THIS SUMMER EXPERIENTIAL RESEARCH PROGRAM, HOSTED AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY, IS DESIGNED TO EQUIP 5 COHORTS WITH A TOTAL OF 47 PARTICIPANTS WITH DATA SCIENCE SKILLS THAT COMPLEMENT THEIR AGRICULTURAL DISCIPLINE KNOWLEDGE. WE WILL ENABLE THEM TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING RESEARCH AND PRACTICE OF DIGITAL AGRICULTURE IN A STUDENT-CENTERED, ACTIVE-LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WITH A COMBINED COURSE/RESEARCH EXPERIENCE. THE PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND STUDENT LEARNING GOALS ARE:UNDERSTAND APPLICATION PROGRAM INTERFACES (APIS) WELL ENOUGH TO COLLECT DATA AND WRANGLE DATA INTO INFORMED DECISIONSPERFORM PROPER STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE PROCESS AND RESULTSUNDERSTAND THE INDUSTRY OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRI-BUSINESS DATA SCIENCETHE PROJECT WILL ADDRESS A VARIETY OF THE AFRI FARM BILL PRIORITY AREAS WITH FOCUS ON CYBERINFORMATICS AND TOOLS FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL DATA ANALYSIS AND DATA-DRIVEN APPLICATIONS (FACT). WITH THE INTELLECTUAL FOCUS ON DIGITAL AGRICULTURE AND DATA ANALYTICS, WE WILL INTRODUCE ALGORITHMIC THINKING IN BASIC ELEMENTS, AND WILL EMPOWER THOSE STUDENTS TO INTEGRATE DIFFERENT CONCEPTS INTO THEIR OWN RESEARCH AREA AND TO COMMUNICATE THAT EFFECTIVELY.THE CULMINATION OF THE SUMMER RESEARCH EXPERIENCE WILL BE A MINI-SYMPOSIUM WITH STUDENT PRESENTATIONS (LIVE AND VIRTUAL) TO INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS. THIS PRESENTATION/COMMUNICATION EXPERIENCE WILL GIVE THEM FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE DOCUMENTING THEIR OWN LEARNING AND METHODS IN A WAY THAT IMPROVES RETENTION AND TRANSFER OF THE KNOWLEDGE (A METACOGNITION EXERCISE).THIS EXPERIENCE INVOLVES STRONG MENTORING BY FACULTY IN ASSORTED DISCIPLINES AS WELL AS COORDINATED ACTIVITIES WITH OTHER RESEARCH PROGRAMS TO BRING ABOUT MUTUAL BENEFITS IN CULTURE AND INTELLECTUAL MATURITY.