**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** DESPITE THE PROXIMITY TO AGRICULTURE RESOURCES, RURAL EDUCATORS ARE UNDERPREPARED TO TEACH FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES (FAS) CONCEPTS. YET, FAS LITERACY IS ESSENTIAL TO NAVIGATE THE DEMANDS OF OUR INCREASINGLY SCIENCE-DRIVEN SOCIETY AND WORKFORCE LANDSCAPE. THE GOAL OF THIS 3-YEAR INTEGRATED PROJECT (2022-2024) IS TO ENHANCE RURAL EDUCATORS' AND STUDENTS' FAS LITERACY VIA A SELF-SUSTAINING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (PDP) THAT IS ROOTED IN RESEARCH ON METACOGNITION. THE PROPOSED PDP FOCUSES ON THE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD RESEARCH INITIATIVE PRIORITY AREAS OF FOOD SAFETY, NUTRITION, AND HEALTH AND SUPPORTS THE EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM GOAL OF GROWING AGRICULTURAL LITERACY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE FUTURE. TARGET PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE EARLY CHILDHOOD AND ELEMENTARY (PREK TO 6TH GRADE) EDUCATORS WHO SERVE PREDOMINANTLY HISPANIC STUDENTS FROM LOWER-SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS (SES) BACKGROUNDS IN RURAL AREAS OF SOUTH CENTRAL IDAHO. IT IS EXPECTED THAT20-30 EDUCATORS WILL PARTICIPATE PER PROJECT YEAR; FACILITATOR-TO-PARTICIPANT RATIO WILL BE 1:15. THIS PDP PROJECT IS LED BY DR. SHIYI CHEN (PROJECT DIRECTOR) AT UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO.THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES MAJOR CHALLENGES THAT RURAL EDUCATORS FACE: THE GAPS IN EDUCATORS' PEDAGOGICAL KNOWLEDGE (I.E., INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES THAT ENABLE EFFECTIVE TEACHING) AND IN CONTENT KNOWLEDGE (I.E., BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE RELATED TO FAS). THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES ARE TO STRENGTHEN EDUCATORS' CONFIDENCE AND CAPACITY TO TEACH FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY WILL IMPROVE BOTH EDUCATORS' AND STUDENTS' FAS LITERACY. THE PROJECT WILL PROMOTE FACULTY EXPERTISE AND ENCOURAGE WIDESPREAD IMPLEMENTATION OF EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION AT K-14 LEVELS IN THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES BY PROVIDING IMMERSIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES.