Expanding Precision Agriculture Education and Certification to Secondary Students

With this award, Parkland College intends to build on the success of two prior NSF projects in Precision Agriculture and Unmanned Aircraft Systems to develop a pathway for secondary students to earn a college credential while gaining industry experience. In coordination with industry leaders, community partners, and secondary education organizations, the project will create apprenticeship opportunities and stackable certificates to prepare secondary students for jobs in precision agriculture and adjacent sectors. The stackable certificates will combine coursework in Precision Agriculture and Unmanned Aircraft Systems and be designed specifically for high school students. Participants will complete this curriculum while obtaining industry experience through apprenticeships with industry partners. The project will focus on increasing the diversity of the agriculture workforce by increasing involvement of female and minority secondary students. Food security and agricultural exports are a major part of the US economy. Thus, improving training opportunities in agriculture is essential to continuing the strong presence of US agriculture on the world stage.

The goals of the project are to establish a new Early College and Career Academy Program; establish work-based learning opportunities with regional employers; and increase participation of traditionally underrepresented students in agriculture. The precision agriculture sector continues to modernize and the importance of well-trained students is becoming increasingly critical. Many precision agriculture companies struggle to fill open positions as the workforce ages out and the younger generation is drawn away from careers in agriculture. Creating new pathways to encourage secondary students to explore careers as technicians in precision agriculture will ensure the availability of a robust workforce. Project participants will be well prepared to enter and advance in the growing precision agriculture industry. By developing credentials and apprenticeship opportunities for secondary students the project will be educating future technicians in line with industry needs. Furthermore, the project's focus on increasing the number of women and minorities in precision agriculture will strengthen and diversify an important American industry. The deliverables and best practices developed through the project will be disseminated through coordination with multiple industry partners and a statewide secondary education organization. Additionally, the PI and Co-PI will attend and present at conferences relevant to agriculture education, agribusiness, and unmanned aircraft systems conferences throughout the grant period.