** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** WITH FOOD INSECURITY RISING THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, CURRENT FOOD PRODUCTION METHODS AND DISTRIBUTION ARE ILL-EQUIPPED TO MEET THE CHALLENGE. AMERICA, AND NEW JERSEY IN PARTICULAR, IS RICH WITH CULTURALLY DIVERSE POPULATIONS WITH UNIQUE INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES ON FOOD SYSTEM APPROACHES AND SOLUTIONS THAT ARE OFTEN NOT UTILIZED. BY EMPOWERING YOUTH FROM DIVERSE CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS TO ENGAGE WITH FOOD SYSTEMS LEADERS AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL OR COMMUNITY'S RICH AGRARIAN/FISHING/FOOD PRODUCTION/FOOD PREPARATION EXPERTISE, WE SEEK TO INSPIRE NEW IDEAS AND DIALOGUE, WITH THE GOAL OF FINDING SOLUTIONS TO THE COMPLEX FOOD SYSTEM CHALLENGES WE FACE USING STEM. THIS PROJECT WILL ALLOW US TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE USDA GOAL OF BUILDING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE IN STEM AND AG TECH FIELDS.FAME AG TECH PROGRAM ACTIVITIES WILL TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO FOOD SYSTEMS INVESTIGATING BOTH TERRESTRIAL (GREEN FOOD) AND MARINE (BLUE FOOD) FOOD SOURCES SPANNING DIVERSE STEM FIELDS. FURTHERMORE, INTERWEAVINGBIO-CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE INTO INFORMAL STEM EDUCATION WILL SERVE TO FURTHER ENGAGE AND MOTIVATE YOUTH, ENHANCE LONG-TERM LEARNING GOALS, AND PROMOTE CULTURAL PRIDE AMONGST THE COMMUNITY. IF WE CAN BETTER CONNECT YOUTH TO THEIR COMMUNITY IN MEANINGFUL AND PURPOSEFUL WAYS, WE IMPROVE OUR CHANCES OF CREATING ENVIRONMENTS WHERE YOUTH FEEL A SENSE OF EFFICACY, BELONGING, AND RESPONSIBILITY TO THEIR WORLD (FIELDS, 2020).YOUTH WILL BE FULLY SUPPORTED TO CREATE THEIR SCIENCE STORIES THAT FEATURE 11 UNIVERSITYSCIENTISTS. THESE STUDENT-AUTHORED STORIES WILL FEATURE SCIENTISTS, ENGINEERS, AND TECHNICIANS USING PLANT GENETICS AND A WIDE RANGE OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY INCLUDING GENE EDITING, AUTOMATION IN PHENOTYPING AND GENETIC ANALYSES, ROBOTICS RELATIVE TO REMOTE SENSING AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND PREDICTION AND DATA SCIENCE, TO DEVELOP CLIMATE RESILIENCE FOOD CROPS FOR FARMERS AS WELL AS INNOVATIVE GREENHOUSE DESIGNS AND INDOOR FOOD CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES