Project Grant 20226703836360

**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE - GOALS PROJECT ADDRESSES AN AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD RESEARCH INITIATIVE USING NEW AND EFFECTIVE AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TRAINING THAT PROVIDES VERIFIABLE, PORTABLE CREDENTIALSCENTERED ON INDIVIDUAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS COUPLED WITH DEMONSTRATED HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN SHOWCASE TO EMPLOYERS. THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY IN YUMA COUNTY IS A TECHNOLOGICALLY SEASONED, HIGH-TECH INDUSTRY WITH MANY JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR TECHNOLOGICAL PREPARED, HIGHLY SKILLED-TRAINED PROFESSIONALS, BUT THERE IS A CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF CONTINUING EDUCATION UNIT (CEU) TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEST CONTROL ADVISORS (PCA) AND CERTIFIED CROP ADVISORS (CCA). IN ORDER TO ATTRACT NEW STUDENTS TO THESE AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL CAREERS, ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE, AS THE REGION'S SOURCE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, MUST IMPROVE ITS CAPACITY (PARTICULARLY TO UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS) TO EXPAND ITS AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES PROGRAM.AGRICULTURE DOMINATES THE ECONOMY OF YUMA COUNTY, AND CORPORATIONS DOMINATE THE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY. AGRICULTURE IS YUMA COUNTY'S NUMBER ONE INDUSTRY, EMPLOYING UPWARD OF FORTY-FIVE THOUSAND FARM WORKERS IN THE FIELDS DAILY.PURPOSE: GROWING OPPORTUNITIES FOR AGRICULTURAL LEARNING IN THE SOUTHWEST WORKFORCE (GOALS) IS A COLLABORATION WITH INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO PROMOTE, TRAIN AND RETRAIN UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS FOR CAREERS IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES RELATED TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN SOUTHWEST ARIZONA.ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE'S PHYSICAL LOCATION PLACES IT IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO ONE OF THE LARGEST AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY AREAS OF THE COUNTRY. AS SUCH, THE INSTITUTION IS AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH PREDOMINANT INDUSTRIES IN THE AREA. TO ACCOMPLISH THE PRESCRIBED PROJECT GOALS, WHICH INCLUDE BETTER PREPARATION OF ITS STUDENTS FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY, THE GOALS PROJECT WILL ENHANCE INSTRUCTION BY:OFFERING MORE TEACHING AND LEARNING SEMINARS, SIMULATIONS AND INTERACTIVE ONLINE APPROACHES.PROVIDING TEACHING MATERIALS AND CURRICULUM CONTENT TOPICS, TYPES OF MATERIALS, AND RESOURCES FOR FACULTY.MOTIVATING STUDENTS REGARDING POLICY AND ETHICAL ISSUES.RAISING AWARENESS AND INTERACTION WITH SCIENCE AND SCIENTISTS.PREPARING TEACHERS FOR TRAIN-THE-TRAINER SUMMER INSTITUTES.DEVELOPING MODELS THAT FOSTER AND SUPPORT EDUCATION/TRAINING CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE, REGIONAL NETWORKS, VIRTUAL NETWORKS.PROMOTING AND ADDRESSING ISSUES RAISED BY SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES OF SCIENCE. CONNECTING AWC'S FACULTY AND INSTITUTIONAL LEADERSHIP WITH THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY.THE GOALS PROGRAM INTENDS TO USE A FULL-CIRCLE INTEGRATED APPROACH FOR THIS PROJECT AND WILL BUILD ON EXISTING PROGRAMS OFFERED, INCLUDING DUAL CREDIT AND ONLINE PEST CONTROL ADVISOR CURRICULUM, TO IMMEDIATELY INTRODUCE STUDENTS TO THE ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE AGRICULTURE PROGRAM OF CAREER PATHWAYS IN AGRICULTURE AND AGRONOMY.BY PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A MENTORSHIP PROGRAM WITH LOCAL INDUSTRY, WE ARE NOT ONLY CREATING A PIPELINE FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL TO THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE WHICH INCLUDES CAREER EXPLORATION AND SCHOLARSHIPS TO ASSIST THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE FROM A LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS (SES). AWC ALSO INTENDS TO CONNECT STUDENTS TO THE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY THROUGH HANDS ON EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. STUDENTS WILL COMPLETE THEIR DEGREE PROGRAMS, WITH LITTLE TO NO DEBT, AND WITH A PATHWAY TO CAREER AND INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION.ONCE STUDENTS HAVE ATTAINED THEIR INDUSTRY CREDENTIAL AS A CCA OR PCA, THESE NOW WORKING PROFESSIONALS WILL BE ABLE TO RETAIN THEIR CERTIFICATIONS BY COMPLETING CEU COURSES FROM AWC, WHICH COMPLETES THE CIRCLE AND THE PROJECT MISSION.THE METHODOLOGY THAT AWC WILL USE TO COLLECT AND MEASURE RESULTS WILL BE A THREE-PHASE PROCESS. FIRST, THE AWC - GOALS STAFF WILL USE A TEAM APPROACH TO STRATEGICALLY PLAN ACTIVITIES THAT ARE ALIGNED WITH OTHER COMMUNITY-SPONSORED EVENTS, AND IMPLEMENT ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES. SECOND, THE GOALS STAFF WILL DEVELOP PRE AND POST SURVEYS ISSUED TO A TARGETED AUDIENCE, WHICH WILL BE USED TO EVALUATE OUTCOMES. THIRD, THE FINAL DATA ANALYSIS WILL COME FROM AN EXTERNAL EVALUATOR ANALYSIS AND WILL PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN DETERMINING PROJECTIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND /OR DIRECTIVES.