URBAN HORTICULTURE IS A GROWING SUB-DISCIPLINE WITHIN HORTICULTURAL SCIENCES AND IS LIKELY TO BE MORE APPROACHABLE TO A GROWING NUMBER OF STUDENTS. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT IN FOOD, AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND HUMAN SCIENCE (FANH) DISCIPLINES AT THE UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE LEVELS. TO THIS END, OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO IMPLEMENT A 10-WEEK SUMMER EXPERIENTIAL LEARNINGOPPORTUNITY COVERING DIVERSE AREAS OF HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH AND EXTENSION WITH AN EMPHASIS ON URBAN HORTICULTURE. WE PLAN TO ATTAIN THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE THROUGH PURSUIT OF THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC AIMS: 1) RECRUIT THIRTY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS (HALF OF WHICH FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS) OVER THREE YEARS TO PARTICIPATE IN A SUMMER URBAN HORTICULTURE FELLOWS PROGRAM, 2) EDUCATE STUDENT FELLOWS ON THE BASICS OF GROWING FOOD IN SMALL-SCALE FIELD AND GREENHOUSE CROP PRODUCTION SYSTEMS, 3) TRAIN STUDENTS IN HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH METHODS AND DATA ANALYSIS THROUGH MENTORSHIP UNDER FACULTYIN VARIOUS SUB-DISCIPLINES CULMINATING IN STUDENT PRESENTATIONS AT A SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE, AND 4) ENHANCE LEADERSHIP SKILLS OF STUDENT FELLOWS THROUGH STUDENT-LED DEVELOPMENT OF AN ACTIVITY FOR HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH IN AN AWARD-WINNING SUMMER HORTICULTURE ACADEMY. STUDENTS WILL BE SPECIFICALLY RECRUITED FROM OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY, LANGSTON UNIVERSITY (1890 LAND GRANT UNIVERSITY), AND THREE JUNIOR COLLEGES IN OKLAHOMA. THE PROJECT WILL CREATE LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS WITH REGIONAL INSTITUTIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINED OUTREACH EDUCATION AND STUDENT RECRUITMENT INITIATIVES.