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 initiative is established to…

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 initiative is established to deliver a holistic agritourism workforce development framework that regeneratively contributes to the economic and socio-cultural solidarities of african american and pacific island insular communities in the U.S. Through inspiring intercultural, inter-institutional and interdisciplinary project activities, we aim to provide major financial assistance and counseling support to undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree-seeking minority students in agritourism-related fields. To expand student exposure to agribusiness and technologies, we will introduce students to two international and two domestic agritourism destinations. By offering agritourism summer academies and other experiential learning activities, the initiative will educate four cohorts of pacific islands students about the diverse entrepreneurial opportunities and career pathways in agritourism-oriented business contexts. Through the manrrs outreach activities, we will empower the community learners with a wide range of knowledge on the intrinsic connections between tourism, agriculture, food, human and natural resources, and more importantly with community solidarity and identity-building. We will work closely with the advisory boards to development culturally-appropriate agritourism curriculum that prioritizes the interests of african american, pacific island insular and rural learners. The impact of the initiative will be long-lasting as the expected outcomes will strengthen the collaborative relations between students, faculty, and institutions from the above-mentioned communities. We will be committed to establishing a nation-wide recognitionof agritourism that enriches the learning, research and extension landscape of U.S. Agriculture and food. The initiative will foster a talented workforce determined to contribute to the private and public agricultural sectors and their allied industries and disciplines.