** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ONE OF THE GREATEST CHALLENGES FACING SECONDARY EDUCATION TODAY, INCLUDING SCHOOL-BASED AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION (SBAE; AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN GRADES 6-12), IS A SHORTAGE OF HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS ENTERING AND REMAINING IN THE PROFESSION. IN TEXAS, ONLY 677 OF THE 1,002 TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM COMPLETERS (67.6%) FROM 2015 TO 2020 BEGAN TEACHING IN SBAE PROGRAMS. CURRENT NATIONWIDE DATA INDICATES THAT MORE THAN 25% OF LICENSE-ELIGIBLE AGRICULTURE, FOOD, AND NATURAL RESOURCES (AFNR) TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM GRADUATES DO NOT PLAN TO ENTER THE TEACHING PROFESSION IN SBAE PROGRAMS, AND EVEN FEWER THAN 75% ARE EXPECTED TO ACTUALLY ENTER THE PROFESSION. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LICENSE-ELIGIBLE PROGRAM COMPLETERS WHO ENTER THE PROFESSION AS AFNR TEACHERS IN SBAE PROGRAMS. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS GOAL, THE AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES SUMMER EXPERIENCE IN TEACHING (ASSET) PROGRAM WILL, OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE YEARS, PROVIDE 50 PRE-SERVICE AFNR TEACHERS IN TEXAS WITH AN IMMERSIVE, HANDS-ON FIELD EXPERIENCE THROUGH AN 8-WEEK SUMMER INTERNSHIP THAT WILL EXPOSE THEM TO THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF AFNR TEACHERS DURING THE SUMMER, EQUIP THEM WITH ESSENTIAL WORKFORCE SKILLS AND TOOLS NEEDED FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER, AND INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD THEY WILL ENTER THE PROFESSION UPON GRADUATION. IMPACT OF THE ASSET PROGRAM INCLUDES DEVELOPMENT OF A ROBUST TRAINING PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY TARGETING PRE-SERVICE AFNR TEACHERS, A POPULATION THAT HAS NOT BEEN EXTENSIVELY INCLUDED IN TARGETED INTERVENTIONS, TO REDUCE THE SHORTAGE OF ANFR TEACHERS, THEREBY HELPING TO CLOSE THE SKILLS GAP IN THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES.