Location: Crop Production and Pest Control Research
Project Number: 5020-21220-014-012-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Apr 1, 2019
End Date: Jun 30, 2024
Objective:
The proposed AG-DISCOVERY PROGRAM 2023, at Purdue University, is a two-week summer outreach experience that will be implemented in collaboration with the existing Purdue Agribusiness Science Academy (PASA) Summer Institute (SI) offered through the College of Agriculture’s Office of Multicultural Programs. The PASA SI is OMP’s signature outreach program to expose urban and first generation college students to the field of agriculture sciences.
Approach:
A. The AG-DISCOVERY PROGRAM will recruit a maximum of fifteen (15) program participants via direct mailing or electronic mailing of information packets to high school counselors and science teachers in the greater Indianapolis area and targeted urban school systems throughout the state of Indiana and nation The AgDiscovery Program will be integrated into the two-week existing PASA Summer Institute
Information will also be given to community agencies dealing with youth programs as well as college outreach programs coordinators. Program information will also appear on the College of ACES summer programs website, and appropriate USDA and APHIS websites. A special mailing will be made to all applicants who have applied to the PASA Program to inform them about opportunities through AgDiscovery.
The AgDiscovery summer enrichment program at Purdue University will recruit a maximum of 16 program participants, via active middle and/or high school recruitment, direct mailing, and the official university website with requisite USDA linkages. Program participants will be selected to participate in the AgDiscovery program based upon the entire application package, which includes a two-page essay entitled, “Why I Want to Attend the Ag Discovery Program at Purdue University, and What I Want to Learn, as well as, three letters of recommendation. At least one letter of recommendation is required from a school teacher, counselor, or administrator, which discusses the applicant’s interest in agricultural fields of science.
The cooperators/collaborators at Purdue, OMP, PVM and ARS will review and rank the applicants based on instructions provided by APHIS, in accordance with applicable civil rights rules and regulations. The cooperators will select the applicants with the highest scores for participation.
The students will be housed in university residence halls. Students will be chaperoned at all times by AgDiscovery personnel hired by the Cooperator. Purdue personnel shall maintain responsibility for the safety and security of the students at all times. Purdue will notify APHIS within 48 hours of allegations that AgDiscovery participants or personnel are involved in possible criminal activity.
Purdue University will comply with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as required by law, and will request assistance from APHIS whenever necessary, to ensure that the AgDiscovery program remains in compliance with the law.
