education

This month, nearly 200,000 K-12 students from across Philadelphia head back to school, filling classrooms and lunchrooms across the city with excitement for the new year ahead.

Education used to be about the “Three Rs” – reading, (w)riting, and (a)rithmetic. It still is, but more letters have worked their way in: S, T, E, and M. Since 2001 educators have begun to focus more of their attention on the teaching of STEM – an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Since 1998, E. Kika De La Garza Fellowships have recognized highly accomplished staff and faculty at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and Hispanic-Serving School Districts. Participants meet directly with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies to learn about opportunities are available for their respective institutions and their students. Science Fellows, like Associate Professor of Biotechnology Alok Arun from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico Barranquitas campus, also collaborate with leading USDA scientists and a USDA Research Center. Professor Arun shares his experience with the Fellowship Program.

In the field and at organic organizations across the U.S., students grew new career skills in summer 2022.

July 2022 was the third hottest July the country has ever seen, and for staff and faculty from Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) and Hispanic-Serving School Districts, the sweltering temperatures they were experiencing in Washington, D.C. were no exception. This was not summer vacation. The 20 E. Kika De La Garza fellows were at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) headquarters to meet with senior leaders from all of USDA’s mission areas.

As a farmer, I understand the level of risk involved in our line of work. A strong farm safety net is key to ensuring the success of American producers. USDA’s Risk Management Agency is committed to improving access to crop insurance and training for producers that have historically lacked access to resources.

Before coming to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP), Laura Gallagher worked on farms and with community gardening organizations in the Midwest and Northeast providing training and education. Now Laura helps NOP manage the Organic Integrity Learning Center (OILC) and the Human Capital Capacity Building Initiative to help build the future of the organic workforce.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you say agriculture? If it’s a farm, then you’re right, but there’s so much more to agriculture these days. This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) co-hosted a virtual Youth Summit with Prairie View A&M University to let Texas K-12 students, educators, and youth-serving organizations discover the endless learning and career opportunities in agriculture.