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INVESTIGATOR: Allen, A. L.; Bishop, T. J.; May, E. B.; Anderson, C. W.; Reddersen, K.; Frebertshauser, D. E.; Rhodes, A.; Chesser, A. C.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
UNIV OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
PRINCESS ANNE, MARYLAND 21853

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BASED LITERACY TRAINING AMONG YOUTH AND COMMUNITIES ON MARYLAND`S EASTERN SHORE

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: This project is a joint 1890-1862 Extension-education effort that will focus on science and technology-based literacy training among youth and communities. It will involve 4-H high school youth (age 12 to 18), community volunteers, and/or science teachers, Extension/faculty staff, undergraduates, and research scientists. We will recruit 4-H youth 30-40 participants each year from all races, but will place emphases on the under-served. The Chesapeake Bay is seriously polluted, our drinking water resources are becoming more scarce and polluted, and there is a shortage of data on animal shelter provisions and available evacuation resources for the northeast region of Maryland. Additionally, there is a lack of literacy on geospatial technologies east of the Bay among community residents. We will recruit 10 volunteers and establish 4-H youth clubs in three Maryland counties. 4-H youth and volunteers will learn how geospatial technologies are used to address water and animal shelter issues. A highly innovative water curriculum titled "There's No New Water" will be used to educate 4-H youth on water issues. Further, recruited volunteers, 4-H youth and undergraduate students will receive training on geospatial technologies, gathering and analyzing data to support emergency animal evacuation planning, and leadership development. Workshops and social networking websites will be used to disseminate project activities, and serve as additional learning modes. This project will address critical issues of the Delmarva region, and help accomplish Maryland's 4-H mission of science, engineering, and technology training (SET). Considerable efforts will be devoted to recruitment of students into STEAM discipline areas at UMES and UMCP.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this project are: 1) Provide science-based training for (30-40) 4-H youth per year in the STEAM disciplines on Water Science Issues affecting the Chesapeake Bay using innovative water training modules; challenge 4-H youth to develop innovative paradigms designed to change approaches to solving water quality issues, and Animal Science Issues that focus on emergency animal evacuation plans and providers and procedures to identify and map community emergency shelters, location of veterinarians, traditional zoos, petting zoos, and animal preserves on the Delmarva Peninsula. 2) Provide technological training for (30-40) 4-H youth per year related to the STEAM disciplines including Geospatial Information Technologies (GIS & GPS) and Internet resources such as online mapping (i.e., Google Earth), social media (i.e., Facebook). 3) Establish three 4-H youth technology clubs in three targeted counties (Somerset, Worcester, and Wicomico). 4) Provide training related to the STEAM disciplines for 10 adult volunteers on Innovative technologies, e.g., GIS, GPS, precision farming, online mapping, and social media software, and 4-H mentorship and leadership activities. 5) Challenge (20) 4-H youth per year to serve as mentors to recruit (20) additional youth per year. 6) To entice youth participants to explore and pursue higher education and career opportunities in the STEAM disciplines at UMES.