COMMUNICATION GAPS EXISTING BETWEEN GROWERS AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENTISTS OFTEN LIMIT ADOPTION OF SCIENCE-BASED PRACTICES IN THE FIELD. THESE GAPS BETWEEN COMMUNICATION AND ACTION MAY HAVE FAR-REACHING AND DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES. GROWERS' FREQUENT EXPOSURE TO A BARRAGE OF NEW METHODS AND TECHNIQUES OFTEN MAKES THEM UNDERSTANDABLY SKEPTICAL ABOUT NEW AND UNFAMILIAR METHODS, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE METHODS ARE PREVENTATIVE AND MAY NOT INCREASE PROFITS IMMEDIATELY. IN SUCH CASES, IT IS CRITICAL FOR GROWERS TO SEE POSITIVE EVIDENCE OF RESULTS FROM A SCIENCE-BASED METHOD BEFORE THEY ADOPT IT. THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO BRIDGE COMMUNICATION GAPS BY CREATING HIGH-QUALITY INNOVATIVE GROWER-ORIENTED EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS. AVAILABILITY AND DISSEMINATION OF THESE VIDEOS WILL ENABLE GROWERS TO VISUALIZE COMPLEX SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS AND MAKE MORE INFORMED DECISIONS. THE PROJECT DIRECTOR WILL BUILD ON HER UNIQUE BACKGROUND IN ART AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE TO DEVELOP UNIQUE EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS; PRESENT THEMTO EXTENSION SPECIALISTS, AGENTS, AND GROWERS; AND TRAIN CURRENT AND FUTURE EXTENSION PERSONNEL TO PRODUCE MORE EFFECTIVE MATERIALS. A SET OF SUCCESSFUL PILOT MATERIALS HAS ALREADY BEEN PRODUCED AND WAS WELL-RECEIVED BY SPECIALISTS AND STAKEHOLDERS. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, THE FELLOW WILL DEVELOP EXTENSION COMMUNICATION AND TEACHING SKILLS, EXPAND HER CURRENT ARTISTIC SKILL SET, AND ADVANCE SCIENCE BY TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF EXTENSION PROFESSIONALS. ULTIMATELY, THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO INSPIRE WIDESPREAD PRODUCTION AND AVAILABILITY OF HIGH-QUALITY EXTENSION EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS: ENABLING GROWER ADOPTION OF SCIENTIFIC PRACTICES IN THE FIELD, EQUIPPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF EXTENSION PROFESSIONALS, AND ENHANCING PUBLIC APPRECIATION OF AGRICULTURE.