Progress 06/01/23 to 05/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:Year One was a planning year in which we set up our project for the AgriFCS Scholars that will arrive on campus in Year Two. To recruit students to South Carolina State University (SCSU) and Alabama A&M University (AAMU), each school respectively outlined an initial target audience based on the demographics of their state. At SCSU, the initial target audience was high school students, high school counselors, high school agriculture teachers, high school family and consumer sciences teachers, and middle school counselors. During the project's progression at SCSU, it was discovered that it was necessary to contact administrators and educational professionals such as Principals, Career Specialists, Career and Technical Education (CTE) Directors, and Administrative Assistants when the initial target audience could not be reached. CTE Directors were crucial because many agriculture and family & consumer sciences teachers work at CTE centers instead of the traditional high school. A special effort was made to recruit high school students from the South Carolina Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe. This particular school was targeted at high school students who will prepare for careers in agriculture. Students receive hands-on training in agriculture, agribusiness, forestry, land management, and food science. A heavy emphasis is placed on assessing the needs of modern farms. The Office of Admissions at SCSU played an integral role in targeting students outside of South Carolina. As a result, high school students were also targeted from Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and California. Extension and outreach activities included the distribution of flyers outlining the scholarship and academic requirements; and formal and informal presentations at selected middle schools, high schools, career centers, the university, and professional organizations that were FANH-aligned. At AAMU, the audience(s) reached included high school students, middle school students, parents, FCS educators, Career Tech teachers, guidance counselors, research administrators, high school teachers, extension educators, university faculty, staff, and administrators. The Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences in Chicago, Illinois,and Selma City Schools System in Selma, Alabama were sent handbills regarding the AgriFCS Scholarship Academy. Establishing relationships at these two schools specifically was important as numerous activities will be planned throughout the project. Lastly, a relationship with Alabama A&M University's Office of Admission was established and they shared their AgriFCS handbills with them to share with students. They receivedupdates from incoming students for the Fall 2024 semester who will be majoring in a concentration Apparel, Merchandising and Design; Human Development and Family Studies; or Nutrition and Hospitality Management.Extension and outreach activities included the distribution of handbillsoutlining the scholarship and academic requirements; and formal and informal presentations at the university and professional organizations that were FANH-aligned. Changes/Problems:The following listed below are changes/problems that we encountered in Year Oneof this project: Set up of Accounts for the Project Director: Because this was the Project Director's first grant with the University, a significant amount of time was needed to establish brand-new accounts. In addition, there were University policies and training that the Project Director was mandated to complete for the accounts to be established. This caused a significant delay in agreements being established between the lead and partnering University. In addition, expenditures needed for travel for AAMU could not be recouped due to the delay in the budget setup. Recruitment of AgriFCS Scholars: There were challenges in recruiting the 120 students for this project (i.e. 60 AgriFCS Scholars at SCSU and 60 AgriFCS Scholars at AAMU). At SCSU, students were awarded the AgriFCS Scholarship, but declined due to one of the following: Changed their major that did not abide by the terms and conditions Received a full scholarship to another institution Decided not to attend SCSU Due to another scholarship the student earned at SCSU which covered all costs, they were informed that they could not accept the AgriFCS Scholarship This caused the number to fluctuate and to constantly contact students who submitted incomplete applications to finish their applications. At AAMU, a majority of students who were recruited and have committed to the University are from out-of-state. In addition, AAMU implemented an increase in tuition for the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year. As with most universities, out-of-state students' tuition is significantly higher than in-state students. The Project Director and Co-Project Director have discussed if $5,000 per year will be enough to help alleviate costs. Personnel Issues: In Year One for both institutions, there were personnel issues that had a direct effect on the rate of expenditures and the project schedule. At SCSU, the Program Manager could not start until September 2023 and the Administrative Assistant could not begin until November 2023. Unfortunately, the Administrative Assistant resigned from her position at the end of January 2024. A majority of the activities that were to be handled by the Administrative Assistant were split between the Project Director and the Program Manager during the Spring 2024 Semester. In addition, the Project Director suffered significant health issues from December 2023 - February 2024 which caused a significant deviation from the project schedule. At AAMU, only a certain percentage for clerical could be used based on the University's payroll policy. This was problematic in ensuring that this employee was appropriately compensated for their work. The Co-Project Director plans to have discussions with University officials to see what avenues can be taken. In addition to the clerical issue, there was also a change in administration in relation to the project. Fiscal Year Differences: The Project Director and Co-Project Director discussed the varying dates that have affected the project. According to the Award Face Sheet from USDA-NIFA the period of performance is 06/01/2023 through 05/31/2028. However, the budget proposal that was submitted to each University for Year 1 was 09/01/2023 - 08/31/2024. In addition, it was also discovered that each University is working on two different fiscal year cycles. In Year One, SCSU's fiscal year was from 07/01/2023 - 06/30/2024. However, AAMU's fiscal year runs from 10/01/2023 - 09/30/2024 in Year One. The varying years of each University's fiscal year will have an impact on the financial reports that are required to be reported. Summer Work Schedule: Although the Project Director and Co-Project Director are obligated to work during the summer, it was discovered that the work schedules are different. At SCSU, the Project Director is on a Summer Flex, Four-day Work Week. At AAMU, the Co-Project Director is on a Monday-Thursday schedule in which the University is officially closed on Fridays. This has caused a bit of a challenge in planning for joint meetings and activities. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? 4 undergraduate student ambassadors and 8 faculty members attended and participated in an on-campus recruitment event for undeclared majors in the library at AAMU on September 19, 2023. An exhibition table was made to showcase programs in the College of Agricultural, Life, and Natural Sciences. The staff member was able to meet with 10 undergraduate students. The student ambassadors enhanced their public speaking and marketing skills by communicating with potential students. Potential students learned about the FANH-related academic programs within the college which included Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences; Family & Consumer Sciences; Food and Animal Sciences; and Biological Sciences. Of the 10 undergraduate students who visited the exhibition table, each indicated that they were not aware that these programs existed at the University. The students indicated that they were considering declaring one of the program areas as their major. They appreciated the setup in which they were able to hold an extensive conversation with the staff member one-on-one. 4 undergraduate student ambassadorsand 8 faculty members attended and participated in an on-campus recruitment event for undeclared majors during Agriculture Week at AAMU on October 11, 2023. An exhibition table was made to showcase programs in the College of Agricultural, Life, and Natural Sciences. The staff member was able to meet with undergraduate students who passed through the area. The student ambassadors enhanced their public speaking and marketing skills by communicating with potential students. Potential students learned about the FANH-related academic programs within the college which included Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences; Family & Consumer Sciences; Food and Animal Sciences; and Biological Sciences. Of the students who visited the exhibition table, 13 undergraduate students decided to change their major to one of the following: Apparel, Merchandising and Design; Nutrition and Hospitality Management; and Human Development and Family Studies. 4 undergraduate student ambassadorsand 8 faculty members attended and participated in Fall High School Seniors Day at AAMU on November 4, 2023.An exhibition table was made to showcase programs in the College of Agricultural, Life and Natural Sciences. The staff member was able to share information with 200 high school students interested in Family and Consumer Sciences programs. The student ambassadors enhanced their public speaking and marketing skills by communicating with potential high school students. Potential students learned were not aware of the Food and Human Sciences related programs offered at AAMU. Of the 200 high school students who attended, 67 signed up for additional information on the academic programs available and the AgriFCS Academy using the recruitment QR code. Follow-up correspondence was made to each student. 4 undergraduate students and 2 staff members attended and participated in recruitment efforts South Carolina Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Annual Conference in Columbia, South Carolina February 21-23, 2024. Students and staff members shared information on academic programs in the College of Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences at SCSU, careers in FANH, and the AgriFCS Academy. Students learned the importance of being actively involved with professional organizations as working professionals. Students were able to network with 55 human sciences educators, professionals, and retirees. This was the first time that all 4 students had attended this professional conference and they were able to participate in 11 professional development sessions. One student stated that even though professional organizations are talked a lot about in his classes, he now sees the importance of being a member and actively involved as a college student. Students were able to build their networks with professionals currently in the field. In addition, the president of the association indicated that she would be interested and is open to starting a mentor program to assist students at SCSU. The AgriFCS Academy at AAMU worked in collaboration with the Career Development Center to host the Disney College Internship Program presentation on March 8, 2024. Students learned about the importance of earning and participating in an internship for career development. 35 undergraduate students learned of internship FANH opportunities in areas such as administration, asset management, project management, human resources, graphic design, marketing and digital media, quality assurance, data science and analytics, research and development, sciences and animal programs, culinary, food and beverage, and supply chain management. The undergraduate students who attended this event were not aware of the numerous opportunities that were available through the Disney College Internship Program. In addition, they learned that this internship had transferrable skills that could be applied to positions with USDA. 3 undergraduate students and 6 faculty members attended and participated in recruitment efforts at the Alabama Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Annual Conference in Montevallo, Alabama April 11, 2024. Two undergraduate students shared information at the recruitment table and two undergraduate students did an oral research poster presentation. The career development event allowed students to enhance their leadership, networking, and public speaking skills. In addition, students were able to interact with other undergraduate students from Jackson State University and the University of Montevallo. This was the first time that all 3 undergraduate students had attended this professional conference. One student ran for a student leadership position within the organization. She stated that this caused her to come out of her shell, and she is looking forward to working with the other elected student members from Jackson State University and the University of Montevallo. The two undergraduate students who participated in the oral research poster presentation indicated that they felt more prepared to present at the national conference in June. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? 1 staff member made a formal presentation during the Opening Sessionat the South Carolina Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America State Leadership Conference in North Charleston, South Carolina February 5-6, 2024. This presentation was made to125 high school students and 25 educators. Many high school students and educators did not realize how SCSU could help prepare students for careers in FANH. When asked, "What new topics did you learn as a result of attending this presentation," many reported the different programs at SCSU, the scholarships available, and the agribusiness major (many students and educators did not know we offered this program). One educator stated she brought a lot of freshmen to this event, and it was good for them to hear about the college. She recommended that if we return next year, there could be a breakout session for seniors. 2 staff members attended Heyward Career Center in Columbia, South Carolina on March 11, 2024, and made a formal recruitment presentation. Staff members shared information on academic programs in the College of Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences at SCSU, careers in FANH, and the AgriFCS Academy. Staff members were able to share how careers in FANH could be pursued at SCSU through the AgriFCS Academy. A formal presentation was made to 25 high school students, 2 educators, and 2 school counselors. This visit and presentation increased high school students and educator knowledge of FANH careers and promoted awareness of FANH degrees at SCSU. Students shared that they learned about the programs offered at SCSU and the scholarship program. As a result, 11 students indicated that they wanted additional information about SCSU and the AgriFCS Academy. 2 students shared that they would be applying to attend SCSU and the AgriFCS Academy scholarship. 1 staff member attended South Aiken High in Aiken, South Carolina on April 17, 2024, and shared information on academic programs in the College of Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences at SCSU, careers in FANH, and the AgriFCS Academy. The staff member was able to share how careers in FANH could be pursued at SCSU through the AgriFCS Academy. A formal presentation was made to 44 high school students and 2 educators. The staff member was unaware that a robust program related to FANH was at this particular high school. As a result of this visit, 21 high school students wanted to learn more information about 1 of the 5 FANH-related academic programs offered at SCSU. When asked "What new topic(s) did you learn as a result of attending this presentation?", students reported the following: "Everything, I was not knowledgeable about any of the subjects." "The scholarships and new degree options that I hadn't thought about." "Information on agriculture." "I learned all about new, different programs." 1 staff member attended Ridge-Spring Monetta Middle/High School in Ridge Spring, South Carolina on April 24, 2024, and shared information on academic programs in the College of Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences at SCSU, careers in FANH, and the AgriFCS Academy. The staff member was able to set up an informational table during the lunch period on how careers in FANH could be pursued at SCSU through the AgriFCS Academy. 3 high school students and 4 middle school students stopped by to receive additional information. As a result of this visit, 3 high school students and 4 middle school students were introduced to FANH-related careers and how they can be pursued at SCSU. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For the next reporting period, to accomplish the goals and objectives the following measures will be taken: For the goals that were not met in Year One, they will be accomplished in June 2024 and July 2024. These goals were based on Quarter 3 and Quarter 4. The Project Director suffered significant health issues from December 2023 - February 2024. This caused a significant deviation in the activities that were to be accomplished. Joint meetings will be held once a week between the partnering institutions as opposed to every other week OR on an as needed basis. Due to the varying fiscal calendars between SCSU and AAMU, it will be requested that a listing of expenditures be sent on the 15th and the last day of the month as opposed to just once a month. All paperwork for personnel associated with the grant will be completed by June 30, 2024, for the 2024-2025 academic year. The paperwork and required signatures for AAMU Subagreement for Year 3 will be completed by December 31, 2024.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal #1:Recruit, train, support, and graduate 120 middle school and high school students for post-secondary education to complete academic programs aligned with food, agriculture and natural sciences, and human sciences (FANH). 5 undergraduate students and 5 staff members participated in an on-campus recruitment event at SCSU on March 22, 2024. S.T.A.R.R. Day allowed students and staff members to share information about the Nutrition and Food Management (NFM) program at SCSU, careers in food, and the AgriFCS Academy at SCSU. Students and staff members interacted with 47 high school students and 5 educators. High school students who were in attendance were unaware that SCSU had an NFM program. They learned about nutrition careers from speakers in the following areas: food service management, pediatrics, entrepreneurship, and clinical. Breakout sessions allowed studentsto participate in the nutrition areas that they wanted to learn more information about. Students shared that they learned the following: "I learned about what a dietitian does." "They were so descriptive of what they do and tell us how to succeed in the field." "I learned that we all need food management in life." When asked "After participating in S.T.A.R.R. Day 2024, how likely are you to pursue a career in Nutrition?", 5 high school students indicated that they were very likely and 3 high school students indicated that they were likely. 2 undergraduate students and 2 staff members participated in an on-campus recruitment event at SCSU on April 13, 2024. Information was shared on academic programs in the College of Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences (CAFCS) at SCSU, careers in FANH, and the AgriFCS Academy. Students and staff members interacted with 38 high school students and their parent(s)/guardian(s) about FANH career paths that could be obtained by attending SCSU. The students who visited the informational table were unaware that the CAFCS was established at SCSU and that a scholarship opportunity was available.One high school student stated that their school counselor shared the scholarship information, but attending this event provided her with more details. She indicated that she would be applying. 2 staff members participated in an on-campus recruitment event at SCSU on May 17, 2024. Bulldog Ready was an orientation session for students accepted to SCSU. Staff members shared information on academic programs, careers in FANH, and the AgriFCS Academy. 14 incoming freshmen stopped by the table to receive information. As a result of participating in this event, two incoming freshmen were undecided on a major but were considering majoring in a program in the CAFCS at SCSU. 3 incoming freshmen who had accepted the AgriFCS Academy Scholarship introduced themselves and indicated their excitement about coming to SCSU and being a part of the scholarship program. 4 undergraduate student ambassadors and 8 faculty members participated in the College of Agriculture, Life and Natural Sciences (CALNS) Recruitment Day on the Quad at AAMU on April 2, 2024. An exhibition table was made to showcase academic programs. The staff member was able to meet with 15 undergraduate students. The student ambassadors enhanced their public speaking and marketing skills by communicating with potential students. Potential students learned about the FANH-related academic programs within the college which included Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences; Family & Consumer Sciences; Food and Animal Sciences; and Biological Sciences. Of the 15 undergraduate students who visited the exhibition table, 5 undergraduate students changed their major to a program area in the CALNS. 8 faculty members and 4 student ambassadors participated in the Soaring Sophomores Recruitment event at AAMU on April 11, 2024. An exhibition table was made to showcase programs. The staff member was able to meet with 38 undergraduate students. The student ambassadors enhanced their public speaking and marketing skills by communicating with potential students. Potential students learned about the FANH-related academic programs. Of the 38 undergraduate students who visited the exhibition table, 10 undergraduate students changed their major to a program area in the CALNS. The collective efforts of SCSU and AAMU have resulted in the recruitment of 79 high school students who have committed to begin their post-secondary education to complete academic programs aligned with FANH. Both Universities are impacted by the work of this project in that there is a significant increase in student enrollment for the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year. Goal #2:Develop and retain collaborative relationships with educators and parents to encourage engagement in the recruitment of middle and high school students. The Project Director at SCSU thought it would be advantageous to create a database of all high school counselors in the state of South Carolina. As the Project Director and Project Manager worked on the development of this database, they realized that when they could not easily access the contact information of school counselors, an alternate educator needed to be listed. This resulted in the database including educational professionals such as career specialists, CTE directors, CTE teachers, and principals. This allowed SCSU to contact 221 high schools and 50 CTE Centers which resulted in 1,152 new contacts. These educational professionals were very excited about the opportunity that their students could take advantage of. We were extended invitations from one CTE Center and three high schools to set up an informational table or make a formal presentation to their high school students. SCSU was able to give presentations at 4 schools. The development of this database will be very helpful in Year 2 with the implementation of outreach activities. The development of the high school counselor database also led to the development of a Tri-County Middle School Counselor Database. This database focuses on middle schools that are located in the three counties closest to SCSU which were Orangeburg, Calhoun, and Bamberg Counties. This database will be used to recruit upcoming 8th graders and their parents to the Middle School Parent Mentor Program. AAMU developed & strengthened collaborative relationships with Selma City Schools, Huntsville City Schools, AAMU's Recruitment Office, and AAMU's Housing through the Office of Campus Life, parents, and alumni. The relationship established with Selma City Schools and Huntsville City School led to the development of a Memorandum of Understandings that is in progress and being finalized with securing Internship Experiences for incoming AgriFCS Scholars and establishing the Dual Enrollment program for high school students to earn college credit at AAMU. Goal #3:Establish certification programs for undergraduate students that will address FANH specializations. At SCSU, training materials were ordered for the Program Manager and two faculty members to complete the ServSafe Manager Online Course and Exam to become certified to serve as an Instructor and Proctor in Year Two. Once the Program Manager and two faculty members complete the online course, pass the exam, and become certified, they will be able to offer ServSafe courses at SCSU for individuals to earn their certification. In addition, they will also be able to serve as Proctors for the exam. This will not only allow the AgriFCS scholars to earn a degree in a FANH-related discipline, but they will also earn a certification which will make them more marketable when seeking internships and employment. At AAMU, Consultants have been identified and retained for the certification in Nutrition and Hospitality, ServSafe, and other relevant certifications for development in Year Two. With the development and implementation of the new certification programs, AgriFCS Scholars at AAMU will also be more marketable by earning a degree and certification.
Publications
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