WASHINGTON STATE'S NATURAL RESOURCES INDUSTRY IS OUR NATION'S SECOND-HIGHEST LUMBER PRODUCER, AND THE STATE'S SECOND LARGEST MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY. ITS ECONOMICHEALTH DEPENDS ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE. EMPLOYMENT DEMAND IN THIS INDUSTRY IS STRONG AND EXPECTED TO GROW. THIS PROJECT,EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING TO ACCELERATE TECHNICAL EDUCATION (ELATE), WILL SUPPLY OVER 100 UNDERGRADUATE NATURAL RESOURCES STUDENTS AT GREEN RIVER COLLEGE WITH HANDS-ON RESEARCH AND EXTENSION LEARNING EXPERIENCES, MENTORSHIP, AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT; SO THAT UPON GRADUATION, THEY MAY ENTER THE AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE WITH EXCEPTIONAL SKILLS. GREEN RIVER COLLEGE, A MINORITY-SERVING WASHINGTON STATE PUBLIC COMMUNITY COLLEGE, OFFERS TWO-YEAR AND FOUR-YEAR FORESTRY DEGREES. ELATE'S ACTIVITIESWILL REDUCE THE BACKLOG OF PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS INTERESTED IN FORESTRY CAREERS. THE PROJECT WILL EXPAND ACCESS TO THESE CAREERS FOR UNDER-REPRESENTED POPULATIONS IN OUR NATION'S AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE, SUCH AS MILITARY VETERANSAND NATIVE AMERICANS.ELATE'S TWO GOALS ARE TO: (1) PROVIDE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING FOR DIVERSE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, AND (2) IMPROVE THE VALUE AND SUSTAINABILITY OF EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION. THESE GOALS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY ANNUALLY CONDUCTING INTENSIVE SUMMER TRIPS, DURING WHICH OVER 100 STUDENTS WILL DEVELOP TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF EXPERIENCED INSTRUCTORS, WITH GUIDANCE FROM FACULTY AND PEER MENTORS. TRIPS WILL VISIT BOTH PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY OWNED HARVEST AND WILDERNESS SITES, IN WASHINGTON STATE AND NEW ZEALAND. PARTICIPATION AND TRAVEL STIPENDS, A LOANED "GEAR LIBRARY" FOR LOW-INCOME STUDENTS, AND JOINT RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES WITH THE MUCKLESHOOT INDIAN TRIBE WILL SUSTAINABLY EXPAND ACCESS TO THESE TRIPS FOR UNDER-REPRESENTED AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS, IMPROVING THEIR PERSISTENCE IN COLLEGE AND LIKELIHOOD TO COMPLETE AGRICULTURAL DEGREES.$240,632
· FY2019 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture