USDA-NIFA AFRI-EWD-FANE: ASTEMA – Advancing STEM in Agriculture in 1890 HBCUs - via Team Active Experiential Work of College and High School students with Travel Camp.
Educational College Preparation Program for High School and College Students and their Educators, Led by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and Jookender.
PI: Dr. Victoria V. Volkis, Department of Natural Sciences, UMES
co-PI: Dr. William Weaver, Department of Natural Sciences, UMES
co-PI: Dr. Andrew G. Ristvey, Wye Research and Education Center, University of Maryland College Park
co-PI: Ms. Bronislava Sardak, Jookender
External Evaluator: WOM Communications, LLC.
This research is supported by the intramural research program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, AFRI-EWD-FANE, award # 2023-69018-41014. The findings and conclusions in this blog have not been formally disseminated by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and Should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy.
Applications are now being accepted for 2024-25 cohort for educators for high school students. There is still one summer position for educator for summer 2024. For more information - open Description and Application tab.
One position for educator for summer 2024 - deadline is extended until May 30th 2024.
12 positions for high school students for 2024-25 cohort - new deadline is Sept 15th 2024
One position for educator for summer 2024 - - new deadline is Sept 15th 2024
Here are slides presented during the recruitment event March 2024.
Jookender 2024 REEU and FANE recruitmnt event.pptxAnd a video of this recruitment event
ASTEMA online webinars are opened for the pubic. To see our schedule, please, go to ASTEMA - Learning Modules with Homework (google.com).
Under the USDA funded ASTEMA program we conduct a series of scientific and another series of professional development webinars for trainees, that are also opened to the public. The best auditory are high school STEM students, freshmen and sophomores in colleges. Below is the link that has a schedule of webinars and how to sign in. All webinars are on zoom, on Mondays and start at 8:30 PM EST, when there are no classes scheduled. International registrations are welcomed!
Please, note that total attendees per webinar is limited by 100 (zoom) of which 14 positions are reserved permanently to 2023-24 trainees. The rest are first registered – first served. And registration is required to attend.
The link to schedule and registration:
https://www.jookender.org/ASTEMA-public-webinars-2023-2024.html
Also, we have a library of recorded webinars available to the public and educators. This library is being updated and new videos are added.
Our sister program USDA-AFRI-EWD-REEU is now looking for students for 2024 cohort. Please, spread this flyer - our REEU summer program is now accepting application from students - two from UMES and four - from other colleges. Thank you!
Mission of the project
This project, called ASTEMA – Advancing STEM in Agriculture in 1890 HBCUs, is designed to attract high school and undergraduate STEM students underrepresented in FANH, to apply their degrees to career in food and agriculture. Modern agriculture and food science is a highly technical field of science and technology that often requires an interdisciplinary approach involving professionals with specializations in chemistry, biology, environmental science, and engineering, along with traditional agriculture and food science specialists. The workforce demand for well trained professionals in agriculture and food science is very high. However, students majoring in the science disciplines listed above often do not correlate their professional training with opportunities in public or private sector careers within food and agriculture. To bridge this gap, here we propose the FANE project that will train high school students, their educators, in collaboration and mentorship with undergraduate and graduate students for STEM EDUCATION WITH PURPOSE – to build careers in agriculture and food science, addressing all levels of preparation as one segregated pipeline. The project will include the academic year of scientific and professional development webinars followed by three weeks of active experiential learning travel camp with practice in research labs and agricultural facilities. Every year, project will involve 12 high school students from different minorities groups, three educators teaching high schoolers and/or working in after school programs, and two college students-leaders. During the camp time this group will collaborate with additional summer programs in PI's lab involving undergraduate and graduate students.
Program Goals:
Effort 1
Providing training to STEM oriented high school minorities students from the east coast of US in college preparation and application of STEM majors in agriculture and food science.
Providing training to highschooler’s educators in application of STEM science in agriculture
Effort 2
Conducting summer travel camp activities and team-based active experiential learning hands-on workshops in precise irrigation, use of drones, building of small devices and sensors for agriculture, growing and processing medical plants.
Effort 3
Provide training and leadership development to undergraduate students in team mentoring and application of STEM majors in agriculture.
Effort 4
Creating series of recorded webinars library and supporting learning modules in fields of biotechnology, genomics, horticulture and phytochemistry, agricultural technology, and agricultural data science, college, and graduate school preparation, applying to federal jobs, leadership development.