Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** significant efforts are required 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.** significant efforts are required to develop a more diverse forestry workforce which is reflective of our society and is better able to serve our nation's varied and growing needs for trained foresters. This proposal aims to expand and sustain long-term professional training that will equip underrepresented minority (URM) students with the necessary skills to be leaders and stewards in sustainable forest management. Our supporting objectives of this project are to: 1) build on our existing successful multicultural scholars program to further increase enrollment of URM students in the forestry program at michigan state university; 2) establish a faculty-mentored research training experience to broaden forestry scholars critical thinking and problem-solving skills; 3) enhance leadership skills through scholar-created outreach programming and peer mentoring for youth development organizations serving minority high school students; 4) develop undergraduate intercultural competence through the creation of a service-learning study abroad program to costa rica. We propose to recruit a cohort of five MSP scholars when they are rising high school seniors for training in this integrated scholarship program, providing: 1) tailored bridge programs to prepare students for collegiate academic success, 2) a rigorous academic program, with an emphasis on experiential learning, 3) integrated structures for academic advising, mentoring and social support to ensure retention, and 4) internship placement through partnerships with federal agencies, state agencies, industry, and non-governmental organizations. Upon completion, our scholars will be prepared to successfully transition to graduate programs or forestry workforce careers.