** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE NATIONAL JUNTOS CONSORTIUM (NJC) AND STEM AP IS A TRANSFORMATIONAL, INTERDISCIPLINARY, COLLABORATIVE PROJECT THAT WILL PREPARE LATINX YOUTH TO BECOME THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS AND WORKFORCE IN STEM AND AGRISCIENCE. LED BY NCSU, STEM AP WILL IMPROVE STEM PARTICIPATION, PERSISTENCE, AND CAREER READINESS AMONG LATINX YOUTH IN NORTH CAROLINA AND WASHINGTON. THE PROJECTDRAWS FROM CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PEDAGOGY, BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE THEORY, AND EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE, AND WILL ESTABLISH A REPLICABLE, SCALABLE PROGRAM THAT IMPROVES LATINX YOUTH REPRESENTATION IN POST-SECONDARY STEM EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND ADVANCES DEIA WORK WITHIN THE LGU EXTENSION SYSTEM. THE PROJECT OBJECTIVES INCLUDE:INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LATINX YOUTH TO ENGAGE IN STEM EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE ACTIVITIES;ENHANCE THE SKILLS AND CAPACITIES OF LATINX YOUTH TO ENGAGE WITH STEM APP LEARNING AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES; ANDINCREASE THE MOTIVATION OF STEM APP YOUTH TO ENGAGE IN STEM-RELATED LEARNING AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES.DEVELOP THE NATIONAL JUNTOS CONSORTIUM TO SUPPORT THE SCALABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF JUNTOS AND JUNTOS STEM AP.THROUGH THIS INNOVATIVE APPROACH, COMBINING 4-H THRIVING MODEL, POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, AND THE BEHAVIOR CHANGE PROCESS AS DEFINED WITHIN THE COM-B FRAMEWORK, THE PROJECT WILL INCREASE LATINX YOUTH STEM IDENTITY (I.E. SEEING THEMSELVES AS SUCCESSFUL IN A STEM CAREER PATHWAY) AND THE LIKELIHOOD TO PURSUE AND BE SUCCESSFUL IN A STEM (AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES) CAREER. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO LAUNCH THE NATIONAL JUNTOS CONSORTIUM, A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND COLLABORATIVE EXTENSION INITIATIVE WITH REPRESENTATION IN ALL NATIONAL REGIONS FOCUSED ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND ACCESS.?ONE OF THE FASTEST-GROWING AND YOUNGEST GROUPS IN THE US, HISPANICS COMPRISED NEARLY 19% OF THE AMERICAN POPULATION IN 2020 (JONES ET AL., 2021). YET, HISPANICS MAKE UP 17% OF THE WORKFORCE BUT ONLY 8% OF WORKERS IN STEM FIELDS (FRY ET AL., 2021). NATIONALLY, HISPANIC STUDENTS WITH A STEM BACHELOR'S DEGREE ARE ALSO UNDERREPRESENTED AT JUST 12% (BURKE ET AL., 2021). ADDRESSING THIS EQUITY GAP WILL REQUIRE A GROWING NUMBER OF HISPANIC YOUTH TO PURSUE STEM EDUCATION AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. AS NOTED BY CRISP AND NORA (2012), EFFORTS TO INCREASE THE REPRESENTATION OF HISPANICS IN STEM-RELATED OCCUPATIONS...IS NOT ONLY ETHICALLY AND MORALLY CORRECT, AS THESE GROUPS DESERVE EQUAL ACCESS TO STEM FIELDS, BUT ALLOWS MINORITY GROUPS TO SERVE AS ROLE MODELS AND MENTORS FOR YOUNGER MEMBERS OF THEIR OWN ETHNIC/RACIAL GROUP.AEAP FILLS A CRITICAL NEED FOR INCREASING CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE STEM CAREER ENGAGEMENT, ACCESS, AND A SENSE OF BELONGING AMONG LATINX PEOPLE.