20237044040158

Leading Hispanics to Federal Agency Employment (Leading Hispanics) will develop and sustain the next generation of the Hispanic food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH) workforce. Specific objectives are to 1) improve retention and graduation rate, time-to-degree, and USDA career placement of Hispanic students, by increasing scientific, technical, and soft skills; 2) create a pipeline for Hispanic students to progress from high school through undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and to federal employment in the FANH workforce; 3) establish and foster peer-peer, teacher-student, faculty-student, and federal employee-student mentoring relationships to enhance Hispanic student awareness and preparation for internship and career opportunities at USDA agencies; 4) develop cooperative links and sustainable partnerships between FANH programs at four HSIs, local high schools, and USDA agencies to promote FANH degree and career pursuit; and 5) be a published, transferrable educational model for other higher education institutions to adopt or adapt.

Leading Hispanics will develop a vast support system through student scholarship projects (e.g., financial support, Club Lingüístico, symposium and career fair, impactful mentoring), experiential learning projects (e.g., USDA internships and educational tours; received support from 219 USDA sites), and outreach and engagement projects (youth program, community program, website and social media) that will prepare students for federal employment.

Leading Hispanics aligns with the primary goal of the NextGen program and with USDA strategic goals 5 and 6 by directly impacting undergraduate (295) and graduate (142) students, and high school students (800) and teachers (800). Participants will increase their knowledge and build awareness of pathways leading to training opportunities and employment in the federal sector.

Texas A&M University Kingsville

10.237 - From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals

Institute of Youth, Family, and Community (IYFC) [USDA - NIFA]

Kingsville, Texas 78363-8202 United States

Single Zip Code

From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals (USDA-NIFA-ARPAED-009362)