News & Highlights

SAPLINGS • Project Summary

North Carolina A&T envisions leading the 1890 land-grant universities (LGUs) and the nation in growing the next generation of underrepresented minority (URM) workers, leaders, and innovators for food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH) careers. The primary goals are to:

• Improve the pipeline to FANH careers via early outreach, family engagement, recruitment, and marketing research
• Establish a program consisting of six modules to enhance student learning, training, and success
• Build collaborations at local, regional, and national levels
• Establish mechanisms to enable sustainability.

SAPLINGS will prepare URM students across the educational continuum (4-H youth, Grades 5-12, college) for USDA and other federal/private sector employment. Supported activities include formal & informal outreach and engagement, integrated recruitment, training & retention initiatives, scholarships, experiential learning, and other student support led by North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (NC A&T)—the nation’s largest historically black university and host of the 1890 Center for Student Success and Workforce Development (SSWD).

SAPLINGS • Objectives

• Strengthen the college pipeline by igniting interest and engagement in FANH programs among Grades 5-12 school students, and two educators
• Use a comprehensive modular approach with multi-layer partnerships to attract, retain, mentor, and graduate more URM college students across the FANH continuum
• Increase institutional capacity for student success and boost students’ awareness of FANH careers.

Year One • Highlights

• Identified four "Farmacist" scholars and three Health Disparity scholars, each making significant strides in their respective fields.
• Three scholars expanded their professional networks at the USDA Spring Summit in Washington D.C. in May.
• One scholar facilitated a key health disparity webinar with Dr. Seth Berkowitz of UNC-CH, leading an engaging Q&A session in June.
• A scholar contributed to the Healthy Habits summer camp, delivering interactive nutrition education to local children.
• A scholar from NCAT excelled in the NCSU Summer Scholars program and represented future food science leaders at the IFT annual meeting in Chicago.
• Awarded scholarships to four teachers from low-resource communities to attend NCSU's Food Science and Safety CASE Institute program.
• Over 70 high school students participated in the “Promote Food and Nutritional Sciences to 4-H Youth Development” program, exploring potential careers in food and nutrition.
• Introduced the Laboratory for Functional Foods and Human Health to approximately 20 George Washington Carver Food Research Institute students.
• Supervised a scholar in creating an internship poster and presenting at the 13th Annual CAES Student Showcase of Excellence.
• Planning a three-day workshop on Metabolomics for food and nutrition students and scholars, scheduled for September 11-13.

Module 4

1. Identified three new “Farmacist” scholars who have made significant contributions in their fields and joined our NextGen Module 4.
2. Two scholars completed training on conducting human studies, including consent procedures and experimental protocols. They are now actively involved in our Healthy Gut & Healthy Life study, assisting with participant recruitment and stool sample collection.
3. One scholar participated in the Greensboro Urban Food Pantry and Ministry’s outreach efforts, educating the local community on making healthier nutritional choices.
4. Another scholar contributed to the Out of the Garden Project, supporting families facing food insecurity through food distribution and community service.
5. Two scholars joined the Food and Nutritional Sciences (FNS): Engaging with Future Leaders initiative, inspiring underprivileged high school students in North Carolina with hands-on learning and career exploration in food science and nutrition.
6. One scholar interned with Growing High Point in collaboration with Community Food Strategies, working to strengthen ties between local farmers and the High Point community to enhance access to healthy food.
7. Two scholars from the previous cohort successfully completed the program and received their Farmacist Scholarship certificates.

VSU Highlights

1. 6 VSU students and 2 faculty were trained and certified in artificial insemination in late summer 2024 as part of an animal welfare and wellness summer program
2. Supported 14 students and accompanying faculty to travel to the MANRRS regional meeting (fall 2024) – all students competed in MANRRS competitions. Two students won first and second place in the elevator pitch and one student won second place in the impromptu competition and will be competing at the National MANRRS meeting
3. Will support six students and faculty to the National MANRRS meeting in early April, 2025. All students will be competing in various competitions
4. Supported 10 students and faculty to travel to the 2024 Society for Hospitality and Food Service Management (SHFM). VSU is the first HBCU to establish and hold an SHFM student chapter on campus.
5. Will support 8 students and faculty to the Women in Hospitality Leadership Conference in late March 2025
6. Will host a one-day workshop in March 2025 for middle and high school teachers on the VSU campus focused on applying drones, virtual reality and other technologies in agriculture and the opportunities to enhance student engagement.
7. Will host a grazing workshop in April 2025 for students in collaboration with representatives from American Farmland Trust
8. Provided stipend support for students in a fall and spring semester pilot internship experience focused on agrivoltaics
9. Provided needs based support for 3 students to supplement financial aid