**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** RHODES STATE COLLEGE'S (RSC) GOAL WITH THIS GRANT IS TO CATALYZE THE EXPANSION OF THE COLLEGE'S EXISTING AGRICULTURE BUSINESS CERTIFICATE TO INCLUDE THE CREATION OF AN AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM (AG TECH) TO DEVELOP A TECHNOLOGY-COMPETENT AND DATA-SAVVY WORKFORCE WHOSE SKILLS ALIGN TO FILL THE NEEDS OF FARMERS AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYERS IN NORTHWEST OHIO. RSC, IN COLLABORATION WITH AGRICULTURAL PARTNERS, WILL CREATE AN AGRICULTURE DESIGN LABORATORY (ADL) WHICH WILL BE AVAILABLE TO BOTH STUDENTS AND THE NORTHWEST OHIO AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY FOR COLLABORATION RELATED TO THE USE OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY. RSC WILL CREATE THE CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY TRAINING (CATT). THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR AND DEAN TOGETHER WILL SELECT A LEAD AG TECHNOLOGY FACULTY MEMBER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER THE GRANT AWARD NOTIFICATION, THE RSC INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO WORKFORCE TRAINING IS THREEFOLD: USING SHORT-TERM STACKABLE AG TECH CERTIFICATES LEADING TO AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE, WITH CREDENTIALS EMBEDDED IN THE CURRICULUM, AND THE CREATION OF AN ADL. THREE ADDITIONAL STACKABLE CERTIFICATES IN AGRONOMY, PRESCRIPTION MAPPING, AND ROBOTICS/AI, ALONG WITH A TWO-YEAR ASSOCIATE DEGREE WILL BE CREATED AND IMPLEMENTED. AGRONOMY WAS CHOSEN AS IT GIVES THE STUDENT THE NEEDED SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND TO MAKE EDUCATED CHOICES TO OPTIMIZE CROP YIELD. PRESCRIPTION MAPPING WAS CHOSEN TO FOR THE ABILITY TO USE, TROUBLESHOOT AND APPLY TECHNOLOGY TO EFFICIENTLY MANAGE PRODUCTION. ROBOTICS/A.I WAS CHOSEN TO GIVE STUDENTS A TECHNICAL AND PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE OF USING SENSORS AND AUTONOMOUS MACHINES IN IMPLEMENTING PRESCRIPTIVE PROCESSES DETERMINED BY AGRONOMIC AND PRESCRIPTIVE PRINCIPLES.