THE LOS ANGELES URBAN AGRICULTURE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM WILL INTRODUCE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE TO URBAN AGRICULTURE OPERATIONS IN THE LOS ANGELES (LA) REGION THROUGH AN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING INTERNSHIP PROGRAM THAT IS ENHANCED BY CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT.OVER THE LAST CENTURY, LOS ANGELES WENT FROM BEING ONE OF THE MOST PRODUCTIVE AGRICULTURAL REGIONS IN THE COUNTRY TO ONE OF THE MOST URBAN. A STEADY RISE IN THE AVERAGE AGE OF FARMERS OVER THE LAST DECADES HAS ALSO BEEN PARALLELED BY A PROJECTED SHORTFALL IN QUALIFIED GRADUATES IN THE AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD PRODUCTION SECTORS. DESPITE THIS DRAMATIC SHIFT IN LA'S LANDSCAPE, AND A LACK OF YOUNG FARMERS READY TO TAKE THE PLACE OF THOSE RETIRING, SOME TIES TO THE REGION'S ROBUST AGRICULTURAL PAST STILL ENDURE, AND THERE IS NOW A BURGEONING URBAN AGRICULTURE MOVEMENT IN THE LA REGION.THE LA URBAN AGRICULTURE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO PREPARE OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE STUDENTS FOR CAREERS AND/OR GRADUATE STUDIES IN AGRICULTURE OR RELATED FIELDS, ADVANCING THE 2018 FARM BILL PRIORITIES IN THE LA REGION. EACH YEAR OF THE PROGRAM, 6-7 OCCIDENTAL STUDENTS WILL BE SELECTED THROUGH A COMPETITIVE APPLICATION PROCESS, WITH PRIORITY PLACED ON UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS. ACCEPTED STUDENTS WILL LEARN ABOUT THE BASICS OF URBAN AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION AND BUSINESS MODELS THROUGH A 2-WEEK INTENSIVE URBAN AGRICULTURE ORIENTATION COURSE. FOLLOWING THE COURSE, STUDENTS WILL GET HANDS-ON WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE AT LOCAL URBAN AGRICULTURE OPERATIONS THROUGH AN 8-WEEK INTERNSHIP, DURING WHICH TIME OCCIDENTAL FACULTY MENTORS WILL PROVIDE ONGOING GUIDANCE. STUDENTS WILL COMPLETE THE PROGRAM BY PRESENTING ON THEIR EXPERIENCES AT OCCIDENTAL'S UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER RESEARCH PRESENTATION CONFERENCE, A MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS EVENT FEATURING UPWARDS OF 70 STUDENTS IN A PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE FORMAT. THE PROGRAM WILL BE ADMINISTERED BY OCCIDENTAL'S URBAN &AMP; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICYINSTITUTE, AN APPLIED RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY CENTER WITH A 20-YEAR HISTORY OF LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS RESEARCH AND PROGRAMMING.