THIS REEU PROJECT AIMS TO EMPOWER FIRST- AND SECOND-YEAR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWS TO HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE AGRISCIENCES BY BUILDING THEIR RESEARCH SELF-EFFICACY, THEIR SCIENTIFIC COMPETENCIES, AND THEIR EXPECTATIONS THAT THEY WILL REALIZE POSITIVE OUTCOMES BY PURSUING AGRISCIENCE CAREERS. THE PROGRAM WILL SUPPORT SIX UNDERGRADUATE FELLOWS FROM MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS IN GEORGIA, MARYLAND AND THE SOUTHWEST, ALONG WITH FOUR UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA FELLOWS FROM STEM-UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS, EVERY SUMMER, FOR THREE YEARS. FELLOWS WILL UNDERTAKE MENTORED RESEARCH PROJECTS IN CROP MOLECULAR BREEDING, GENETICS AND GENOMICS, AND WILL BE TRAINED IN RESEARCH ETHICS AND SCIENCE AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. FELLOWS WILL ALSO TAKE PART IN A 2-DAY, HANDS-ON 'PLANT BREEDING PRACTICUM' FIELD COURSE TO LEARN FIRSTHAND HOW GENETIC AND GENOMICS RESEARCH IS USED TO IMPROVE CROP CULTIVARS. IN ADDITION, FELLOWS WILL PARTICIPATE IN A SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECT TO DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDINGOF THE CONNECTION BETWEEN RESEARCH, EXTENSION AND CROP PRODUCTION. FELLOWS WILL INCORPORATE THE SERVICE-LEARNING EXPERIENCE INTO A PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH BLOG TO DISCUSS THE FARM-TO-TABLE CONCEPT. A WEEKLY CAREER COUNSELING SERIES WILL OFFER FELLOWS PRACTICAL ADVICE ON HOW TO PURSUE POST-GRADUATE TRAINING, AND EXPOSE THEM TO CAREER OPTIONS IN EXTENSION/OUTREACH, INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENT, ACADEMIA AND OTHER AGRISCIENCE ORGANIZATIONS. FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT THROUGH FOCUS GROUPS, INTERVIEWS, SKILLS ASSESSMENTS, AND PRE-/POST-PROGRAM SURVEYS WILL YIELD EVALUATION DATA USEFUL FOR MAKING IMPROVEMENTS AND DOCUMENTING OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS.