**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE GOAL OF OUR PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A SUSTAINABLE MODEL FOR PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION ACTIVITIES FOR SECONDARY TEACHERS PROVIDING SCIENCE INSTRUCTION TO ADDRESS AGRICULTURAL LITERACY CHALLENGES RELATED TO FOOD, AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND HUMAN SCIENCES EDUCATION (FANH). THIS PROJECT SPECIFICALLY TARGETS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS WITH REGARDS TO BIOENERGY, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND THE ENVIRONMENT TO INCREASE AGRICULTURAL LITERACY ACROSS ALL SCIENCES. THE SUSTAINING OUR AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES (SOAR) PROJECT WILL RESULT IN CREATING SUSTAINABLEPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAM FORSCIENCE AND AGRISCIENCE TEACHERS;PROVIDING TARGETED TRAINING RELATED TO BIOENERGY, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND THE ENVIRONMENT; ADDRESSING IDENTIFIED CRITICAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS; ENHANCING SCIENCE AND AGRISCIENCE EDUCATORS'PEDAGOGICAL SKILLS IN IDENTIFYING STUDENTS SKILL GAPS AND INSTRUCTING STUDENTS IN IDENTIFIED AREAS; CREATING STRONG PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, INDUSTRYPARTNERS, SECONDARY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, SECONDARY SCIENCE AND AGRISCIENCE EDUCATORS, AND UNIVERSITY FACULTY; AND DEVELOPING AGRICULTURALLY LITERATE SCIENCE AND AGRISCIENCE EDUCATORS. THE SOAR INITIATIVE IS FOUNDED IN THE AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FOUNDATION (2013) PILLARS OF AGRICULTURAL LITERACY TO HELP EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS AIMED AT INCREASING UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGRICULTURE AND SOCIETY. TEACHERS WILL PARTICIPATE IN TWO-DAY FOCUSED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ADDRESSING SOIL SCIENCE OBJECTIVES: 1) UNDERSTAND SOIL HEALTH AND APPLY CONCEPTS IN TOTAL CARBON CONTENT, AGGREGATE STABILITY, EXTRACTABLE NUTRIENTS, AND NITROGEN MINERALIZATION; 2) IDENTIFY AND ASSES THE PHYSICAL QUALITY OF SOIL AND EVALUATE SOIL HYDROLOGY, MACRO-POROSITY, SOIL PHYSICAL QUALITY INDEX, RELATIVE FIELD CAPACITY AND LEAST LIMITING WATER RANGE; 3) APPLY LEARNED CONCEPTS THROUGH FIELD EXPERIENCES FOR SOIL TESTING.