** 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 APPLICATION OF SOPHISTICATED HORTICULTURAL AND ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES IN CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE (CEA) REQUIRES A MORE HIGHLY SKILLED WORKFORCE.THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO TRAIN K-14 EDUCATORS IN CEA, ENABLING THEM TO BRING CEA INTO THEIR CLASSROOMS THROUGH A HEALTHY HYDROPONIC PROJECT (HHP). SPECIFICALLY, THIS HHP AIMS TO HELP K-14 EDUCATORS: 1) ACQUIRE DEEPER KNOWLEDGE OF CEA AND HEALTHY EATING THROUGH IMMERSIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES, AND 2) DEVELOP IMPROVED CURRICULA TO TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE IN CEA AND HEALTHY EATING. THE TARGET PARTICIPANTS ARE K-14 EDUCATORS, ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM FOOD DESERTS AND/OR RESOURCE-CONSTRAINED REGIONS. THE OBJECTIVES WILL BE ACHIEVED IN TWO STEPS. FIRST, PARTICIPANTS WILL ENGAGE IN A THREE-DAY WORKSHOP. THEY WILL LEARN THE FOUNDATION OF CEA AT SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY, VISIT A HYDROPONIC FARM IN HOUSTON, HARVEST CROPS, AND COOK THEM FOLLOWING THE CHEF'S HEALTHY RECIPE ON AN URBAN FARM IN A HOUSTON FOOD DESERT. WE WILL ASSESS PARTICIPANTS' KNOWLEDGE OF CEA AND COLLECT THEIR FEEDBACK AT THE END OF THE WORKSHOP. SECOND, PARTICIPANTS WILL DEVELOP CEA CURRICULA WITH A HEALTHY EATING COMPONENT AND IMPLEMENT THEM IN THE CLASSROOMS. WE WILL PROVIDE PARTICIPANTS WITH HYDROPONIC GROWKITS AND GROWPODS EQUIPPED WITH COMPUTERIZED ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL. THE GROWPODS WILL STAY IN K-14 CLASSROOMS, WHEREAS THE GROWKITS CAN BE TAKEN HOME FOR STUDENTS TO EXPERIMENT WITH HYDROPONIC FARMING AND CONSUMPTION OF LEAFY GREENS.STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOMS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE AN ASSESSMENT SURVEY BEFORE AND AFTER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HHP.COMBINING CEA WITH HEALTHY EATING IN THIS HHP WILL FACILITATE THE PATHWAY FROM CEA TO IMPROVED FOOD SECURITY AND HEALTHY DIETS, ESPECIALLY IN FOOD DESERTS.