The skills, opportunities, innovation and learning (S.O.I.L.) initiative aims to positively impact sumter county, through a strategic workforce development project that focuses on training,…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Alabama A & M University six hundred thousand dollars on January 1, 2026, under the 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants program (CFDA 10.216) to deliver the Skills, Opportunities, Innovation and Learning (S.O.I.L.) Initiative, a workforce development project focused on STEAM training, educational enrichment, and industry mentorship in Sumter County, Alabama.

The S.O.I.L. Initiative addresses economic and employment challenges in Alabama's Black Belt region through instruction spanning science (biology, chemistry, environmental science), technology (computer programming, robotics, cybersecurity, information technology, digital literacy), engineering (civil, mechanical, aerospace, electrical, architectural), agriculture (agronomy, horticulture, soil science, sustainable farming practices), and mathematics (statistics, applied mathematics). The project targets economically disadvantaged populations in Sumter County, where historically declining industries in agriculture, manufacturing, and textiles have created sustained unemployment and limited access to higher education and vocational training.

Work is performed in Normal and Huntsville, Alabama, with a period of performance from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027. The 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants program supports teaching, research, and Extension capacity building at historically Black land-grant universities through cooperative programs with federal and non-federal entities. Alabama A & M University, a 1890 land-grant institution, executes workforce development and community outreach initiatives through its Business Office Division.

The skills, opportunities, innovation and learning (S.O.I.L.) initiative aims to positively impact sumter county, through a strategic workforce development project that focuses on training, educational enrichment, and science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and math (steam) industry (i.e. [s (biology, chemistry, environmental science); t (computer programming, robotics, cybersecurity, information technology, digital literacy); e (civil, mechanical, aerospace, electrical, architectural); a (agronomy, horticulture, soil science, sustainable farming practices); m (statistics, applied mathematics]) mentorship. The black belt (BB) is the most economically strained region of the state and perhaps the entire united states. The region has experienced a decline in industries such as agriculture, manufacturing and textiles, leading to loss of jobs over the years. People are not likely to secure jobs in sumter county. Therefore, struggles to attract new industries and create employment opportunities has resulted in higher unemployment rates. Research has documented the interconnectedness of education and employment in the black belt region. Limited access to higher education and vocational training programs further hampers the region's ability to develop a skilled workforce and attract businesses (mann & rogers, 2021). The lack of a skilled workforce perpetuates a cycle of limited economic growth and exacerbates poverty and inequality in the region. In order for alabama to increase its rates of labor force participation and fulfill the workforce demands of present and future businesses and industries, IT is essential to train and retain talented workers (katsians, keeney, jacobs, & whann, 2020). The S.O.I.L. Initiative will work to address these challenges.