The project addresses 4 critical issues to advance urban food systems and solutions, agricultural and stem education, and community capacity-building: (1) career readiness; (2) food…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Purdue University $500,000 under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) on February 15, 2026, to develop instructional approaches addressing four critical issues in urban food systems, agricultural and STEM education, and community capacity-building: career readiness in agriculture, food and natural resources (AFNR); food entrepreneurship; integrated STEM (iSTEM) instruction; and community-focused initiatives.

The project addresses a documented shortage of over 17,000 STEM careers in AFNR within the next five years and prepares the next generation to apply STEM knowledge to solve complex agricultural and food system problems. The work focuses on preparing agricultural educators to deliver iSTEM instruction in food systems contexts, given that 65 percent of youth think daily about food's health and nutrition and 80 percent express concern about food insecurity. iSTEM instruction aims to improve student problem-solving, critical thinking, STEM interests, and career achievement through authentic, agriculture-centered learning experiences.

Performance takes place in West Lafayette, Indiana, with a period of performance extending from February 15, 2026, through February 14, 2029. The award provides assistance under the AFRI Education and Workforce Development track, which funds competitive grants to train the next generation of the food and agriculture workforce and advance rural economies and food security.

The project addresses 4 critical issues to advance urban food systems and solutions, agricultural and stem education, and community capacity-building: (1) career readiness; (2) food entrepreneurship; (3) istem; and (4) community-focused initiatives.career readiness: there is an estimated shortage of over 17,000 stem careers in afnr in the next 5 years (fernandez ET AL. 2019). Conventional agriculture has evolved with new digital technologies (lassoued 2021) and stem knowledge and skills play a critical role in the field of afnr (knobloch & wang 2024). This creates a demand for future generations to be prepared to become stem-literate individuals who can solve complex problems using integrated afnr and stem knowledge (swafford 2018).food entrepreneurship: four out of 10 students know little to nothing about food systems and where their food comes from (bersoff ET AL. 2020), and 65% of youth think daily about their food's health and nutrition. In addition, one in five students worry about food security frequently, and 80% are very concerned about addressing food insecurity and have helped provide food for those in need. Students are more engaged when learning is relevant and purposeful, and are interested in the food system.istem: istem is an instructional approach that requires students to use stem knowledge to solve a complex problem. Istem aims to provide students with a more relevant and less fragmented stem learning experience to practice professional and employability skills, which inspires their stem career interests (NRC 2014; moore ET AL. 2020). IT has been documented that istem helps students develop problem solving, critical thinking, stem interests and achievement (mcgunagle & zizka 2020; moore ET AL. 2020; NRC 2014; wang &knobloch 2023). Although using istem instructions has many advantages, agricultural educators are not prepared to use istem instruction to teach food systems due to limited knowledge and experiences (ECK ET AL. 2021; knobloch & wang 2024).comminity-focused initiatives: agricultural education should emphasize the need for and importance of forming an agricultural educator community by providing professional development opportunities and support. An agricultural educator community is significant in fostering collaborations and networking for teachers at different career stages, enabling them to share experiences, exchange advice, and collectively address challenges that they will encounter in their daily teaching. Through social interaction and identity formation, teachers engaged in a community can improve their teaching practices, enhance their skills and find support systems in a collective environment, which leads to a more effective and fulfilling educational experience.