Project Grant 20267000146579

THE NEXT GENERATION OF RURAL AND INDIGENOUS AGRICULTURALISTS FACES A STEEP AND UNPRECEDENTED BARRIER TO ENTRY: SKY-ROCKETING LAND COSTS AND HIGH INITIAL CAPITAL START-UP REQUIREMENTS THAT MAKE TRADITIONAL RANCHING VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE. TO ADDRESS THIS CHALLENGE AND BUILD A RESILIENT PIPELINE OF FUTURE PRODUCERS, CENTRAL WYOMING COLLEGE (CWC) IS EXECUTING A 24-MONTH PLANNING GRANT FOR THE PROJECT, ELEVATING AGRICULTURE EDUCATION FOR A RURAL RANCHING RENAISSANCE.ORIGINALLY ENVISIONED AS AN IMMEDIATE CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT, THIS INITIATIVE HAS PIVOTED TO A STRATEGIC PLANNING AND CAPACITY-BUILDING SCOPE TO ESTABLISH A STRONGER, MORE SUSTAINABLE NETWORK OF REGIONAL PARTNERS. OVER THE COURSE OF THE 24-MONTH PERIOD, CWC WILL COLLABORATE WITH NEW K-12 SECONDARY SCHOOLS ACROSS FREMONT COUNTY AND KEY TRIBAL ECONOMIC ENTITIES, INCLUDING THE WIND RIVER DEVELOPMENT FUND AND ARAPAHOE RANCH, TO FORMALIZE LONG-TERM EDUCATIONAL COMMITMENTS AND DESIGN A MODERN AGRICULTURAL CAREER PATHWAY. THE CORE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PLANNING PROJECT IS TO CO-DESIGN AN ACADEMIC AND EXPERIENTIAL CURRICULUM ROADMAP THAT BRIDGES HIGH SCHOOL VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS DIRECTLY WITH CENTRAL WYOMING COLLEGE'S AGRI-BUSINESS AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP DEGREE TRACKS. RATHER THAN RELYING ON TRADITIONAL, HIGH-OVERHEAD RANCHING MODELS, THIS PLANNED CURRICULUM WILL FOCUS ON MAKING AGRICULTURE ACCESSIBLE THROUGH DIVERSIFICATION. SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL INVESTIGATE AND INTEGRATE INNOVATIVE LAND-LEAN BUSINESS MODULES, SUCH AS UTILIZING SHOW CATTLE AND NICHE LIVESTOCK MARKETS AS HIGH-VALUE, ALTERNATIVE REVENUE STREAMS THAT STUDENTS CAN MANAGE WITHOUT MASSIVE INITIAL LAND ACQUISITIONS. BY EMPHASIZING THESE MICRO-ENTERPRISE STRATEGIES, THE PROGRAM WILL EMPOWER FIRST-GENERATION AND UNDERREPRESENTED YOUTH WITH REALISTIC PATHWAYS TO FINANCIAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN MODERN AGRICULTURE.TO BUILD THE NECESSARY COMMUNITY TRUST AND GATHER STAKEHOLDER INPUT, THE PROJECT TEAM WILL EMPLOY A HANDS-ON, HIGHLY ENGAGING OUTREACH METHODOLOGY. CWC WILL HOST EIGHT QUARTERLY MOBILE CATTLE ULTRASOUND DEMONSTRATION DAYS AND COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS ACROSS THE COUNTY. THESE EVENTS WILL INTRODUCE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, TRIBAL PARTNERS, AND AREA PRODUCERS TO ADVANCED LIVESTOCK DIAGNOSTICS. IN KEEPING WITH REGIONAL TRIBAL PROTOCOLS OF HOSPITALITY AND COMMUNITY RECIPROCITY, EACH SESSION WILL FEATURE HOT, CATERED MEALS TO HONOR PARTICIPANTS' TIME AND BRIDGE GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL DISTANCES. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECT DIRECTOR WILL COMPLETE AN INTENSIVE, INDUSTRY-VETTED BOVINE ULTRASOUND AND PREGNANCY CERTIFICATION COURSE TO BRING STATE-OF-THE-ART DIAGNOSTIC EXPERTISE DIRECTLY TO CWC'S TRAINING FACILITIES.THE SUCCESS OF THIS 24-MONTH PLANNING PHASE WILL BE MEASURED BY SEVERAL KEY DELIVERABLES, INCLUDING THE EXECUTION OF AT LEAST THREE BILATERAL MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING (MOUS) WITH NEW SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND TRIBAL PARTNERS, THE COMPLETION OF A SEAMLESS DUAL-ENROLLMENT CURRICULUM ROADMAP,,AND THE ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT OF REGIONAL EDUCATORS THROUGH THE WYOMING AGRICULTURE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION (WATA). ULTIMATELY, THIS COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WILL CULMINATE IN AN EXECUTION-READY PROPOSAL FOR A FUTURE NIFA NLGCA CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT. ONCE FULLY IMPLEMENTED, THIS SUSTAINABLE, COMMUNITY-VETTED PIPELINE IS PROJECTED TO ANNUALLY SUPPORT 75 SECONDARY STUDENTS AND 30 POSTSECONDARY STUDENTS, ESTABLISHING A SCALABLE MODEL FOR RURAL-TRIBAL INSTITUTIONAL COLLABORATION AND AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIC SURVIVAL.