Recipient Organization
NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
FLAGSTAFF,AZ 86011
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Arizona agriculture needs to adapt to a fast-changing climate and to significant shortcomings in land and water acces, even as wide swaths of the state face severe issues of food access and insecurity. To address this, we intend to train a new generation of young people for careers in food- and agriculture-related fields, and to do so through intensive community engagement. This support will allow students both to understand career pathsand to experience the importance of community involvement as a key element in both educational attainment and the sustainability of food systems.We propose to accomplish this by funding a total of 27 undergraduate interns, as well as one graduate research assistant,who will conduct food-related internship work at Flagstaff public schools that feature a high percentage of students from underrepresented populations. These students will serve as role models for K-12 students even as they themselves engage in experiential learning related to growing food and to garden education.?
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The project is intended to address dual shortcomings: 1)a lack of trained college graduates available to enter food- and agriculture-related careers as Arizona's agricultural and food access landscapes deal with climate change and other impacts; 2) lower recruitment, retention, and degree-completion rates among students identifying as Hispanic, or with other minority designations. We intend to address these shortcomings by recruiting and training students to engage in community-engaged study of sustainable food systems in the form of funded internships, as well as a graduate research assistantship. Our goals are to train students in working closely with community partners, especially in the K-12 system, and to support them as university students so that they are well trained for their future careers.As we work toward these goals, our specific objectives will be as follows:1. Recruit and support a total of 27 undergraduate students, with an emphasis on those from underrepresented populations, as they perform off-campus internship work, with our community partners, that focuses on food systems education within the K-12 system.2. Recruit and support a graduate research assistant, with substantial Spanish-language skills, who will work with program faculty on administering the program, as well as conducting their own thesis research on a topic related to the program.3. Work with our community partners in the public school and county extension systems, as well as NGOs, to offer supervised garden-education programs and field trips for students attending Flagstaff schools with substantial Hispanic and other minority student populations.4. Develop a new Sustainable Food Systems certificate, including a new class focused on community engagement, that will serve as a training venue and credential for funded interns, as well as other students from a variety of majors.5. Produce materials summarizing and researching our work, including a project website, presentations at national and regional conferences or workshops, and articles prepared for the peer-reviewed academic literature.6. Conduct regular evaluation activities, using such metrics as student retention and survey responses,to monitor project effectiveness.
Project Methods
Efforts: Funded and mentored undergraduate internships at community partner organizations; mentorship of a graduate research assistant; experiential learning for K-12 students through school gardens; development of curriculum for a new Certificate in Sustainable Food SystemsEvaluations: Numbers of undergraduate students participating both in funded internships and overall in the new certificate curriculum; retention and graduation rates; surveys of K-12 students to assess interest in future food- and agriculture-related careers; surveys of undergraduates to assess sense of belonging and interest infuture food- and agriculture-related careersDescribe the ways in which the project will be conducted, with emphasis on the general scientific methods and any unique aspects or significant departures from usual methods. Include a description of how the results will be analyzed, evaluated, or interpreted. Describe theEffortsthat will be used to cause a change in knowledge, actions, or conditions of a target audience. Include a description of how the output(s) will beEvaluatedand/or quantified for its impact on the intended audience(s).Defining "Efforts":Efforts include acts or processes that deliver science-based knowledge to people through formal or informal educational programs. Examples include: formal classroom instruction, laboratory instruction, or practicum experiences; development of curriculum or innovative teaching methodologies; workshops; experiential learning opportunities; extension and outreach.Defining "Evaluation":Demonstrating that eveluation will be part of your project means that youdescribe the plan/steps to be used toevaluate or "measure"the success of the project. Provide a listing ofthetypes of evaluation studies planned and types of data that will be collected, emphasizing key milestones and measurable or quantitative indicators of success. The project evaluation plan should relate milestones and indicators of success to expected projectoutcomes/accomplishments and impacts.