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INVESTIGATOR: Whittaker, W.; Alipoe, D.; Howell, M.; Ravola, M.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY
ALCORN STATE, MISSISSIPPI 39096

INCREASING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND FOOD SECURITY PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: This project proposes to increase experiential learning opportunities of agriculture majors through participation in Rural Development and Global Food Security Programs. Specifically, the project will employ innovative techniques to encourage greater interest in rural development and food security, thereby ensuring that our students are professionally trained and workforce ready to address socioeconomic forces affecting rural communities. It will enable students and staff to work with local communities throughout Southwestern Mississippi, the Mississippi Delta and other areas of the state to acquire real-world knowledge, while helping to empower rural people to resolve persistent problems of poverty and food insecurity. The project will serve as a significant recruitment/retention tool for the Department of Agriculture. Southwest Mississippi, in which Alcorn State University is located, is one of the poorest and most food insecure regions of the State. It experiences high rates of poverty, unemployment and obesity. Indeed, 18 percent of households in the region are considered food insecure. For many years these regions have introduced programs to help improve socioeconomic conditions, notwithstanding, they continue to experience economic stagnation. The direct engagement of students/faculty/staff in community development and food security programs in these regions will be the ideal learning laboratory. The project will strengthen Alcorn's Agriculture programs and enhance the capacity of the University to support development, food security and poverty alleviation in Mississippi. It should be noted that the shift in teaching and learning paradigms demand that Agriculture curricula provide students with practical exposure to rural perspectives through targeted hands-on learning in rural areas.

OBJECTIVES: The project will seek to achieve the following objectives: 1. Foster development of student professional competencies and strengthen retention through experiential and service learning opportunities by networking with organizations that are involved in community development, poverty alleviation and food security programs. 2. Support recruitment; establish strategic partnerships and effective linkages with Elementary and High schools in Claiborne, Jefferson and other Southwest Mississippi counties through an "adopt-a-school" program and other outreach activities. 3. Enhance faculty pedagogical, knowledge base and research competency by engaging cooperatively, with groups and organizations in selected counties.

APPROACH: Procedure for Objective 1 (Experiential; Service Learning Opportunities): Students of Agricultural Economics are encouraged to complete internships during the sophomore or junior year while pursuing degree requirements at Alcorn State University. The students that opt to study and/or demonstrate keen interests in rural development, food security and poverty (areas of emphasis in Agricultural Economics at Alcorn) will be given the opportunity to serve their internships working with selected rural development or food security organizations. The students will be expected to learn about the role of the particular organizations to which they are assigned and the services they offer to respective communities; they will work within the community and complete projects as agreed upon between the student's supervisor/mentor (in the organization) and the faculty advisor at Alcorn State University. Additionally, Project Directors, all students in Agricultural Economics and other volunteers will engage in service learning projects in various areas of southwest Mississippi by participating in and supporting feeding programs and other community service projects. Procedure for Objective 2 (Adopt-a-School Program): Strategic partnerships and linkages will be developed with Elementary and High Schools through the "adopt-a-school" program. Two school districts will be selected for adoption each year. A committee will be formed to establish guidelines and to oversee the program. Under this program, the Agricultural Economics faculty and staff members will assist the participating high school in (1) preparing instructional materials and provide lectures for specialized subject matter in agricultural economics and related areas. (2) Alcorn's students and faculty will participate in and provide one-on-one tutoring in core subject areas. (3) Each spring semester, two or more seniors and/or juniors from each of the adopted high schools that indicate an interest in Agriculture will be selected to participate in Alcorn's annual Summer Entrepreneurship program for high school students. Procedure for Objective 3 (Faculty Development, Engagement and Research in local Communities): Faculty and staff associated with this project will work cooperatively with rural development and food security experts and organizations to gain experience in benchmark strategies for addressing problems of severe food problems, poverty and underdevelopment in distressed communities; many of which are located in Mississippi. Project staff and students will also serve as mentors for at-risk youth in poor households of selected areas and seek to better understand the extent of food insecurity and socioeconomic stagnation in Southwest Mississippi and the Delta region. Data will be analyzed and study results used to develop research publications, information brochures, and instructional materials for students, to support public policy and for further improving the social and economic strength of rural people and places. PD's exposure will enhance their knowledge and competence of rurality and food insecurity.

PROGRESS: 2012/09 TO 2016/08
Target Audience: Our target audience for this reportincluded students majoring in agriculture at Alcorn, high schools in Claiborne and Jefferson counties and rural households in Southwest Mississippi and Delta communities. As the project sought to increase experiential learning opportunities of agriculture majors through participation in Rural Development and Global Food Security Programs, we made significant effort in providing internships to a total of 20 studentsover the course of the project. We also used the project to leverage funds for support of 12 additional internships throughout Mississippi. We were also engaged in outreach activities at elementary and high schools in the two counties. Our formal classroom instructions were enriched by the experiential learning opportunities espoused by the project and has become a sustainable part of the Agricultural Programs at Alcorn. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Thirty-two of our students served internships with rural development and other organizations throughout the State of Mississippi. A major component of the student's assignment, involved among other things, working at the grass roots level (especially in South West Mississippi and in the Delta) in selected rural communities and with rural development field officers to provide financial, technical and other assistance to help improve the food security situation and quality of life of rural residents. All the students who served internships demonstrated a greater understanding, compassion, and tolerance for the poor and underserved. Many students, very noticeably, started to discuss issues of food insecurity, poverty and other social problems with passion and sensitivity. Some have expressed a sincere desire to work in rural communities upon graduation. Discussions in our classes that pertain to issues of food insecurity, poverty, rural conditions, the economically disadvantaged, etc. have been and continue to be met with passionate and enthusiastic discussion among our student. Faculty and staff that were engaged in the project enhanced their knowlege in food security, poverty alleviation and rural development issues. We developed large quanties of resources that will be used as teaching resource materials. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results of the project were periodically and have been disseminated through recruitment brochures, Alcorn's Website and University Newsletters, Conferences, reports, word of mouth. They have also been shared with prospective students during recruitment drives and at our high school fairs on Campus. Documents that profiled selected communities and information on food insecurity in the region have been disseminated through our extension program. Current students are informed of internship opportunities in classes and notices posted on notice-boards in the department of Agriculture. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

IMPACT: 2012/09 TO 2016/08
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. We networked with several organizations throughout the State of Mississippi and they provided experiential learning opportunities for several students; 2. Our Agricultural Economics Program continues to teach courses that focus either specifically or in general on issues of food insecurity, rural development, poverty and public policies. At the graduate level, approximately fifty percent of our special problems course (AE 601) requires students to select and research issues and problems in food insecurity and or rural development. Overall, 4graduate students from AE 601 wrote theses on Food Insecurity or related concepts; 3. Project Directors and students in the Agriculture Business and Economics Club (ABEC) in the Agriculture Department have participated in several recruitment visits to various schools in South West Mississippi and the Mississippi Delta. Through the aid of the project we increased our student population by60 percent since the start of the project. We continue to received verbal commitments from several students to study Agriculture at Alcorn. We have also offered several tutorial sessions as well as other support at our adopted schools in Claiborne and Jefferson counties. Additionally, we participated in several feeding and nutritional programs in local communities in Southwest Mississippi. 4. Faculty who were engaged in service activities in communities adjacent to Alcorn have gained a wealth of firsthand knowledge that are invaluable in our classroom pedagogy. 5. We have enhanced our database of State and Regional organizations that are involved in rural development and poverty alleviation programs. Several of these organizations are also involved in the food security initiatives. Strong and lasting cooperative linkages have been built with many of these organizations. Several of their professionals are serving as mentors for our students (for example, the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC); Mississippi Association of Cooperative (MAC); USDA Rural Development Agency in Jackson, as well as rural development officials in counties throughout the state). 6. For six summers, several of our students served internships with rural development organizations throughout the state of Mississippi. A major component of the students' assignments involved among other things, working in selected food insecure and rural communities (especially in southwest Mississippi) and with rural development field officers to provide financial, technical, and other assistance to help improve the quality of life of rural residents. The students who served internships under the project demonstrated a greater understanding, compassion, and tolerance for the poor and underserved. Students, who formerly were somewhat cynical and apprehensive about interacting with the poor, have become outspoken advocates for them. Many of them, very noticeably, started to discuss issues of poverty and other social problems with passion and sensitivity. Some have expressed a sincere desire to work in rural communities upon graduation, rather than gravitating toward metropolitan areas. Discussions in our classes that pertain to issues of food insecurity, poverty, rural underdevelopment, the economically disadvantaged, etc. continue to be met with passionate and enthusiastic discussions among our student. Our Agricultural Economics Department that had a distinct void in the study of food insecurity, rural development, poverty and public policies currently teaches courses both at the undergraduate and at the graduate levels that focus either specifically or in general on issues of food insecurity, poverty and rural development. We generated enormous data and information from several counties, especially in southwest Mississippi. Faculty members in agricultural economics frequently utilize the data and other information as invaluable teaching resources.

PUBLICATIONS (not previously reported): 2012/09 TO 2016/08
1. Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Andrea Dubose, Variations in Labor Force Participation Rates Among Men and women in Mississippi, MS Thesis, 2015
2. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Mawusi, C, W. Whittaker, W, 2013; Influences of Graduation Rates in Two Mississippi School Districts: Warren and Jefferson Counties. Association of Research Directors, 1890 Research Symposium; p. 33
3. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Griffin, M, W. Whittaker, W, 2013; Assessing Trends in Selected Agricultural Commodity Prices: A Correlation Analysis. Association of Research Directors, 1890 Research Symposium; p. 33
4. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Allen, S, W. Whittaker, W, 2013; Divergences in Non-farm Labor Force Participation: The Case of Mississippi and the United States. Association of Research Directors, 1890 Research Symposium; p. 32
5. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Yates, R, W. Whittaker, W, 2013; Structural Changes in United States and Mississippi Agriculture. Association of Research Directors, 1890 Research Symposium; p. 34
6. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Hargrave, T, W. Whittaker, W, 2013; Examining Constraints on Economic Growth: Southwest Mississippi Counties of Claiborne, Jefferson, Franklin. Association of Research Directors, 1890 Research Symposium; p. 25
7. Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Kimberly White, Influences of Food Insecurity in Mississippi, MS Thesis, 2014

PROGRESS: 2012/09/01 TO 2013/08/31
Target Audience: Our target audience for this reporting period included students majoring in agriculture at Alcorn, high schools in Claiborne and Jefferson counties and rural households in Southwest Mississippi communities. As the project sought to increase experiential learning opportunities of agriculture majors through participation in Rural Development and Global Food Security Programs, we made significant effort in providing internships to six students in summer 2013. We were also engaged in outreach activities at elementary and high schools in two counties. Our formal classroom instructions were enriched by the experiential learning opportunities espoused by the project and will no doubt continue in the next two years of the project. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Six of our students served internships with rural development and other organizations throughout the State of Mississippi. A major component of the students assignment, involved among other things, working at the grass roots level (especially in South West Mississippi) in selected rural communities and with rural development field officers to provide financial, technical and other assistance to help improve the food security situation and quality of life of rural residents. All the students who served internships demonstrated a greater understanding, compassion, and tolerance for the poor and underserved. Many students, very noticeably, started to discuss issues of poverty and other social problems with passion and sensitivity. Some have expressed a sincere desire to work in rural communities upon graduation. Discussions in our classes that pertain to issues of food insecurity, poverty, rural conditions, the economically disadvantaged, etc. continue to be met with passionate and enthusiastic discussion among our student. One Intern used her training in Agricultural Economics at the Natchez Farmers' Market to better enable farmers to efficiently distribute their products. She was highlighted in the Natchez Democrat on July 11, 2013. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results are disseminated through recruitment brochures, Alcorn’s Website and our Newsletter (The Ag Econ Informer). They are also shared with prospective students during recruitment drives and at our high school fairs on Campus. Documents that profiled selected communities and information on food insecurity in the region will be disseminated through our extension program. Current students are informed of internship opportunities in classes and notices posted on notice-boards in the department of Agriculture. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? For the next period we will continue to network with organizations that are likely to provide internships for student and ensure that we are able to provide experiential learning opportunities in summer 2014; continue our interface with the schools we adopted in Claiborne, Jefferson and Amite counties; make outreach effort to support organizations that are engaged in feeding programs as they seek to help alleviate the unfortunate food insecurity problem in the region; We will generate instructional materials that can be formally used in the classroom to enhance pedagogy. All effort will be made to ensure that project objectives are achieved.

IMPACT: 2012/09/01 TO 2013/08/31
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. We networked with several organizations throughout the State of Mississippi and they provided experiential learning opportunities for several students; 2 .Our Agricultural Economics Program continues to teach courses that focus either specifically or in general on issues of food insecurity, rural development, poverty and public policies. At the graduate level, approximately fifty percent of our special problems course (AE 601) requires students to select and research issues and problems in food insecurity and or rural development. Currently, two graduate students from AE 601 are writing theses on Food Insecurity; 3. Project Directors and students in the Agriculture Business and Economics Club (ABEC) in the Agriculture Department have participated in recruitment visits to various schools in South West Mississippi and the Mississippi Delta. We have received verbal commitments from several students to study Agriculture at Alcorn. We have also offered several tutorial sessions at our adopted schools in Claiborne and Jefferson counties. 4. Faculty who have so far been engaged in service activities in communities adjacent to Alcorn have gained a wealth of firsthand knowledge that are invaluable in our classroom pedagogy.

PUBLICATIONS: 2012/09/01 TO 2013/08/31
1. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Mawusi, C, W. Whittaker, W, 2013; Influences of Graduation Rates in Two Mississippi School Districts: Warren and Jefferson Counties. Association of Research Directors, 1890 Research Symposium; p. 33
2. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Griffin, M, W. Whittaker, W, 2013; Assessing Trends in Selected Agricultural Commodity Prices: A Correlation Analysis. Association of Research Directors, 1890 Research Symposium; p. 33
3. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Allen, S, W. Whittaker, W, 2013; Divergences in Non-farm Labor Force Participation: The Case of Mississippi and the United States. Association of Research Directors, 1890 Research Symposium; p. 32
4. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Yates, R, W. Whittaker, W, 2013; Structural Changes in United States and Mississippi Agriculture. Association of Research Directors, 1890 Research Symposium; p. 34
5. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Hargrave, T, W. Whittaker, W, 2013; Examining Constraints on Economic Growth: Southwest Mississippi Counties of Claiborne, Jefferson, Franklin. Association of Research Directors, 1890 Research Symposium; p. 25