** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** WATERSHED MANAGEMENT IS COMPLEX, MULTIDISCIPLINARY, AND INVOLVES A COMBINATION OF TECHNICAL SKILLS, AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO NAVIGATE COMPLEX SOCIAL DYNAMICS FROM STAKEHOLDER GROUPS WITH DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND PRIORITIES. UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS HAVE LITTLE TO NO EXPOSURE TO ROLES IN EXTENSION, ESPECIALLY ONES THAT DEAL WITH WATERSHED MANAGEMENT. THE NEED TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE WATERSHEDS WILL CONTINUE TO GROW AS STATES SUCH AS IOWA AND MINNESOTA ROLE OUT STATEWIDE NUTRIENT REDUCTION STRATEGIES, AND OTHER STATES DEVELOP STATEWIDE PLANS. IF TRAINING AND INTEREST IS NOT DEVELOPED NOW, THERE WILL BE INSUFFICIENT WORKFORCE CAPACITY NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT THESE PLANS AND STRATEGIES, EFFECTIVELY LIMITING PROGRESS.TO EMPHASIZE THE COLLABORATION AND MULTI-DISCIPLINARITY ASPECTS OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT, THIS PROJECT TAKES AN EXTENSION-FOCUSED REGIONAL APPROACH TO INSPIRING AND EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO PURSUE IMPACTFUL WATERSHED RELATED EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH CAREERS. STUDENTS WILL BE HOUSED AT SEVEN CAMPUSES ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST AND WILL PARTICIPATE IN TECHNICAL SKILLS TRAINING, SOFT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, TEAM PROJECTS, AND INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS, ALL UNDER THE MENTORSHIP OF EXPERIENCED EXTENSION AND RESEARCH FACULTY AND STAFF. THE STUDENTS WILL TAKE PART IN A VIRTUAL COHORT EXPERIENCE WHERE THEY WORK ACROSS STATE LINES VIRTUALLY WITH REGULAR MEETINGS AND A TEAM PROJECT TO FACILITATE TEAM BUILDING AND CAMARADERIE. EACH STUDENT WILL ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THREE EXTENSION PRODUCTS. THE INTERNSHIP WILL CULMINATE IN A PEER LEARNING SUMMIT WHERE ALL STUDENTS WILL TRAVEL TO THE LEARNING SUMMIT TO PRESENT THEIR SUMMER EXPERIENCE, LEARN FROM THEIR COLLEAGUES, AND TAKE PART IN ADDITIONAL EXTENSION-FOCUSED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. EACH SUMMER, THE PROGRAM WILL LEAD TO THE CREATION OF A COHORT OF FUTURE EXTENSION WATERSHED PROFESSIONALS THAT WILL HAVE A BROADER NETWORK OF COLLEAGUES IN THE NORTH CENTRAL REGION THAT THEY CAN CALL UPON AND WORK WITH AS THEY TRANSITION FROM STUDENTS TO PRACTITIONERS.ULTIMATELY, THE PROJECT WILL SERVE TO BUILD A ROBUST PIPELINE OF NEW WATERSHED PROFESSIONALS EQUIPPED TO TACKLE THE COMPLEX CHALLENGES OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT. A GREATER NUMBER OF SKILLED WATERSHED LEADERS (UP TO 28 STUDENTS) WILL LEAD TO MORE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT WATERSHED MANAGEMENT IN PARTICIPATING STATES. WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE MORE EFFECTIVE AT MEETING THE NEEDS OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS WITH MORE PROGRESS AND LESS ANIMOSITY. LAKES, STREAMS, RIVERS, AND WETLANDS WILL BE HIGHER QUALITY, LEADING TO HEALTHIER PEOPLE, HIGHER ECONOMIC VALUE TO COMMUNITIES, AND HIGHER QUALITY OF LIFE.