Progress 06/01/23 to 05/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this reporting period included Freshmen and new transfer students enrolled in the AG 1110 - Careers in Agriculture course in the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters. The total enrollment for the combined semesters included 278 students. Students enrolled in this course have declared majors of General Agriculture, Animal Science, Horticulture, Agricultural Business Management, Agricultural Education, Agriculture Mechanics, and Plant and Soil Sciences. Additionally, internship applications were opened to all Department of Agricultural Sciences students (n = 791). A total of 8 students completed internships with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and 7 studnets with Bobcat Farm in the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters. The locations included Bexar County (San Antonio), Travis County (Austin), Hays County (San Marcos), and Wilson County (Floresville). These areas are very urbanized, and the work of the interns captured the interest of audiences from non-traditional agriculture backgrounds. Changes/Problems:We had originally written in theproposal that Fall and Spring internships would be full-time. We quickly found out that students were unable to forgo all of their courses during a long semester due to the risk of delaying their graduation an entire year. We decided to allow students to complete a part-time internship (either MWF or TTH). We also have been in discussion of allowing and funding students on undergrduate research projects on campus to defray the time lost with not being able to complete an internship full-time. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Of the 15 internships, 8 of the interns were assigned former USDA mentors. The interns were required to meet with their mentors 3 times during the 14-week semester to be trained on the topics 1) defining leadership and 2) the value of interpersonal skills / handling conflict. Interns were required to write a one-page reflection discussing their experiences. One intern really resonated with the advice that her mentor gave her " My mentor suggested taking any leadership opportunity to gain leadership skills. Even if it is something you think you may not like or be interested in, you can still learn from positions you don't like." All 8 interns indicated in a final internship report that this was one of the most valuable components to their experience because these people have been in "their" shoes. Federal resume writing, USA Jobs training, and career planning curriculum was used to train 278 incoming freshmen and transfer students in AG 1110 - "Careers in Agriculture". As a result, internship applications (one of the requirements is a resume) improved drastically. Eight of the 15 interns completed a 14 week internship with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Of those 8, 3 students completed an experience at the Bexar County (San Antonio) office, a very large county in Texas. One of the students worked in the Urban Agriculture area that is partnered with many public schools in the county. She provided many experiential learning activities to students not familiar with FANH (egg hatching activity, community gardens, etc.). As a result of her internship, she is gainfully employed with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Bexar County as the Urban Agriculture Coordinator. The other two students within Bexar County worked in the area of Horticulture and Food and Community Health. Two interns were placed in Travis County (Austin) working with Horticulture and 4-H Youth Development. Two students were also placed in Hays County (San Marcos) and worked in the area of 4-H Youth Development. Both students were amazed at how much of an educational component AgriLife Extension had. They were a little skeptical about working with young kids, but both really enjoyed it and have indicated that they potentially see themselves doing this in the future. The last student was placed in Wilson County (Floresville) with the 4-H Youth Development agent. She indicated on her final report that this is exactly what she wanted to do and as a result of her internship experience, she is currently teaching secondary agriculture at the public-school level. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? During the fall semester we taught 2 sections of AG 1110 with 95 students in each section and one section in the Spring semester with 88 students enrolled. With the revision of curriculum, we were able to increase incoming students awareness of FANH careers and opportunities by using guest speakers from USDA and other federal and state agencies and bringing in former interns to have a discussion on their experiences while they completed an internship at AgriLife or USDA. All 21 students that applied for a Summer 2024 internship were enrolled in AG 1110 indicating that these activities sparked an interest and created a seamless pipeline for the next cohort of NextGen scholars and interns. Eight of the interns completing an internship with AgriLife extension completed community outreach in the form of intern projects in the urban communities in which they were housed. One of the interns placed at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Travis County) developed curriculum for a community outreach event at the St. John Faith focusing on community gardens. Another intern placed at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Bexar County) hosted an event for educators and community leaders who want to run youth gardens. The event's goal was to provided necessary materials and knowledge to these educators in order for them to successfully have their own youth gardens. It was held at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. Lastly, one helped the 4-H youth development educator create a comprehensive curriculum for a three-day discovery camp for children aged eight to eleven. The curriculum for day one consisted of agriculture and nutrition. The curriculum of day two consisted of wildlife and gardening. During these activities, interns were able to discuss the NextGen program and the opportunities that they have had thus sparking an FANH career interest in both young children and the community. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We are currently in the planning phase for the Summer IDEA (Intern Display ofExperiential Accomplishments) conference to be held on September 20, 2024. The conference will be a one day event, hosting two panels (USDA experts and Texas A&M AgriLife experts). A moderator will guide discussion with questions related to career opportunities, applying to federal jobs, etc. A poster session will be on the agenda allowing ALL of the interns who have completed an internship to-date to highlight their experiences and accomplishments (~40 students). The top five posters will be selected for oral presentation in the form of the national 3MT presentation. Attendance will be required for the two sections of AG 1110 (~200 students), and the conference will be open to ALL Texas State and partner community college students (~40,000 students) Currently wehave 21 scheduled internships for Summer 2024. The internships will start June 3 and end August 15. The students will be required to enroll in AG 4310/AG 5370 - Agriculture Internship (scholarships will be provided for tuition and fees) and a stipend will be provided during the time duration of the internship. Agencies and locations appear below: USDA-ARS (Miles City, MT) USDA-AMS (Ft. Collins, CO) USDA-ARS (Manhattan, KS) USDA-ARS (Miles City, MT) USDA-NRCS (Seguin, TX) Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Harris County) Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Dallas County) Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Dallas County) Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Guadalupe County) Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Harris County) Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Wilson County) Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Travis County) Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Bexar County) Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Bexar County) Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Hockley County) Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Bobcat Farm) National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) 4 Bobcat Farm interns
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
An initial visit and recruitment plan at each of the four community college partners (Laredo College, Austin Community College, Houston Community College, and Palo Alto College) was completed in June 2023. A discussion of recruitment of students and applying as non-degree seeking status at Texas State University was initiated. As a result of the meetings, a strong collaboration was built and courses to target for recruitment weresolidified. A peer mentoring program of 7 mentors was created using former USDA fellows completing a similar program in 2011 and 2014 (all participated in USDA internships). The mentors were paired with the 8 students completing Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service internships in Fall 2023 and Spring 2024. As part of the AG 4310 - Agriculture Internship course in which students were required to enroll, one of the interns' assignments included meeting with their assigned mentor three different times. A guided discussion theme for each session was developed to include 1) a general introduction session, 2) defining leadership, and 3) the value of interpersonal skills / handling conflict. The former USDA mentors' careers included two veterinarians, a U.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Park Ranger, a farm owner, and a registered dietician. As a result of thementor assignment, one student reportedthat "one of the things that my mentor said which really resonated with me is "prioritize yourself". I have really struggled with that because I am extremely family oriented, so I never really go out of my comfort zone to do what is best for me. He also mentioned that focusing on yourself will help when it comes to work ethic, when you show up to work only 40% yourself, then you are doing a disservice to your employer and yourself. All in all, the conversation I had with him has made me reevaluate my options and goals." All 8 students indicated that this was a valuable component of their internship experience. AG 1110 curriculum was revised to include teaching career skills for entering state and federal agencies. Two sections of the course wereoffered in Fall 2023 and one section in Spring 2024 for a total enrollment of 278 new freshmen and transfer students. The course met once a week and a guest speaker was invited each time to discuss career opportunities within USDA, federal resume writing, navigating USA jobs, and general career opportunities within state and federal agencies. Additionally, the current semesters' interns came back to campus to present on their internship experiences. After each class session, students were required to write a one-page reflection of the guest speaker. Guest speakers for the Year one reporting period included: Texas State University Career Services, a DVM - Medical Resident at University of Tennessee, a District Conservationist - USDA - NRCS, a Research Microbiologist - USDA-ARS (Beltsville, MD), the USDA-NRCS State Outreach Coordinator and Tribal Liaison, the Urban Program Director - Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, a USDA-FSIS State Public Health Veterinarian, the National Turkey Federation Legislative Affairs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Community Engagement Coordinator. On the course student evaluations, one student indicated "this class was extremely helpful in framing what I would like to do as a potential career. I realized that there are other options for a veterinarian than just private practice. I had no idea that I could work for the USDA as a future vet." Bobcat Farm, a 1.4-acre student-run farm at Texas State University Freeman Center, was developed that uses sustainable agricultural methods to regenerate degraded soils and contribute to local food system development through the cultivation of annual and perennial vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. Bobcat Farm is devoted to providing experiential education through coursework, research, internships, volunteer work, farm tours, and workshops. Seven interns engaged in experiential learning and research projects at the student-run Bobcat Farm. These interns prepared the farm for future research trials with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and USDA-NRCS. Curriculum is currently being developed to host community events and school tours at the facility. The interns conducted research on biochar and blackberries. In the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters,a total of 15 interns were placed and completed internships with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service (8) and Bobcat Farm (7). Students were recruited using an application and interview process with the RAISE team. All students were exposed to the day-to-day operations of a state agency and got to experience first- hand USDA relations with these agencies. Interns were required to enroll in the AG 4310 - Agriculture Internship course or the AG 4371- Field Experiences at Bobcat Farm course (each was provided a scholarship to cover tuition and fees for the course) and complete a 14-week internship at the agency (each was provided a stipend to complete the internship). Interns were required to complete weekly reports, assigned mentor meetings, an internship project (products appear in "Other Products" section of this report), and a final report. Students completing internships at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service were housed in 5 different Texas counties. Their duties included strong involvement in program planning, preparation, delivery, and reporting, e.g., examining and retattooing livestock for validation; offering meal programs for the elderly, including preparing age-appropriate meals; building a small greenhouse, planting trees and vegetables, and leading physical exercises with youth. Interns made such statements as "truly an amazing experience," "internship was impactful and informative, "this internship provided me with useful knowledge about gardening in central Texas and introduced me to new communities," and "I would not be this confident if I had not met the people that I met in the extension service who pushed me to get out of my comfort zone." Another intern indicated that "my goal during this internship was to build enough experience and confidence to apply for many job opportunities," which she reported she gained and is using it to apply for jobs. Another student quoted, "I now know I am interested in jobs pertaining to educational outreach and event planning, which I would have never thought about doing without this experience. I have met many people within the agriculture industry and learned what they do on a day-to-day basis from small farmer to large scale plant distribution." Over the last twelve months, we provided 15 undergraduate student scholarships to help interns pay for the 3-hour internship course. Our scholarships were awarded to students based on an application process, academic performance, and interview score. All students (8) who completed AgriLife internship were female and all but 2 who completed a Bobcat Farm were female. Enrollment in this course allowed students to progress toward their 120-hour degree without having to pay for the tuition and fees. Additionally, an internship stipend was paid to each student completing the internship experiences allowing them to concentrate on the experience without having to work part or full-time to make ends meet. Twostudents attended the NextGen Student Summit, held in conjunction with the Agricultural Outlook Forum in Washington, D.C. Upon returning home, one student indicated the excitement of getting to listen to Secretary Vilsak and mentioned that she was intrigued by the vast amount of statistics and data that USDA collects to help the community. She was quick to say that "I will be able to us the vast amount of information that I learned at the forum in my future career as an AgriLife Extension agent in Texas to help farmers, ranchers,and producers."
Publications
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