Item No. 1 of 1

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.

APPROACH: During the first year, 4-H youth and volunteers will be recruited and clubs will be setup in three targeted counties, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester. Volunteers will be trained in relation to 4-H, the STEAM disciplines and use of certain equipment (i.e. GPS units). They will be recruited through a variety of methods: 1) UMES student e-mail, 2) the Shore Cam Volunteer Association, 3) university fraternity and sorority associations, 4) current 4-H volunteers, 5) local middle and high school teachers, 6) home school groups and science cooperatives, and 7) Wor-Wic Community College, and Salisbury University, UMES and UMCP science-based faculty and students. All volunteers who work with 4-H youth will complete an UME Volunteer Training form. This training will enable volunteers to gain an understanding of the expectations that the UMD Extension has for its volunteers. The volunteers will be trained in technology and leadership aspects of the program. UMES faculty, staff, 4-H specialists from animal science and environmental Science, and 4-H youth and adult leaders will provide subject matter training. Special efforts will be made to recruit minority students, as well as female members to 4-H clubs. The local middle schools will be contacted to help recruit youth who would be interested in program participation. 4-H youth will submit an application and go through an interview process to be accepted as club members. The summer program will be designed to instruct the students in the water, animal, and geospatial sciences, and the environmental issues related. With the assistance of the 4-H staff, UMES faculty and staff, and volunteers students will develop and initiate a project that they will continue to work on throughout the year. Periodic meetings will be held at the year-round community-based 4-H youth clubs to help youth with their projects. Between the meetings, 4-H and UMES Staff and volunteers will be available for assistance. Participants will assist in the recruitment of additional 4-H youth and adults through: 1) demonstration at local science fairs; school PTA meetings; county and state fairs; the UMD Maryland Day; university field days; and other local, state, or regional events, and 2) media coverage through local and state media outlets via radio, TV, newspaper, and websites. 4-H youth will also serve as role models and mentors for new youth entering the program. Overall, stewards will concern themselves with: 1) water quality improvement of the Chesapeake Bay, 2) emergency preparedness for animal care during disasters, 3) usage of new technologies such as GIS/GPS, 4) life skills learned through the 4-H program, and 5) career path development and workforce readiness by utilizing resources through UMES and UMCP Extension. Each year, we will provide instruction to youth on how to make slide-shows and posters and skills needed for effective public speaking. Presentation of posters or slide shows will be encouraged at different venues, including 4-H events, field days, GIS Day events, Maryland Day, NAE4-HA Conference, local GIS Conferences, and other applicable events.

PROGRESS: 2012/09 TO 2015/08
Target Audience:Our main audience was underserved middle and high school students in Somerset and Wicomico Counties in Maryland. A title and logo for this program was established: "Junior Academy of Science and Technology" (JAST), and will be used throughout this report to for simplicity purposes. The program focused on the STEAM disciplines, which include Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture and Mathematics. Changes/Problems:Due to staffing changes that occurred both with Extension and the University, we were not able to have as many people involved with the program. But despite some staffing issues, we were still able to provide a very solid and positive program for student participants. Further, we were able to increase the interest in the STEAM disciplines and the JAST program. Because of the staffing changes, we had a lower teacher-to-student ratio during the second year of the After-School Program, but one of our teachers indicated that the students actually seemed more comfortable with a lower ratio, and were more involved with the various exercises. The students, parents, and teachers have expressed a desire to continue this program. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The JAST program is a training program for primarily middle and high schools aged students. The training is also extended to adult volunteers and teachers. Members of UMES faculty and staff, UMD Extension staff members, local teachers and volunteers, all participated in hands -on teaching activities. Please see previous section for examples and details. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?This was done via our websites and involving parents and faculty to participate in science fairs. The Nutrient management webpage now includes a drop down window where students and parents can explore some of the summer program activities as well as a gallery of photos taken during the fall (2013) summer (2014). This section of the website is currently under construction and additional materials will be added. This will include commercials developed by JAST students to advertise the program as well as student projects and scientific journal entries. Also in press, is a publication that will highlight student engagement and accomplishments. This document will be sent out to all participants and key administrative personnel, and NIFA personnel. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

IMPACT: 2012/09 TO 2015/08
What was accomplished under these goals? Goals 1-4: The JAST program started in the summer of 2013 and consisted of 2 one-week summer programs (2013 & 2014), 2 after-school programs (academic years 2013-14 & 2014-15), and a final summer program, the JAST All-Star Challenge, in the summer of 2015. This training was STEAM discipline based, which included; a) Water Science Issues related to the water quality aspects related to the health of the Chesapeake Bay; b) Animal Science subjects - focused primarily on emergency evacuation plans for animals, and c) Geospatial Technologies, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Position Systems (GPS). The learning outcomes were related to how these technologies can be used relative to STEAM disciplines. The JAST after school program was held twice a month at Somerset Intermediate School, in Somerset County, and Wicomico Middle School, in Wicomico County. Two teachers assisted in this training: one in Somerset County and one in Wicomico County. Returning and new youth participants joined the pre-scheduled After-School Program where they continued to be engaged in innovative STEAM-based learning modules. SUMMER PROGRAMS Year-I; The JAST Summer Program was conducted during the summer of 2013 with 17 participants from Somerset County and 12 from Wicomico County Middle and High Schools. The Summer Camp provided science-based training for 29 new 4-H youth participants. Year-II; In 2014, the JAST Summer Program was conducted with 14 participants from Somerset County, 14 from Wicomico County Middle and High Schools, and 7 from out-of-state for a total of 35 students. The JAST summer program provided science-based training for 28 new and 7 returning 4-H youth participants, 4 returning from Somerset and 3 returning from Wicomico. During the 2 summer program experiences on the UMES campus, each participant engaged in hands-on instruction and field trips related to each discipline mentioned above. Student participants and adults received training in GIS and GPS. They were introduced to the popular Environmental Systems Research Institute's (ESRI) ArcGIS program. Geospatial activities included GPS scavenger hunts and mapping exercises where youth learned how to collect GPS locations, and enter coordinates into ArcGIS and GoogleEarth software. Throughout the week, participants engaged in team building and problem solving exercises. The water quality/nutrient management activities included hands-on learning experiences including; soil percolation simulation using an artesian well simulator to track water movement through the soil profile, and a rainfall simulator demonstration which illustrated the effects of industrial, agricultural, and residential runoff. Animal Science learning exercises included emergency preparation for pets and livestock, and a local equine rescue unit brought their equipment to the UMES Campus and provided a demonstration of how animal rescues are conducted. The 2 field trips in Year I included visits to the Wicomico County Humane Society, and the Hazel Outdoor Discovery Center (HODC). The local county Humane Society explained how they handle emergency situations, and gave a tour of their facilities. At the HODC, youth were given hands-on experiences with a seine net to search for life in a pond. They sifted through forest litter to find signs of life in the forest, and participated in a GPS scavenger hunt to learn more about nature in general at the Center. Two field trips in Year II included visits to the St. Michaels Maritime Museum and the HODC. The Museum provided a history of the Chesapeake Bay, including shipping, societal, and environmental changes that included a tour of facilities. At the HODC, students were given hands-on experiences examining organisms in soil profiles, forests, ponds, and fields, and participated in a Capture the Flag GPS exercise to learn more about navigation using latitude and longitude. The JAST Summer Program participants presented their newly acquired knowledge and experiences to their parents, faculty, staff, and administrators from UMES, UMD Extension, and Somerset and Wicomico County Schools at a closing science-based project demonstration fair. AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM (ASP) Year-I: The JAST ASP during the 2013-2014 academic year held in Somerset County had 12 student participants, 11 returning and 1 new, and the Wicomico JAST After School Program had 12 student participants, 6 returning and 6 new. Year-II: The JAST ASP in the 2014-2015 academic year held in Somerset County had 5 student participants, 3 returning and 2 new, and the Wicomico program had 13 student participants, 1 returning and 12 new. During the 2 years of the JAST ASPs, each participant engaged in additional STEAM related hands-on exercises, some new activities and some continued from the summer program. The theme of the ASP was "The Chesapeake Bay: The Where, The Water, The Wildlife." Water quality/nutrient management, animal science, and geospatial technologies activities were integrated to provide an interdisciplinary experience for students. These included hands-on learning experiences such as; water sampling from several different locations including their school and homes, identifying watersheds using GIS, finding and mapping locations and sample sites using GoogleEarth© and GPS units, interactive games (Fish Pictionary), GPS Scavenger hunt, emergency preparedness for pets and livestock, dissections (fish, squid, and pig), basic chemistry involved in cell viability test, storm-surge exercise, the effects of melting ice, and preparing video and flyer advertisements of the JAST program as a final project. FINAL PROGRAM The final summer program was a one-day All-Star Challenge which was open to any student who had participated in the program in previous years. We had a total of 8 students attend, 5 from Somerset county, and 3 from Wicomico county. The JAST All-Star Challenge was a scavenger hunt that consisted of 9 stations, scattered across the UMES campus. Participants had to complete a STEAM based task at each station, once completed they were given a series of coordinates that they needed to follow using a GPS unit to find their next station. The activities included, creating a map on a globe, locating a place on a map from latitude and longitude coordinates, determining and using compass directions, observing sea-level rise, identifying fish anatomy, and creating a vortex in a graduated cylinder. Goal 5: Students from the 2013 summer program recruited several new students to the ASP by speaking to students in their classes. The students in the ASP developed videos and flyers that were used to recruit students for the 2014 Summer Camp program. Seven students from the first Summer Camp and ASP returned to participate in the 2014 Summer Camp. These students were identified as mentoring participants. Goal 6: Our teachers from the middle schools indicated that they noticed an increase in their students' interest in science and science careers. They were more engaged in class, and were excited to share their JAST experiences with other teachers and students. Of particular interest was the positive impact on the students working with female and African-American scientists, since they had often thought of only white males as scientists and role models. The JAST program overall was very well received and the students really enjoyed it. According to the middle school teachers they did see improvement in the students' interest in the STEAM disciplines and we were able to reach our target audience. We saw a few students who were uninterested at the beginning of the program continue on throughout the entire 2 ½ years. There were 6 students (4 Somerset, 2 Wicomico) who participated throughout the entire program. The interest in the program was growing, the biggest challenge was transportation for the ASP. Wicomico was able remedy part of this by combining with another program called the WISE program.

PUBLICATIONS (not previously reported): 2012/09 TO 2015/08
Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2015 Citation: Junior Academy of Science and Technology (JAST): Transforming Young Minds into Visionary Scientists for the Next Millennium

PROGRESS: 2013/09/01 TO 2014/08/31
Target Audience: Our main audience is underserved middle and high school students Changes/Problems: During the last year of this grant, we will extend our Summer Camp to two weeks in order to give student participants more time to prepare their projects. We will also change our presentation style at our next science fair, so all students get a chance to more clearly present their projects. Clearly, additional resources are required to expose this worth-while youth-based STEAM driven program to wider audiences. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The JAST program is a training program for primarily middle and high schools aged students. The training is also extended to adult volunteers and teachers. Members of UMES faculty and staff, UMD Extension staff members, local teachers and volunteers, all participated in hands -on teaching activities. Please see previous section for examples and details. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? This was done via our websites and involving parents and faculty to participate in science fairs. The Nutrient management webpage now includes a drop down window where students and parents can explore some of the summer program activities as well as a gallery of photos taken during the fall (2013) summer (2014). This section of the website is currently under construction and additional materials will be added. This will include commercials developed by JAST students to advertise the program as well as student projects and scientific journal entries. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The after-school program and the summer program will continue through the next reporting period with the same basic format as given before with probably a few modifications in the Summer Camp activities.

IMPACT: 2013/09/01 TO 2014/08/31
What was accomplished under these goals? Goals 1 through 4 were addressed with the initiation of our after school program and second summer program. This training was STEAM discipline based, which included; water science Issues related to the health of the Chesapeake Bay; animal science subjects – focused primarily on emergency evacuation plans for animals, and Geospatial Technologies including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Position Systems (GPS). The learning outcomes were related to how these technologies can be used relative to all STEAM disciplines. The JAST after school program was held twice a month at Somerset Intermediate School, in Somerset County, and Wicomico Middle School, in Wicomico County. Two teachers assisted in this training: one in Somerset County and one in Wicomico County. Returning and new youth participants joined the pre-scheduled After-School Program where they continued to be engaged in innovative STEAM-based learning modules. The Somerset County JAST participants had 12 students, 11 returning and 1 new student, and the Wicomico JAST participants had 12 students, 6 returning and 6 new students. During the after-school and summer program experiences on the UMES campus, and at the two middle schools, each participant engaged in hands -on instruction and field trips related to each discipline mentioned above. Student participants and adults received training in GIS, GPS, and remote sensing. They were introduced to the Environmental Systems Research Institute's (ESRI) ArcGIS program. Geospatial activities included GPS scavenger hunts and mapping exercises where youth learned how to collect GPS locations, and enter coordinates into ArcGIS and GoogleEarth software. Adults participating in the program received the same science-based training as student participants. The theme of the after-school program was “The Chesapeake Bay: The Where, The Water, The Wildlife.” During the after-school program, water quality/nutrient management, animal science, and geospatial technologies activities were integrated to provide an interdisciplinary experience for students. These included hands-on learning experiences such as; water sampling from several different locations including their school and homes, identifying watersheds using GIS, finding and mapping locations and sample sites using GoogleEarth© and GPS units, interactive games (Fish Pictionary), GPS Scavenger hunts, emergency preparedness for pets and livestock, and preparing video and flyer advertisements of the JAST program as a final project. On August 11th through August 15th, our second Junior Academy of Science and Technology (JAST) Summer Program was conducted with 14 participants from Somerset County, 14 from Wicomico County Middle and High Schools, and 7 from out-of-state for a total of 35 students. The JAST summer program provided science-based training for 28 new and 7 returning 4-H youth participants, 4 returning from Somerset and 3 returning from Wicomico. During the summer program water quality/nutrient management activities included hands-on learning experiences including; a rainfall simulator, which demonstrated industrial, agricultural, and residential runoff associated water issue. Animal science learning outcomes included instruction on emergency preparation for pets and livestock. Two field trips included visits to the St. Michaels Maritime Museum and the Hazel Outdoor Discovery Center which provided a history of the Chesapeake Bay, including shipping, societal, and environmental changes, and included a tour of facilities. At the Hazel Outdoor Discovery Center, students were given hands-on experiences examining organisms in soil profiles, forests, ponds, and fields, and participation in a Capture the Flag GPS exercise to learn more about navigation using Latitude and Longitude. Throughout the week, participants engaged in team building and problem solving exercises. JAST Summer Program participants presented their newly acquired knowledge and experiences to their parents, faculty, staff, and administrators from UMES, UMD Extension, and Somerset and Wicomico County Schools at a demonstration-style science fair where student explained orally the mission of their projects. Goal 5: Students from the 2013 summer program recruited several new students to the after-school program by speaking to students in their classes. The students in the after-school program developed videos and flyers that used to recruit students for the 2014 summer program. Approximately ten-fifteen students from the first summer and after school program returned to participate in the 2014 summer program. These students were identified as mentoring participants. Goal 6: will be covered in the next report.

PUBLICATIONS: 2013/09/01 TO 2014/08/31
No publications reported this period.

PROGRESS: 2012/09/01 TO 2013/08/31
Target Audience: Our main audience is underserved middle and high school students, but this program is open to all who wish to participate. Changes/Problems: We will not initiate any changes at this stage, but will attempt to engage additional middle-schools for the next year. We entertained the concept of having more than one summer session in order to accommodate more students, but changed our minds when we looked at the additional cost, which was not budgeted, and the time constraints of faculty and staff members engaged in the program who are already overloaded. Clearly, additional resources are required to expose this worth-while youth-based STEAM driven program to wider audiences and to higher innovative levels. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The JAST program is designed as a training program for primarily middle and high schools aged students. The training is also extended to adult volunteers and teachers. Members of UMES faculty and staff, UMD Extension staff members, local teachers and volunteers, all participated in hands -on teaching activities. Please see previous section for examples and details. 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? The year-long After-School Program was initiated recently. During the school year, participants will be exposed to more hands-on lessons and activities related to the Geospatial Technologies, Water Resources, and Animal Science. We will assist them in developing selected projects that will be presented in a science-based forum at the end of the school year. As we proceed through the school year, we will encourage current participants to recruit additional 4-H member participants. Current participants will serve as mentors using the Train-the-Trainer model for acquiring new participants. The ultimate goal for this exercise is to inspire student participants, promote and continue participation and interest in the STEAM (including Agriculture) science disciplines, and to encourage them to explore and pursue higher education and career opportunities in these disciplines at UMES or other institutions. United States Senator Barbara Mikulski’s and Representative Andy Harris’s office have both expressed an interest in attending presentations of student projects that are developed during the After-School portion of the JAST Program. Reports on data processed will be address at a later time. An assessment of how our Congressional constituents, Senator Barbara Mikulski and Representative Andy Harris, viewed and ranked our program during the After-School portion of the program will also be processed. Lastly, a continued effort to implement the additional goals of this project will continue as stated in the narrative of the proposal and via mutual agreement.

IMPACT: 2012/09/01 TO 2013/08/31
What was accomplished under these goals? Goals 1 through 4 were addressed from August 5th through August 9th when our first Junior Academy of Science and Technology (JAST) Summer Program was conducted with 17 participants from Somerset County and 12 from Wicomico County Middle and High Schools. The JAST summer program provided science-based training for 29 new 4-H youth participants. This training was STEAM discipline based, which included; a) Water Science Issues related to the water quality aspects related to the health of the Chesapeake Bay; b) Animal Science Subjects – focused primarily on emergency evacuation plans for animals, and c) Geospatial Technologies, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Position Systems (GPS) The learning outcome are related to how these technologies can be used relative to all STEAM disciplines. Youth participants are planning to join the pre-scheduled After-School Program where they will continue learning about the STEAM disciplines; and develop science-based projects that they can advance throughout the school year. During their week-long experience on the UMES campus, each student participant engaged in hands -on instruction and field trips related to each of the disciplines mentioned above. Student participants and adults received training in GIS, GPS, and remote sensing. They were introduced to the Environmental Systems Research Institute's (ESRI) ArcGIS program, the most widely used GIS software system in the world. Geospatial activities included a GPS scavenger hunt and mapping exercises where youth learned how to collect GPS locations, and enter coordinates into ArcGIS software. Six adults participating in the program received the same science-based training as student participants. The Water Quality/Nutrient Management activities included hands- on learning experiences including; soil percolation simulation using an artesian well simulator to track water movement through the soil profile, and a runoff simulator that demonstrated industrial, agricultural, and residential associated water issue effects. To address Animal Science learning outcomes, a local equine rescue unit brought their equipment to the UMES Campus and provided participants a demonstration of how animal rescues are conducted. Two field trips included visits to the Wicomico County Humane Society and the Hazel Outdoor Discovery Center. The local Humane Society explained how they handle emergency situations and gave the students a tour of their facilities. At the Hazel Outdoor Discovery Center, students were given hands-on experiences with a seine net to search for life in a pond. They sifted through forest litter to find life in the forest, and participated in a GPS scavenger hunt to learn more about nature at the Center. Throughout the week, participants engaged in team building and problem solving exercises. The JAST Summer Program participants presented their newly acquired knowledge and experiences to their parents, faculty, staff, and administrators, from UMES, UMD Extension, and Somerset and Wicomico County Schools at a closing science- based project demonstration fair. The projects developed were presented to visitors in science fair demonstration- style, where student developers explained orally the mission of their projects. Goals 5 and 6: will be covered in the next report.

PUBLICATIONS: 2012/09/01 TO 2013/08/31
No publications reported this period.