Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** this collaboration grant will…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** this collaboration grant will enhance the quality of education available toundergraduate and graduate students by providing robust opportunities for experiential learning (at no financial cost to the students) and addressing challenges that have been a hindrance to underserved students' participation in existing experiential learning programs. Three key components this project will introduce are the inclusion of need-based scholarships, integration of graduate and undergraduate student activities in texas and puerto rico, and incorporating inclusivity training for all participants. These elements will build on an existing core of mentored research, service learning, and adventure, all with a focus on underserved student success.through this project, >1000 K12 students, 80 undergraduate students, and 30 graduate studentswill receive experiential learning opportunities and benefits of the program (namely field research, service learning, leadership development, student and faculty exchange, adventure learning, career insights and skills development sought by USDA and other agricultural andnatural resource employers), and these students and at least 17 faculty from across the country will receive formal inclusivity training for field-based experiential learning and inclusive pedagogy. These activities would not occur in the absence of this proposed project. This project is anticipated to impact an estimated 70 students even more deeply through >1 year of fullparticipation as part of a diverse community engaged in learning activities in the outdoors and through the provision of need-based scholarships to many of them. Additional students willbenefit from the project by engaging in single experiential learning activities only, but these have the potential to be life-changing and career-shaping nonetheless.