20266703845999
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
Description of the problems and how the Project-HARVEST (Harnessing Agriculture Readiness Through Vocational Education and Skills Training) addresses them.
Agriculture is undergoing rapid transformation due to advances in technology, rising environmental pressures, and shifting workforce demands.
Yet most students and the educational pathways serving them do not reflect this new reality.
The core issue is that today's agricultural workforce requires interdisciplinary knowledge and technical skills that are not currently being taught or understood at the level needed in community colleges or high schools.
**Problem 1:** Students do not understand that agriculture is an interdisciplinary science.
Modern agriculture is no longer limited to planting and harvesting.
It relies on knowledge drawn from: biology and ecology, engineering and robotics, computer science and data analytics, environmental science, economics and agribusiness.
However, many students have never been exposed to agriculture as a field that integrates technology, sustainability, engineering, and environmental problem-solving.
As a result, they often:
- Underestimate the complexity of agricultural careers,
- Assume agriculture has limited career pathways,
- And overlook the high-skilled, high-wage opportunities available.
HARVEST addresses it by updating and expanding existing agriculture courses to explicitly incorporate:
- Biology
- Environmental science
- Engineering and robotics
- Data analytics and computer science
- IoT and precision agriculture technologies
HARVEST will provide hands-on, interdisciplinary learning experiences such as:
- Fieldwork
- Capstone projects
- Summer research
- Multi-level mentoring
- Guest lectures from USDA/industry
- Learning in labs, technology centers, and field stations
These activities immerse students in how science, technology, and sustainability intersect.
HARVEST will achieve enhanced student awareness of modern agricultural careers:
HARVEST aims to increase awareness of USDA pathways and modern workforce opportunities, directly correcting the misconception that agriculture is outdated or low-skill.
**Problem 2:** Students do not understand how sustainability is connected to climate-smart technologies.
Agriculture today must adapt to:
- Climate unpredictability
- Soil degradation
- Water scarcity
- Shifting disease/pest patterns.
Yet students rarely learn how sustainability principles—like resource conservation, soil health, or productivity reduction—connect directly to these technologies.
This disconnect prevents them from understanding why modern agriculture must be both technically advanced and environmentally responsible.
HARVEST addresses this via integration of climate-smart agriculture modules into updated courses:
- Precision agriculture using smart farming & IoT
- Climate-smart agriculture practices
- Agricultural robotics
- Environmental stewardship through aquaponics and hydroponics
HARVEST emphasizes use of smart greenhouses, IoT-enabled learning infrastructure, and the use of AI Center's role, in enabling students to design, build, and test climate-smart solutions using:
- IoT-based environmental monitoring
- Smart greenhouse systems
- Irrigation and nutrient optimization tools
HARVEST aims to provide students with real-world sustainability application through aquaponics:
Students gain hands-on experience with an aquaponics system built on campus, modeling a closed-loop, resource-efficient agricultural system.
**Problem 3:** Workforce demand is growing faster than workforce preparation.
Local, regional, and national employers urgently need workers who can:
- Operate and interpret data from precision agriculture tools,
- Manage climate-resilient production systems,
- Participate in field research,
- Integrate environmental stewardship into daily agricultural operations.
But community colleges lack updated curriculum, hands-on training, and exposure to USDA-aligned workforce pathways.
HARVEST will develop workforce-aligned curriculum and credentials:
HARVEST will update the agriculture Associate of Arts (AA) program to include industry-aligned competencies and industry-recognized credentials, ensuring graduates meet employer expectations.
HARVEST aims to provide direct workforce training in precision agriculture and climate-resilient systems with hands-on components (fieldwork, research, capstone projects, summer programs) to prepare students to:
- Operate precision agriculture tools
- Interpret sensor and drone data
- Implement climate-resilient systems
- Apply sustainable management strategies
**Basic methods and approaches:**
HARVEST is designed to help students in Miami-Dade County discover rewarding careers in agriculture—especially in areas that use modern technology to grow food more sustainably.
Through this project, Miami Dade College (MDC) will update its agriculture Associate of Arts (AA) program and create new instructional modules that introduce students to precision agriculture, climate-smart farming, agricultural robotics, and sustainable growing systems like hydroponics and aquaponics.
These updates will make agriculture education more engaging, practical, and aligned with real workforce needs.
Each year, the program will support 20 MDC undergraduate students and 10 local high school students, especially those from Hispanic, low-income, or otherwise underrepresented backgrounds.
Students will learn in modernized labs, technology centers, greenhouses, and field stations on MDC's North Campus.
They will also participate in summer research, hands-on fieldwork, mentorship, and career exploration activities.
HARVEST is a collaborative effort.
MDC will partner with Archbold Biological Station, Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens, University of Florida's Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC), the USDA's Subtropical Horticulture Research Station (SHRS), and local agricultural organizations.
These partners will offer internships, field experiences, guest lectures, and exposure to real-world agricultural research.
Ultimately, the project aims to:
- Increase awareness of USDA and agriculture-related careers
- Boost enrollment, retention, and graduation in MDC's agriculture programs
- Strengthen the regional workforce by preparing students for high-demand, technology-focused agricultural jobs
- Support South Florida's long-term economic and environmental resilience
In short, HARVEST helps students gain the skills needed to thrive in modern agriculture while strengthening the future of farming in South Florida.
Agriculture is undergoing rapid transformation due to advances in technology, rising environmental pressures, and shifting workforce demands.
Yet most students and the educational pathways serving them do not reflect this new reality.
The core issue is that today's agricultural workforce requires interdisciplinary knowledge and technical skills that are not currently being taught or understood at the level needed in community colleges or high schools.
**Problem 1:** Students do not understand that agriculture is an interdisciplinary science.
Modern agriculture is no longer limited to planting and harvesting.
It relies on knowledge drawn from: biology and ecology, engineering and robotics, computer science and data analytics, environmental science, economics and agribusiness.
However, many students have never been exposed to agriculture as a field that integrates technology, sustainability, engineering, and environmental problem-solving.
As a result, they often:
- Underestimate the complexity of agricultural careers,
- Assume agriculture has limited career pathways,
- And overlook the high-skilled, high-wage opportunities available.
HARVEST addresses it by updating and expanding existing agriculture courses to explicitly incorporate:
- Biology
- Environmental science
- Engineering and robotics
- Data analytics and computer science
- IoT and precision agriculture technologies
HARVEST will provide hands-on, interdisciplinary learning experiences such as:
- Fieldwork
- Capstone projects
- Summer research
- Multi-level mentoring
- Guest lectures from USDA/industry
- Learning in labs, technology centers, and field stations
These activities immerse students in how science, technology, and sustainability intersect.
HARVEST will achieve enhanced student awareness of modern agricultural careers:
HARVEST aims to increase awareness of USDA pathways and modern workforce opportunities, directly correcting the misconception that agriculture is outdated or low-skill.
**Problem 2:** Students do not understand how sustainability is connected to climate-smart technologies.
Agriculture today must adapt to:
- Climate unpredictability
- Soil degradation
- Water scarcity
- Shifting disease/pest patterns.
Yet students rarely learn how sustainability principles—like resource conservation, soil health, or productivity reduction—connect directly to these technologies.
This disconnect prevents them from understanding why modern agriculture must be both technically advanced and environmentally responsible.
HARVEST addresses this via integration of climate-smart agriculture modules into updated courses:
- Precision agriculture using smart farming & IoT
- Climate-smart agriculture practices
- Agricultural robotics
- Environmental stewardship through aquaponics and hydroponics
HARVEST emphasizes use of smart greenhouses, IoT-enabled learning infrastructure, and the use of AI Center's role, in enabling students to design, build, and test climate-smart solutions using:
- IoT-based environmental monitoring
- Smart greenhouse systems
- Irrigation and nutrient optimization tools
HARVEST aims to provide students with real-world sustainability application through aquaponics:
Students gain hands-on experience with an aquaponics system built on campus, modeling a closed-loop, resource-efficient agricultural system.
**Problem 3:** Workforce demand is growing faster than workforce preparation.
Local, regional, and national employers urgently need workers who can:
- Operate and interpret data from precision agriculture tools,
- Manage climate-resilient production systems,
- Participate in field research,
- Integrate environmental stewardship into daily agricultural operations.
But community colleges lack updated curriculum, hands-on training, and exposure to USDA-aligned workforce pathways.
HARVEST will develop workforce-aligned curriculum and credentials:
HARVEST will update the agriculture Associate of Arts (AA) program to include industry-aligned competencies and industry-recognized credentials, ensuring graduates meet employer expectations.
HARVEST aims to provide direct workforce training in precision agriculture and climate-resilient systems with hands-on components (fieldwork, research, capstone projects, summer programs) to prepare students to:
- Operate precision agriculture tools
- Interpret sensor and drone data
- Implement climate-resilient systems
- Apply sustainable management strategies
**Basic methods and approaches:**
HARVEST is designed to help students in Miami-Dade County discover rewarding careers in agriculture—especially in areas that use modern technology to grow food more sustainably.
Through this project, Miami Dade College (MDC) will update its agriculture Associate of Arts (AA) program and create new instructional modules that introduce students to precision agriculture, climate-smart farming, agricultural robotics, and sustainable growing systems like hydroponics and aquaponics.
These updates will make agriculture education more engaging, practical, and aligned with real workforce needs.
Each year, the program will support 20 MDC undergraduate students and 10 local high school students, especially those from Hispanic, low-income, or otherwise underrepresented backgrounds.
Students will learn in modernized labs, technology centers, greenhouses, and field stations on MDC's North Campus.
They will also participate in summer research, hands-on fieldwork, mentorship, and career exploration activities.
HARVEST is a collaborative effort.
MDC will partner with Archbold Biological Station, Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens, University of Florida's Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC), the USDA's Subtropical Horticulture Research Station (SHRS), and local agricultural organizations.
These partners will offer internships, field experiences, guest lectures, and exposure to real-world agricultural research.
Ultimately, the project aims to:
- Increase awareness of USDA and agriculture-related careers
- Boost enrollment, retention, and graduation in MDC's agriculture programs
- Strengthen the regional workforce by preparing students for high-demand, technology-focused agricultural jobs
- Support South Florida's long-term economic and environmental resilience
In short, HARVEST helps students gain the skills needed to thrive in modern agriculture while strengthening the future of farming in South Florida.
Awardee
Funding Goals
NOT APPLICABLE
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Miami,
Florida
33132
United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
Miami Dade College was awarded
Project Grant 20266703845999
worth $630,000
from the Institute of Youth, Family, and Community in March 2026 with work to be completed primarily in Miami Florida United States.
The grant
has a duration of 3 years and
was awarded through assistance program 10.310 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).
The Project Grant was awarded through grant opportunity Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Education and Workforce Development.
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 3/6/26
Period of Performance
3/1/26
Start Date
2/28/29
End Date
Funding Split
$630.0K
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$630.0K
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
20266703845999
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Public/State Controlled Institution Of Higher Education
Awarding Office
12348V Institute of Youth, Family, and Community (IYFC)
Funding Office
12348V Institute of Youth, Family, and Community (IYFC)
Awardee UEI
MMNSTLD3HF48
Awardee CAGE
0UB36
Performance District
FL-27
Senators
Marco Rubio
Rick Scott
Rick Scott
Modified: 3/6/26