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INVESTIGATOR: Umar, G.; Phills, B.; Phills, G.; Umar, G.; Onokpise, O.; Mobley, R.; Smothers, J.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32307

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SUMMER INST. PHASE II: ENHANCEMENT OF RESEARCH & EXT. LEARNING LABS (RELL), IN SEARCH OF NEXT GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: During the summer of 2011, Florida A&M University (FAMU), College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture (CESTA), currently named the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences (CAFS), launched its Youth Development Institute for precollege students. Though the program was successful, it became apparent that there were some areas that needed to be strengthened in order for the college to adequately expose precollege and collegiate students to Food and Agricultural Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (FASTEM) disciplines. It was observed that even though students spend most of their experiential learning in either wet or outdoor learning laboratories, they fail to associate this with FASTEM disciplinary training. We clearly realize that STEM is essential for students' full academic development in the food and agricultural sciences. Thus, the term "FASTEM" was coined to represent training students in STEM disciplines from a food and agriculture perspective. Therefore, the purpose of this Phase II project is to expand and enhance the teaching, research and extension learning laboratories throughout the college by converting them into environments that will enable students to recognize the relationship between FASTEM coursework and their hands-on experiential activities, and to eradicate fear of the STEMs. Currently, the indoor and field laboratories are in a modern enough state to make it fairly easy to convert them into high profile learning laboratories that provide greater exposure to FASTEM disciplines and intriguing professional careers.

OBJECTIVES: Goals: 1. Make students aware of the significance of pursuing a college education in the food, agricultural and engineering sciences by exposing them to the FASTEM disciplines. 2. Enlighten students about the many exciting scientific career options in the food, agricultural and engineering sciences. 3. Prepare students for college admission and matriculation to insure successful completion of their undergraduate programs and to encourage pursuance of graduate and post-graduate FASTEM degrees. 4. Acquaint students with the life works of Dr. George Washington Carver in an effort to instill in them his core values, ideals and principals for serving mankind, which led to his multitude of inventions and discoveries. 5. To use the RELL as resource reservoirs of for students, parents, educators and visitors outside of the college of agriculture and food sciences to explore and learn of the scientific and diverse nature of plant life in general and agriculture food plants specifically and the role that they play or could play in the world food chain. Objectives: A. To enhance CAFS Research and Extension Learning Laboratories as academic and extension/outreach reservoirs for scientific experimentation, and experiential hands-on learning for precollege and collegiate student training. B. Development of training modules for precollege instructors, counselors and staff using instructional props from agriculture and food sciences. C. Use precollege and undergraduate students to test the theory that students will enjoy the new exposure of the resource learning laboratories and retain greater knowledge of FASTEM disciplines resulting directly from these learning laboratories. Expected Outputs: The success of this program is largely dependent on the College-wide and university acceptance of these research and extension learning resource laboratories (RELL) as effective and useful means of training students in FASTEM disciplines. Additionally, another outcome measure will be the increased use of the outdoor learning laboratories by Pre-K, elementary, middle and high school students for field trips, and other learning opportunities. Lastly, we expect to see increased usage of RELL as precollege exposure through summer intern programs by faculty throughout the university.

APPROACH: The CAFS Youth Development Summer Institute Phase II -RELL is a holistic way of utilizing current research and extension facilities and by converting them into resource learning laboratories by physically identifying and labeling all learning laboratories according to plant and animal types and agriculture usage. Because these learning centers are year-round, teachers of all levels (Pre-K-20) will be invited to take full advantage of these FASTEM exposure opportunities as integral components of their teaching methodologies. Such broad-based learning and exposure will be both profound and lasting. Through structured hands-on learning modules, students will be provided an opportunity to be exposed to hands-on learning programs in which the primary focus is STEM education-through rigorous classroom instruction taught by highly trained faculty and post doctorate research associates specializing in a multitude of research and extension disciplines. FAMU instructors and professors who will mentor students while training and exposing them to FASTEM disciplines in their resource learning laboratories. CAFS faculty mentors' respective laboratories are managed by a number of faculty, research associates, and graduate students, all who play a vital role in the training and exposing of these students, both individually and collectively to the various STEM disciplines and career options available through undergraduate matriculation. These lead faculty and their laboratories are attached. The end result of the Youth Development Institute - RELL is to produce a better student and citizen for a life of public service in keeping with the ideals of Dr. Carver.

PROGRESS: 2012/09 TO 2016/08
Target Audience:The target audiences of the project are the high school students, undergraduate and graduate students working on small fruit crops and vegetables. The project has also trained Scientists, teaching faculty, extension perosnals andthe communities at Leon, Gadsden, Wakulla and Jefferson county.The students were selected based largely on GPA, interest in food or agricultural sciences, and classification (12 grade or recent high school graduates but have not attended any college). Undergraduate students of College of Agriculture and Food Sciences. The project also helped train 3underserved minority undergraduate students in laboratory techniques and research methods. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project personal have provided training in professional development including field and laboratory training for high school and undergraduate students. The project also provided means to establish a successful training program for high school and undergraduate students. The project also provided resources for extension personals in terms of field demonstration plots that were maintained by undergraduate students. Every year at least six field days were organized at our center to train the community in Leon and surrounding counties. Also master gardener program use these plots for training purposes. This project also improved the collaboration among scientists, teaching faculty and extension personal during summer training program for high school students. High school students presneted their finding at the end of each summer program at CAFS FAMU and their respective high schools as well. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Data generated through this project have been utilized for designing brochures, handouts and training presentation at field days, pruning workshops, conferences, grape harvest festival, summer field day, Leon county science day and master gardener classes. High schooland undergraduate students trained under this program are ambassadors of our program in their respective schools and colleges for dissemination. 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? The goal of this project was to familiarize the high school students to college education in the field of Food and Agriculture. Starting this project as a summer program, high school students from various high school in Florida were selected. Total number of students that were selected on the basis of GPA and interest was at least 15 per year. They were assigned to different mentors in College of Agriculture and Food Sciences (CAFS) at FAMU. These students were exposed to training in Laboratory safety, Sample collection and preparation, bio-chemical analysis, titrations, enzymes assays, DNA extraction from leaf samples, PCR, electrophoresis, gel staining, and imaging. These students were also trained in data collection, interpretation, and preparation of reports for presentation of data. Outcome of the individual assignments were presented at the closing ceremony at the end of their summer program. Based on the exposure at summer program more than 50% of the attendees enrolled in CAFS and other colleges in FAMU. Over the period of this project 3 undergraduate students were hired as student research assistant to provide them with hands on training of the above technologies. One of the undergraduate student assignment was to prepare a detailed label including nutritional information of vegetables that very beneficial in educating the high school students that visited our center from not only our program but other summer programs at FAMU. We had over 230 high school students visit our center every year to benefit from that. Other two students shadowed post docs and scientist at our center in the field of Biotechnology and Biochemistry. These undergraduate students recorded data including yield, plant heights, plant vigor, fruit size and dry weight of blueberries and chestnuts. They were also trained to amend soil with fertilizers, soil testing and pH adjustment. Samples collected were processed in the lab for various biochemical analysis. Brix, pH, titratable acidity, sugars, total fats, phenolic, and stillbenes were analyzed using refractometer and other analytical instruments. Based on these trainings these undergraduate students gained knowledge and confidence to follow instructions, setup experiments, prepare solutions and buffers, handle instruments and record data. The knowledge and training gained through this project will help minority workforce development in Food and Agriculture sciences.

PUBLICATIONS (not previously reported): 2012/09 TO 2016/08
Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: D. M. Kambiranda, R.V. Mula, S.M. Basha, A. Kaplan, J. Nayak , P. Gajjar. Proteome Analysis of Anthracnose tolerant and susceptible grape genotypes. Association of Research Directors Conference, April 2017 Atlanta Georgia.

PROGRESS: 2012/09/01 TO 2013/08/31
Target Audience: Target audiences: The target audiences of the project are precollege and college students, the high school level working in FASTEM disciplines throughout the University. This program is intended to motivate students who possess the desire and capability to reach the highest level of educational pursuits while fulfilling a life, like Dr. Carver, committed to the service of a global population. The aim of this program is to provide high school juniors and seniors with direct exposure to real scientific research strategies with concentration in the areas of Animal Science, Agribusiness, Biological and Systems Engineering, Entomology, Food Science, Plant Science and Extension Services. The backdrop or resources areas for this exposure are on small fruit crops and vegetables grown in our research and extension centers. Student participation this past year was mostly African Americans. The students were selected based largely on GPA, interest in food or agricultural sciences, and classification (12 grade or recent high school graduates but have not attended any college). Efforts: This Program within the Youth Development Institute conducted numerous interactive lectures and various hands-on activities. These experiences were generally conducted through the viticulture and Small Fruit Research Center and the Research and Extension Center located at Quincy, Florida. The formal and informal educational programs included classroom instructions, laboratory instructions and experiments at Viticulture Center, and learning opportunities through extension activities at our Quincy farm and Tuskegee University. Changes/Problems: There were no major problems with the program format and implementation of the programs. It however is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit students with the preferred 3.0 gpa and SAT or ACT requirements. Increased tuition with limited scholarship opportunities is making it more difficult to recruit high profile students that have many other options, especially in the more visualized and popular STEM disciplines. For this reason, increased efforts are being made to offer students a broader exposure to nontraditional career opportunities and to network with private industry, USDA agencies and linkage universities that provide high tech exposure opportunities for our students. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The RELL program was a subsector of the larger CAFS Youth Development Summer Program. Approximately, 200 students participated in this overall youth development program which consisted of the following summer youth programs; 1)Raising Agriculturally & Technologically Literate Rattlers;2) Forest and Conservation Education; 3) 4-H Youth Program; 4) AG Discovery;5) Youth Summer Garden Program; 6) Food Science Summer Enrichment Program; 7) Rattler Academy Summer Institute; and 8) Ag. Tech Century 21. Similarly to this program, the other largely day programs participated in a number of activities designed to expose them to various aspects of the land-grant components of the college. Students were assigned mentors and participated in a number of field trips and other exposures. STEM exposures through activities. Some actually conducted research or extension problems and then presented it to the group, while other s just toured various facilities and received their STEM exposure through this medium. In all cases, students were required to discuss with their counselors and coordinators their various exposure exercises and explain what it meant as a potential career area of consideration. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The outputs of the project are best described through the Institute's Annual Summit. The Annual Youth Development Summit is held in June of each year at Florida A&M University. The Summit is a one day activity sponsored by the Youth Development Institute. It is comprised of all the youth development programs in the College as listed above, to expose, recruit and develop a new league of professionals in sciences, research, entrepreneurship and extension/community service in the food and agriculture sciences disciplines, Participants were solicited from elementary through high school, and with some programs, young adults, as well. The CAFS Youth Development Institute is a subcomponent of the national youth development initiative, "In Search of the Next George Washington Carver" and as such, uses the SUMMIT to invite other youth development programs throughout the campus inclusive of undergraduate and graduate programs within the College. The Summit is showcased in a Career Orientation format with recruitment booths and displays manned by program areas, USDA agencies and private industries. Invited speakers from USDA, private industry and Universities also participate in the Summit and have an opportunity to interact and respond to career questions from the students. In order to work toward the goal of trying to change the negative perception of the industry, participants were invited from government, private industry and universities to exhibit, demonstrate or speak relative to the advantages of pursuing careers in this industry. Also, summer program participants were able to showcase their research and outreach projects through oral and poster presentations with their Ag. Stories as the backdrop of the Summit to their parents and each other. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Student recruitment and retention will always be a primary agenda item in our college's strategic plan. Likewise, the extensive training of CAFS students in FASTEM disciplines is imbedded throughout all curricula. For this reason, the enhancement of our research and extension learning laboratories is critical to continued growth and development of not only our student body, but equally so for precollege students, as well as students in other STEM disciplines throughout the university. The Youth Development Institute serves as the coordinator for all youth development programs throughout the college and the establishment and enhancement of RELL will ensure that all students will receive maximum hands-on exposure to FASTEM disciplines as an integral component of their matriculation.

IMPACT: 2012/09/01 TO 2013/08/31
What was accomplished under these goals? A total number of students participating in the program were 10 . Of these 10 students, three students enrolled in FAMU; CAFS, Biology & FAMU/FSU School of Engineering. Two students started Community colleges in their home town with plans of transferring to FAMU CAFS. Five students are finishing their final year in high school and indicated a desire to attend FAMU upon graduation

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