** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** FOOD SECURITY DEPENDS ON INCREASING THE NUMBER OF FARMERS WHO THRIVE ECONOMICALLY WHILE PRODUCING HEALTHY FOOD LOCALLY AND SUSTAINABLY. AT THE SAME TIME, LAND GRANT UNIVERSITIES ARE EXPERIENCING RECORD LOW NUMBERS OF STUDENTS IN AGRICULTURE-RELATED MAJORS. THIS TREND CREATES A VACUUM OF CONSUMER DEMAND FOR LOCAL FOODS THAT PRODUCERS CANNOT MATCH. TO ATTRACT A NEW GENERATION OF AGRICULTURAL PROFESSIONALS, WE PROPOSE AN INTEGRATIVE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION PROGRAM THAT PAIRS UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THEIR HOME COMMUNITIES. THE 5-YEAR BUG-TO-SCHOOL PROGRAM WILL IGNITE CURIOSITY AND CLOSE THE KNOWLEDGE GAP IN AGRICULTURE-RELATED STEM DISCIPLINES. AT ITS CORE, THE PROJECT WILL ESTABLISH A RESEARCH NETWORK OF OVER 40 SCHOOL GARDENS TO COLLABORATIVELY EXAMINE HOW BIODIVERSITY SHAPES INSECT FOOD WEBS AND CROP GROWTH. A TEAM OF FOUR UNIVERSITY FACULTY WORKING REMOTELY WITH TWENTY LOCAL 4-H EXTENSION EDUCATORS AND SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS WILL COLLABORATIVELY MENTOR TWENTY UNDERGRADUATES FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS IN A 8-WEEK SUMMER INTERNSHIP (1:1 MENTOR STUDENT RATIO). INTERNS WILL PERFORM EXPERIMENTS IN SCHOOL GARDENS ACROSS THE ILLINOIS AND BEYOND AND DEVELOP SKILLS IN SCIENTIFIC LITERACY, TROPHIC ECOLOGY, AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTION BY GROWING FOOD WHILE COLLECTING, ANALYZING, AND SYNTHESIZING DATA. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE INTERNS WILL SERVE THEIR HOME COMMUNITIES BY DEVELOPING GARDEN-BASED CURRICULA, LENDING LOGISTICAL SUPPORT, AND PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO COLLABORATING CLASSROOMS.