**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** AS A PART OF THE LAND GRANT UNIVERSITY, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT COLLEGES OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE PATHWAYS TO CONNECT EMERGING RESEARCH AND RESOURCES TO THE CURRENT SECONDARY CURRICULUM TO ENCOURAGE YOUTH TO EXPLORE THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE CAREER PATHS. THE LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO DEVELOP COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS AND HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION TEACHERS TO ENRICH SECONDARY COURSE CONTENT AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENT RECRUITMENT IN FANH SCIENCES. THE PROPOSED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM MODEL, ENGAGING SECONDARY TEACHERS IN CALS RESEARCH FOR AGRICULTURAL LITERACY, WILL SUPPORT 80 TEACHERS FROM SCHOOLS SERVING PREDOMINANTLY MINORITY IDENTIFYING STUDENTS, SEEKING TO ENGAGE YOUTH IN PATHWAYS FOR STEM FIELDS WITHIN THE FOOD, AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND HUMAN (FANH) SCIENCES. SECONDARY TEACHERS WILL BE RECRUITED EACH YEAR FROM SCHOOLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIRGINIA TECH COLLEGE ACCESS COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM, WITH A FOCUS ON ENSURING THE INCLUSION OF TEACHERS WHO TEACH UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY STUDENTS AND STUDENTS WHO WOULD BE FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS. A TOTAL OF 20 TEACHERS PER YEAR WILL BE SUPPORTED BY PARTICIPATING FANH FACULTY. THE MISSION OF THE VIRGINIA TECH COLLEGE ACCESS COLLABORATIVE (CAC) IS TO INCREASE ACADEMIC PREPARATION, ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY FOR FIRST-GENERATION, LOW-INCOME, UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES (BLACK, LATINO, AND NATIVE AMERICAN), WOMEN AND STUDENTS FROM RURAL AND INNER-CITY COMMUNITIES (COLLEGE ACCESS COLLABORATIVE).