Student Experiential Learning Through Educational Programs in Agriculture

<p>NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:<br/> The project proposes to enhance educational opportunities for Native Americans by strengthening instructional programs in the food and agricultural sciences through student retention, student recruitment, curriculum development, internship opportunities, outdoor classrooms, workshops, short courses, and developing an "Ag in a Bag" summer program. The program envisions an interdisciplinary agriculture program to cultivate knowledge and stewardship of renewable resources while enriching students with the scientific approach to a deeper understanding of natural systems. Enhancement of educational opportunities by strengthening curricula and providing innovative experiential learning opportunities to a large number of diverse Native American students and community members to produce a generation of educated and motivated agricultural students,
growers, agriculture educators, and scientists is the overall project goal. This project will: (1) enhance components of the Natural Resource program curriculum to reflect the progression of today's agricultural workforce; (2) promote agricultural careers through a collaborative "Ag in a Bag" program; (3) establish professional development opportunities for undergraduates that include real-life training experiences and educational research internships; (4) provide continuing education opportunities in agriculture, ecology, food safety, and nutrition for practitioners and educators; (5) expand undergraduate scholarship program that will alleviate financial barriers for promising agricultural students and students with career interests in ecology, nutrition, and renewable energy; (6) develop and acquire outreach resources to target appropriate audiences with educational materials; (7)
establish an advisory committee to assess the progression and relevance of the program, and collaborate with educational and organizational stakeholders; (8) develop a strategic plan to recruit quality students who are diverse in their interests and devoted to agricultural careers. Outcomes include student awareness of agricultural careers and pursuing agricultural and sustainable ecosystem four year degree programs. Change in attitude and knowledge among youth on "where your food comes from" through exposure to different parts or aspects of food systems. K-12 students are more aware of the relationship between food and health, nutrition and obesity. SIPI programs will have fundamental curricula developed in agribusiness, sustainable agriculture, and ecology. Experiential education modules for K-12 agriculture educators. Practical knowledge of implementing sustainable agricultural
practices among participants. Impacts include increase in enrollment at SIPI from K-12 programs, students purse healthier lifestyles, an expanded and improved agriculture and ecology curricula, improved agricultural education programs on tribal lands. This project will increase diversity within the agricultural workforce, reduce health issues related to nutrition among youth and tribal members, increase participation among youth in agricultural progams, increase ecological stewardship, and increase sustainable agricultural practices.
<p>APPROACH:<br/> Climate change issues surrounding agriculture requires a workforce to respond to changes in the environment to meet the demands of production and distribution of food and agricultural products worldwide. To address this issue the current curriculum in natural resources will be enhanced in agricultural biology and ecology skill sets. Additional topics to improve the subject breadth in agriculture and to increase sustainable agriculture practices will be developed. Activities in the summer program will expand agricultural awareness to include hands-on, outdoor experiential education to integrate ecological topics in climate change with a focus in natural habitat retention and minimizing landscape disturbance. Experiential education will integrate physical activity to address obesity prevention. The program will provide hands-on learning exercises about the
relationships between food, farming, the environment, and communities. The program will also specifically expand the demonstration garden activities on the SIPI campus into tribal elementary and middle schools to increase knowledge correlation between fresh foods and nutrition. Undergraduate professional development opportunities will be provided by internships and summer programs. To further develop student research skills, educational research internships will be provided by REU programs at four-year institutions and internships with agricultural agencies. Professional development for faculty to facilitate subject matter expertise in the proposed curriculum and the development of summer programs will include master gardener training through local county extension agents, participation in permaculture workshops, program assessment training, and participation in K-12 science education
instruction. Professional development opportunities will also be extended to tribal practitioners and educators. The Natural Resources scholarship program will be expanded to include financial support for promising agricultural students and other students with career interests in ecology, nutrition, and renewable energy. In addition to scholarships, recruitment and retention efforts, student support will be extended to travel to professional conferences and four-year institutions. Delivery systems will include outdoor classrooms to conduct workshops, short courses, and laboratories to expand the projects curricula. We will develop and acquire appropriate educational materials and information to promote agriculture. In addition we will work collaboratively with SIPI's Upward Bound program and the Family and Extension office to reach a diverse population of Native American students and
community members. The evaluation plan includes the active participation of an advisory committee for the agriculture and collaborative programs. Committee members will be requested to attend a first meeting by fall of 2010. Invited members will be tribal government officials, tribal members, federal agency staff, local agricultural extension staff, New Mexico growers, and SIPI students. The committee will help establish future goals for the program, and aid in assessment and evaluation of program performance.
<p>PROGRESS: 2012/09 TO 2013/08<br/>Target Audience: Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) is an American Indian and Alaska Native serving, land-grant institution. Students attending SIPI come from over 100 federally recognized tribes, nonetheless approximately 70% of the student population comes from tribal entities within the Southwestern U.S., particularly Navajo Nation, Zuni, Hopi, and Apache tribes, and New Mexico Pueblo’s. SIPI students come from rural or urban upbringing, and most are non-traditional students and the first in their families to pursue post-secondary education. SIPI endeavors to be seen as a partner in the efforts of preparing Native American students to be productive life-long learners as tribal members in an ever changing global environment. To that effect, the educational opportunities with the assistance of the NIFA Tribal
Colleges Equity Program has contributed to the education and promotion of Native American Resource managers as 4 out of 5 graduates on average continue their undergraduate education at universities and enroll in natural resource related baccalaureate degree programs. With the assistance of Equity funding, intellectual development and leadership among students through student support stipends or scholarships, and travel opportunities enable students to engage in their own professional development. With the assistance of adjunct instructors, students are provided a continuous degree program to obtain their AAS degrees. Hands-on educational learning experience opportunities are offered not only to the SIPI students but are available to community members as well through the SIPI Early Childhood Education program and Family Extension and Education Program (FEEP) activities. Changes/Problems:
A full-time Natural Resources Instructor and a full-time Biological Technician were hired within the funding cycle to assist with USDA grant objectives and project goals. The areas of curriculm development , the development and implementation of experiential learning opportunities, strengthening partnerships within the SIPI and tribal communities, in addition to improving recruitment and retention are areas that have been improved or are being addressed with the assistance of additional faculty and staff. Both of these new hires attended the 2013 Land-Grant Development/Tribal Fellowship Program workshop to gain knowledge about USDA grant funding opportunities to expand and strengthen our 1994 land-grant capacity a SIPI. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The project has provided travel for one student to attend a tribal climate change
meeting to learn about current climate change related issues and has allowed for a faculty member to attend a workshop on student assessment unique to SIPI during the annual Texas A&M Assessment Conference in College Station, TX. The specific workshop was titled Promoting and Assessing High-Impact Practices for Low-Income, 1st Generation College Students. Information gained was used to evaluate current assessment practices for the natural resources program. Early in the funding cycle, SIPI hosted a field trip to target student participants from the First Americans Land-grant Consortium (FALCON) meeting in Albuquerque, NM. Activities at SIPI included back yard composting, cold frame construction, and preparing a seed bed. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
1.Expand student recruitment and retention activities to reach students in STEM disciplines within the Advanced Technical Education Department at SIPI. Assistance will be expanded to incoming students to address retention efforts as most students who leave institutions do so during their first year. Student support through scholarships, stipends, and computer loans will be expanded to additional students. A computer loan program for incoming freshman and eligible students helps students develop personal responsibility and self-motivation which empower them to achieve academic success. Continue campus visits to partner institutions – New Mexico State University, Northern Arizona University, and New Mexico Highlands University. Continue the availability of courses to help retain and graduate students through adjunct instructors as needed. 2.Develop new methods and strategies in
teaching through technology and materials development. The use of blackboards, clickers, and smart boards will be introduced to a minimum of four courses as a strategy to improve student engagement and maximize teaching. Training for faculty and development of materials will be required. Activities will include participation in blended learning or teaching workshops to target assessment and familiarity of tools and technology, and updating current classroom equipment. 3. Increase experiential learning opportunities and strategies in natural resources and agriculture by merging internships with service learning activities and externships. On- and off-campus internships will continue to be supported; however activities will include externships with local agencies and tribal offices, and community-based projects. Garden projects will be implemented in FY 2012; a minimum of 6-10 gardens will
be started or restarted for community members. Based on the success of ‘Ag in the Bag’ garden activities; technical assistance will be provided in designing, installing, and maintaining small urban gardens. Garden activities will be coordinated with SIPI’s extension program and natural resource faculty and staff. Students will be given the opportunity to lead by assisting with dissemination of information on composting, recycling, extending the growing season, water conservation, and nutrition. Promote agricultural activities and careers. 4.Develop materials to support the culinary nutrition and food safety curriculums in addition to natural resource and agricultural courses. Continue the development of curriculum for topics in entomology, pathology, ecology, and weed science to address sustainable agriculture and natural resource issues. Support STEM project materials
to enhance learning across disciplines in natural resources, geospatial technology, and engineering.
<p>PROGRESS: 2011/09/01 TO 2012/08/31<br/>OUTPUTS: Within the current reporting period, the Natural Resources Program offered the following courses: Introduction to Plant Science with lab, Natural Resource Internship, Fundamental Soils, and Special Topics in Agriculture. Course materials, laboratory supplies, and wildlife textbooks were obtained for the spring 2012 courses. Lab modules were developed for field plant identification to be used in advanced range science field techniques and native plant seeds were collected by student interns. Student interns are assisting with the on-going greenhouse production of native plant materials for demonstration and course projects. Students are also assisting with the research, design, development, and implementation of three on-campus specialty gardens. One program learning outcome was selected and assessed for the natural
resources program. The results from the learning outcome 'Use basic theory, terminology, principles, and techniques to demonstrate their application toward sustainable management goals' were collected from student presentations of summer internships and was reviewed by a faculty peer panel during the fall of 2011. The Equity project director and SIPI's Advanced Technical Education department chair attended the annual FALCON (First Americans Land-grant College Organization and Network) meeting in Denver, CO. Attendance to the event supports and maintains the unique identity of the 1994 Land-grant institutions. It also allows for training, dissemination of information of funded projects, and business meetings for members and NIFA project directors. Select students based on academic achievement and a faculty member attended the 2011 American Indian Science and Engineering Society national
conference in Minneapolis, MN. Participation in the event supported growth and professional development for both students and faculty. The conference provided networking opportunities, information on student internships and employment opportunities, and educational resources. Student interns and the forestry class participated in a local annual meeting called Think Trees as a professional development opportunity and course requirement for arboriculture related topics and current issues. A campus visit to our 1862 land-grant institution, New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM was provided to students who signed up. The trip included lodging and meals to visit admissions, financial-aid, housing, American Indian support program offices, and a few departments under the College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture and Home Economics. Travel scholarships were distributed to
qualifying students in addition to merit based scholarships to support academic achievement to students in natural resources. PARTICIPANTS: The project director for the continuous Equity funding opportunity is Angeline Sells, Natural Resources Faculty. Ms. Sells will develop the new agricultural curricula for the Natural Resource Management program's five-year report,will revisit the NMSU transfer agreement, and will assist in coordinating outreach activities. She currently administers student stipends, student scholarships, oversees project bench marks, administers requisitions, disseminates information on projects, communicates with stakeholders, and submits documents as required by NIFA. Ms. Sells collaborates with the SIPI accountant on budgets, re-imbursement authorization requests, and reconciliation of accounts. Students who have received stipends or wages from internships lasting
longer than a month at the time of submission of this report were Nicholas Phipps (withdrew from SIPI) and Shawna Woody (graduated), and currently Moroni Fulton. Students assist faculty, and assist in greenhouse and demonstration projects. They work with faculty to complete inventories of laboratory equipment, instructional material and supplies, and textbooks. In addition to inventories, students help with maintaining the greenhouse and farm complex, MSDS safety sheets, record keeping, demonstration projects, and will assist in future Ag in the Bag activities. Other significant individuals are adjunct instructors who assist in instruction, curricula development, and course assessments. Collaborators will include the staff from the FEEP program and the Bernalillo County Extension Office on outreach activities and partners on curriculum development include the Natural Resource Advisory
Committee. TARGET AUDIENCES: Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) is an American Indian and Alaska Native serving, land-grant institution. Students attending SIPI come from over 100 federally recognized tribes, nonetheless approximately 70% of the student population comes from tribal entities within the Southwestern U.S., particularly Navajo Nation, Zuni, Hopi, and Apache tribes, and New Mexico Pueblo's. SIPI students come from rural or urban upbringing, and most are non-traditional students and the first in their families to pursue post-secondary education. SIPI endeavors to be seen as a partner in the efforts of preparing Native American students to be productive life-long learners as tribal members in an ever changing global environment. To that effect, the educational opportunities with the assistance of Equity will continue to contribute to the education and promotion of
Native American Resource managers as 4 out of 5 graduates on average continue their undergraduate education at universities and enroll in natural resource related baccalaureate degree programs. Intellectual development and leadership among students through student supported stipends or scholarships, and travel opportunities will enable students to engage in their own professional development. Hands-on learning experiences will continue to be offered not only to the students of SIPI but to the wider American Indian community and local or regional K-12 students during summer outreach efforts. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
<p>PROGRESS: 2010/09/01 TO 2011/08/31<br/>As a result of the 2009 HLC visit, SIPI's accreditation status was reduced to candidacy. The collective effort of the campus was necessary to present reports and documentation to meet the requirements of continued candidacy. Within the short timeframe the campus did demonstrate progress; as a result many changes have been made. The institution has amended the organizational chart to address the concerns of HLC to hire faculty or staff members. Until an additional natural resources instructor and a project specialist are hired, a few objectives will be delayed. The ecology lab was approved by the AAC to be reintroduced into the catalog but the development of the curriculum was not completed. The coordinator position to assist in outreach projects of the original proposal will not be hired. To offset the lack of faculty to assist in
curricula development, an adjunct instructor will be utilized and the salary of the coordinator will be distributed between the project director and interns. Program advisory committee members have been identified. Three meetings have taken place, and the program mission, goals, and student outcomes have been revisited and changes have been approved. One meeting has also taken place with the County Extension agents to offer recommendations and comments regarding the use of the campus demonstration farm. Three educational outreach workshops have taken place in gardening, proper fruit tree planting, and backyard composting. Agribusiness and farmers market presentations will be set at a later date when the campus gardens and farm mature in the production of fresh food. Students have assisted in the management of grant projects. Other outreach opportunities are planned for July with SIPI's
Upward Bound students. In the past month, students have undertaken the management of greenhouse operations due to the unexpected resignation of a staff member. The Natural Resources Program has been selected for an upcoming program review. The importance of improvement in courses and classroom instruction has been stressed for the success of a program. Therefore, the participation of a faculty member was supported in the 2011 Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching. Student recruitment and retention activities have included merit based scholarships and travel stipends. Financial support through scholarships was limited to natural resource program students due to time constraints in advertisement to identify other students with interest in nutrition or renewable energy. However, financial support through a travel stipend will be provided to the SIPI Bio-fuel team for their
July trip to Chicago to accept an award for their algae biodiesel fuel research. The students participated in the BIA-Argonne National Lab Indian Student Energy Challenge and won. Activities for the remaining funding cycle are to include the selection of summer program materials, instructional supplies, textbooks, and/or library material. The time restraint over the fall and spring academic year has altered the events listed on the original timeline but the goals of the activities are still being accomplished. PRODUCTS: The program supported four students with merit based scholarships in the 10-11 academic period. A total of thirteen students were provided internships on the SIPI campus. Each student received hands-on experience in greenhouse management, gardening, classroom, and laboratory work. Four travel stipends were awarded to students to travel to Chicago to accept their first
place prize in the BIA-Argonne National Lab Indian Student Energy Challenge. Three outreach workshops were presented on campus in topics in agriculture. One professional development opportunity to attend a teaching conference was attended by a natural resource and agriculture faculty member. OUTCOMES: The Natural Resources Program expanded the program curriculum by including a special topics course in agriculture technology to support student interest in topics in agriculture. Students received scholarships and stipends to foster tuition fees and educational related expenses. Full time students maintained grades and attendance to meet the 3.0 cumulative GPA requirements to receive the merit based scholarship. Students worked diligently on the algae project for three months and won their second first place prize in the BIA-Argonne National Lab Indian Student Energy Challenge. On campus
internship experiences involving the greenhouse and demonstration sites exposed students to the importance of record keeping, watering requirements, and the environmental effects of temperature and moisture on plant production. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Weekly reports were distributed to the department chairperson on program activities. Community wide e-mails were distributed to announce free workshops in gardening, tree planting, and composting. Students from the bio-fuel team have been acknowledged nationally for their research project. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Increase the number of program students, encourage scholarly achievement, and continue to enhance agricultural activities through community based projects. Improve partnerships on campus and continue to provide quality technical and higher education opportunities to American Indian students. Continue to improve program course
curricula by integrating soils, ecology, GIS/GPS, and plant biology with field/laboratory experiences. Continue to enhance course offerings to include on-line instruction in select classes and diversify plant species on campus to improve the natural resource program curricula.