative elements will assess the (1) quality of implementation and provide evidence-based recommendations for refinement; and (2) development of activities aligned with program vision and goals, recruitment, retention, and mentoring with a focus on fostering a culture of inclusion and equity. The summative elements assess the (1) short-term and long-term outcomes; and (2) relationships between activities and achievement of outcomes.Measures, Metrics, and Data Sources: As noted in Table 8, data will be gathered from sources that are appropriate to each outcome. For example, institutional data will be used to ascertain whether benchmarks are being met with respect to recruitment, retention, and graduation. In contrast, questionnaires will be used to generate a combination of quantitative and qualitative data that will speak to changes in faculty understanding and implementation of IDEA concepts in their teaching. Because these data are self-report, the evaluator will conduct classroom observations to collect additional information about the extent to which faculty are incorporating IDEA concepts into their teaching. Table 9 describes how each of the evaluation questions will be answered. Once again, the external evaluator will place significant emphasis on leveraging data from the appropriate sources in answering these questions.Data Analysis: A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods will be used to answer the evaluation questions. For the quantitative analyses, within-subjects tests (i.e., paired samples t- tests and repeated measures ANOVAs) will be performed to detect changes over time (e.g., pretest to post-test). Between-subjects tests (e.g., independent samples t-tests and MANOVAs) will be performed to determine whether there are differences between students who participated in grant activities and those who did not. Qualitative analyses will further enrich the evaluator's interpretation and allow for a more complete understanding of how grant activities impacted faculty, staff, and students. Data from interviews, open-ended questions on surveys, classroom observations, and university websites will be aggregated, coded, and interpreted using methods consistent with critical theory.Reporting: The evaluator will submit quarterly reports to the grant team. These reports will summarize the formative and, when appropriate, summative results from the beginning of the grant to the end of the reporting period. In addition to providing feedback about how well grant activities have been implemented and the extent to which student outcomes have been achieved, the evaluator will also note any significant obstacles that are preventing optimization of grant performance. The grant team will review the quarterly reports and meet with the evaluator as needed and no less frequently than semi-annually. The grant team will also assemble key stakeholders within the institution to share results and solicit their input regarding grant activities.