Communicating Forest Conservation: Development and Implementation of a Museum Exhibit and Coloring Book

The purpose of this project was to create a museum exhibit at the Florida Museum of Natural

History (FLMNH) and corresponding coloring book. The museum exhibit highlighted Dr. Tal Kinser’s research in partnership with FLMNH. The exhibit focused on Kinser’s study of  longleaf pine ecosystems in the southeastern United States, specifically Florida, and the endemic plant species found within those ecosystems. In an effort to appeal to a diverse group of museum audiences, there were multiple different methods used to communicate the research including: short, documentary style video, text panels, diorama of landscape profile, website, and coloring book.

The coloring book was aimed for younger audiences and adults alike. “Red,” the red-cockaded woodpecker takes the reader on a journey through a longleaf pine forest where he introduces his forest companions and explains what makes these ecosystems so unique. The story included dialogue from Red, as well as scientific text on each page for older readers to learn more. For scientific accuracy in the story and illustrations, Dr. Raelene Crandall and David Godwin from Southern Fire Exchange and Robert Meyer, a woodpecker biologist from Tall Timbers Research Station, served as the subject matter experts and partners.

Project Website | Museum Exhibit

Revitalizing Downtown: A Strategic Social Media Framework for GO Downtown, Inc. 

As Gainesville, Florida continues to grow and development expands, the need for revitalization and equitable progress in historical spaces like Downtown Gainesville becomes increasingly important. Go Downtown, Inc., a public interest group formed by Gainesville's downtown business owners, is dedicated to collaborating on community events, promotions, and streamlining communication to revitalize the image of downtown Gainesville. Applying the principles of social media mobilization, social media accounts were created to serve as catalysts in amplifying Go Downtown Inc.'s initiative. This project involved formulating a comprehensive social media strategy, including survey research, logo development, brand development, and the creation and implementation of a social media content across Facebook and Instagram.

View social media framework here. 

Communicating Policy in Agriculture & Natural Resources: A Chapter on Policy Communication for the Agriculture & Natural Resources Online Textbook

In June of 2021, efforts were started to turn the textbook - Agricultural Communications: A Hands-on Approach – into an online, open-source publication titled Agricultural and Natural Resources Communications (https://anrcommunications.org/). The goal is to make agricultural and natural resources communications more accessible and readily available to a larger audience. The textbook is comprised of 19 chapters. With the addition of the chapter that I created on policy communication, the textbook now has 20 chapters. The purpose of my chapter is to educate college and high school students about communicating agricultural and natural resources policy to policymakers and a large audience, as well as how to work with policymakers. This chapter will be the first addition to the textbook since it was moved online in 2021. The hope for the chapter and the textbook is that students and teachers will be able to use it worldwide.

The chapter includes interactive material, a short end-of-chapter quiz, experts on policy communication and their advice, and resources for students and teachers.

View the chapter here. | View my defense presentation here. 

An Evaluation of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute Fall Alumni Seminar

Agricultural leadership programs fill a unique niche in their mission to develop capacity for rural leadership. Equally, agricultural leadership programs are poised to offer further professional development training to agricultural leadership program alumni, if only there are resources available and the effort can be justified. This evaluation explores the experiences of agricultural leadership program alumni in a domestic travel seminar. The Kirkpatrick model (2006) of program evaluation was used to understand how the seminar impacted participants.

The results suggest several key takeaways for those considering implementing similar programming. Firstly, this evaluation contributes to the existing body of research around agricultural leadership programs. It expands the current knowledge base by focusing specifically on agricultural leadership program alumni and their experience in a continuing education program. Ultimately, participants were satisfied with their experience on the trip, would recommend the experience to their colleagues, and reported increases in all areas of knowledge which were evaluated. This implies that the basic structure of the program is adequate and is appropriate to replicate in the future. Secondly, participants did not report substantial behavior changes in a three-month follow up after participation. Program planners should evaluate how the basic structure of the Fall Alumni Seminar can be adjusted in the future to yield greater behavior change among participants.

Evaluating the Self-Perceived Preparedness of Preservice Teachers in UF's AEC Teacher Prep Program

With teacher shortages in agricultural education, student teachers’ self-perceived feelings of preparedness is a critical outcome of university teacher preparation programs. Early field experiences and coursework within teacher preparation programs help to shape the self-efficacy of students during their degree program. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to evaluate preexisting exit survey data of preservice teachers from the University of Florida’s Department of Agricultural Education and Communication teacher preparation program, and their ratings on feelings of preparedness over a nine-year period. The study evaluated student teachers self-perceived preparedness to design and implement instructional components and to effectively deliver a variety of lessons and instructional strategies. Survey questions that were assessed were linked to Florida Educator Accomplished Practices that aligned to the study objectives. Findings revealed that majority of students overall ratings for their preparedness had an increase in the years 2018-2022. Students had the lowest ratings of preparedness relating to their ability to effectively deliver varied instructional strategies. However, some inconsistencies in 2021 data warrant further research of open-ended survey responses and further data analysis for potential effects from COVID-19. It is recommended that teacher preparation programs evaluate exit surveys and other elegant program data to identify trends that might related to program design and delivery.

Environmental and Conservation Lessons: Developed for Versatile Contexts

Non-formal environmental and conservation youth education seeks to achieve both cognitive and affective outcomes. Learning about these topics emphasizes knowledge and facts, as well as feelings and opinions associated with the information being taught. Conservation education integrates learning about scientific topics and practices within real-world contexts. This type of education aims to promote stewardship by providing youth with positive, concrete experiences with nature that encourage them to participate in pro-environmentally conscientious behaviors in their futures. These lessons were designed to educate youth in areas of integrated pest management, tree leaf identification, conservation strategies, and soil within non-formal contexts. Specifically, these lessons were developed to integrate education, nature, and fun within a summer camp setting.  However, the learning outcomes and objectives align with Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resource Curriculum Frameworks from the Florida Department of Education, allowing them to easily be translated into a formal context within the traditional classroom. Please view the lessons below.

Integrated Pest Lesson | Conservation Methods Lesson | Dichotomous Keys Lesson | Soil Particle Size Lesson

Fisheries in Focus: Improving Distance Education in STEM University Courses Using Cased-Based Learning Videos

As teaching pedagogy shifts to student-centered learning opportunities and college students desire online and/or hybrid STEM courses, the effectiveness of those courses is a concern. STEM instructors often lack the time, training, and resources to create digital media content that students expect in engaging online learning environments. However, there is an opportunity for science communication graduate students to assist in producing high-impact vicarious learning experiences. The Fisheries in Focus project centered on developing case-based learning videos for university and high school instructors to use in their online aquaculture courses. The author created four video segments, less than ten minutes each, of two aquaculture facilities in Florida: a) the University of Florida / Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Tropical Aquaculture Lab in Ruskin and b) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) National Fish Hatchery in Welaka. The content highlights deep-level reasoning of the how and why behind each facility, covering the production of fish grown for food, aquarium trade, and sport. Fisheries in Focus illuminates the intricacies of federal and state commitments to research, teaching, and extension for aquaculture in Florida. The videos and related materials are housed on The Streaming Science Project, a college student-driven science communication platform and are free of charge for instructors to use as appropriate with their target learners.

Fisheries in Focus informational website 

Using a Nominal Group Technique to Determine Volunteer Training Needs

Volunteers play a vital role in the success of the 4-H program, which significantly impacts the number of youths who benefit from quality positive youth development experiences. Effective delivery of educational experiences by volunteers is closely tied to the quality of their training (Boyce, 1971). The overall success of the county’s 4-H program relies on the training and support provided to volunteers (Arnold et al., 2009). Historically, 4-H agents have collaborated with volunteers to identify training topics, with volunteers contributing their insights into perceived needs. However, these efforts often aligned with the Agent's chosen topics and had little volunteer input. Recognizing the need for tailored, relevant, and practical training, it was determined that the annual volunteer training required a transformative approach to engage volunteers in decision-making actively. This transformation involved adopting a volunteer-centric perspective, and as part of this initiative, the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) was employed to determine the specific training needs of these dedicated volunteers. Utilizing the NGT approach provided a structured process to gather valuable input from Lake County 4-H volunteers. This inclusive methodology helped pinpoint the training needs of the volunteers and imbed those needs into annual programmatic training, which enhanced the volunteer experience and, in turn, the program's overall success.

"Advancing Beef Through Teaching, Research, and Extension": Promotional Media for the University of Florida Department of Animal Sciences Beef Program

The following promotional videos for the UF/IFAS Animal Sciences Department cover all three mission areas for UF/IFAS including teaching, research, and extension. This project will extend into a long-term project for the benefit of the department. These videos will be used to promote our beef program and will be posted in May during Beef Month. The goal of these videos is to promote what our beef program offers students and the beef industry.

Videos for UF/IFAS Department of Animal Sciences Beef Program

Needs Assessment of small Farms and Livestock Operations in Hillsborough County, Florida

Small-scale farmers and livestock producers face unique challenges. The needs of farmers and livestock producers are constantly evolving to the ever-changing environment. Extension can play a role in providing solutions for these needs and developing small farmers' potential for success. UF/IFAS Extension in Hillsborough County provides educational opportunities and resources on small-scale agricultural production. The purpose of the study was to identify and prioritize the needs of small farmers and livestock producers in Hillsborough County. A needs assessment was conducted through surveys and focus groups using the nominal group technique. The findings revealed a need for resources to connect producers with products and services essential for running their operations, networking opportunities, business resources, and guidance specific to small-scale production. The findings will be used to review and revise current programming to enhance the Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Extension program.

Careers in Agriculture: A unique view of careers and global agriculture

The purpose of this non-thesis master’s project was to explore international students’ experiences of food insecurity at a land grant university and to develop a podcast series sharing their voices and featuring their stories. The United States is home to a large population of international students. As of 2020, there were approximately 1,251,569 active nonimmigrants registered on the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS, 2020). During the 2020-2021 academic year, nonimmigrants contributed $28.4 billion to the U.S. economy (NAFSA, 2021), yet literature on this topic indicated that most students experienced financial problems (Li and Kaye, 1998; Poyrazli and Grahame, 2007; Roberts et al., 1999). Due to stringent immigrant regulations such as F-1 visa restrictions, many international students face financial issues. Unlike domestic students, they are unable to gain employment outside of the university or apply for federal aid (Thomas & Althen, 1989). With their income limited to a maximum of 20 working hours a week, they are two to three times more likely to be food insecure compared to their domestic peers (Blundell et al., 2018). Food insecurity is defined as limited or uncertain availability of food because of inadequate resources (Slopen et al., 2010). As an international student from Ireland who has experienced food insecurity throughout my undergraduate and graduate degrees, I felt inspired to break the silence.

Due to international students being a minority of the student population, they often experience a spiral of silence regarding their collegiate circumstances. The Spiral of Silence theory guided the project. It is a mass communication and political science theory proposed by the German political scientist Elisabth Noelle-Nuemann in the early 1970s (Noelle-Neumannn, 1991). The theory assumes that people are constantly aware of the opinions of people around them and adjust their behaviors (and potentially their opinions) to align with majority trends due to the fear of being on the losing side of a public debate (Scheufele, 2008). The isolation exacerbates the already difficult (in terms of social isolation, adapting to a new culture, and more) circumstances international students experience compared to their peers. With many international students scared to talk about the reality of their situation and ask for help publicly, they find ways to adapt to survive.

The project consisted of a survey distributed to graduate level international students at the University of Florida (n = 54) and a podcast series titled Food Outcast including eight episodes. A virtual reality tour of the Hitchcock Field and Fork Pantry was also created to help students feel more comfortable with the space. The goal of the project was to give international students a safe space to share their experiences with food and resource insecurity, as well as a platform to offer personal suggestions on how to improve these conditions. Restricted incomes among international students reoccurs throughout the series as a key challenge. This challenge affects international students' access to food and cultural ingredients, as well as causes issues with transportation and overall budget for consumer goods, including clothing. Participants proposed several solutions to improve their quality of life, including increased stipends, advisors having a better understanding of visa regulations, subsidized meal plans/grocery stipends, creating a stronger authoritative communication platform, introducing halal food options on campus for the Muslim community, and more.

The hope is that by sharing these personal stories, higher education, national and state government, and communities will foster continued conversations and movements to combat the spiral of silence and ultimately prompt policy change to improve the quality of life of international students.

Food Outcast informational website & podcast playlist

Food Outcast podcast tracks on BuzzSprout

Agriculture Education Resource Guide: A tool for every teacher

This guide is designed as a tool to incorporate multiple readily available educational resources designed for agricultural educators within School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) Programs. There are many different resources for agricultural educators, however, many of them are either hard to find or are unknown to teachers. This tool was created as a complete guide for agriculture educators to use to discover current learning material and properly plan for students for a variety of topics and content. The project designer was motivated to create a magazine-like platform for agricultural educators to easily evaluate published learning materials and determine which curriculum best fits their needs and their learners. The guide is designed to include an overall description of a variety of different curricular resources for teachers to decide which would best accommodate their classroom needs. This guide also aims to assist new and seasoned educators in planning lessons. Each resource has a brief overview which includes website links, connection to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resource Pathway standards within the Florida Department of Education, learning materials, and how to access the materials. In addition, the resource includes websites that contain interactive games and activities that can be implemented easily in any classroom. The goal for this project and guide is that it will help educators with utilizing material that is already available, that requires less time for creating new content, and that has been vetted and reviewed by an in-service agricultural teacher. The idea is for educators to be able to use this resource to decide on lessons and material to be used in the classroom as well as other educational platforms that can benefit student learning and help preserve the time it takes to locate and review materials that are accessible online.

Agriculture Education Resource Guide

Careers in Agriculture: A unique view of careers and global agriculture

With the average age of Florida’s farmers being 57 years old, it is important to encourage students' interest and involvement in agriculture. With growing technology and advancements in the industry, there is a need for fresh new ideas and perspectives. Less than one million Americans are involved in traditional farming, yet more than 21 million are employed in nontraditional agricultural careers. These careers include jobs in food production, natural resources, plant systems, animal science, and more. These curricular resources are designed to give teachers the tools they need to highlight various careers in agriculture; focusing on career opportunities and their differences across the globe. 

The resources include an overall unit plan, seven daily lesson plans, powerpoints and guided notes, as well as a final assessment. During the final project, students will be paired with agriculture professionals from around the world based on their interests, gaining knowledge not only in career opportunities but also soft skills and employment skills such as writing and addressing letters, and making and presenting presentations. Students will network with industry professionals all over the world and develop their knowledge of multiple agricultural careers. This project leads students to career opportunities and creates an awareness of agricultural work across the globe. 

Industry Certifications in Agricultural Education: A Module for Beginning Agriculture Teachers

The purpose of this project is to inform and educate new agriculture teachers on the importance and benefits of industry certifications. Industry certifications were developed in 2007 when the Florida Legislature passed the Career and Professional Education Act. This act aimed in connecting students to industry by showing proficiency through an exam given by a third-party certifying entity. Through this process there are many groups that are impacted such as students, programs, schools, and teachers. This module is designed to introduce beginning teachers to industry certifications. Within this module beginning teachers will learn about the benefits of industry certifications, integrating industry certification into their program, and what to do before and after the test. Industry certifications have the potential to positively impact students and programs. This project includes three lectures and additional reference material to introduce beginning teachers to implementing industry certifications in school-based agricultural education programs.  

Plant Propagation: Lesson Plans from Start to Finish

New agriculture teachers are entering education every year. Stepping into an existing program, or even starting a new agricultural program, is challenging. Developing both curriculum outlines and lesson plans are vital tasks for all new agricultural teachers. To support the efforts of beginning teachers, the curriculum in this project was developed to provide materials for those teaching the Introduction to Horticulture course. The Introduction to Horticulture II course is a detailed overview of plant science and is made up of fifty-one different standards. The modules in this project are designed to encompass more than half of these standards, from the start of plant production to the installation and establishment of the final plant products. Plant propagation can be daunting to first-time horticulturalists, but detailed explanation and resources can make this subject approachable and attainable to all educators. The six modules contained in this project provide a first-time horticulture teacher with the materials necessary to teach lessons to students on the intricacies of plant production. Each module includes detailed lesson plans, handouts, assessments, and daily planning to guide instruction. The topics addressed by these modules include three primary propagation techniques, growing media, irrigation techniques, plant growth and development, design for landscape, and fertilizer application. Including a key terms review sheet for the instructor and detailed materials lists in each unit allows for easy understanding of the content and provides background knowledge to those not specialized in plant science. This curriculum can provide starting teachers with a foundation upon which they may build successful learning environments for their students. Curricular resources are and will continue to be a necessity to educators in this growing area of career and technical education.  

Examining Preservice Teachers' Perceived Performance While Student Teaching: A Longitudinal Study

With this study, we sought to fill a gap regarding preservice teachers’ self-evaluation during the student teaching experience. An instrument was created and validated for use as a weekly self-evaluation tool for preservice teachers during the student teaching internship. This instrument encourages preservice teachers to self-assess and use self-regulated learning strategies during their student teaching experience. The finalized instrument should be used in conjunction with other activities of the student teaching portfolio to meet the phases of self-regulated learning (forethought, performance, and self-reflection). The purpose of this study was to examine the change in preservice teachers’ perceived performance over time during the 14-week student teaching internship. The objectives of this study were to describe preservice teachers’ performance scores and examine the variance in preservice teachers’ self-reported performance scores over the student teaching internship. Means and standard deviations for each of the five constructs during the 14-week period are reported. The self-evaluation scores of all five constructs of the validated instrument show an upward trend over the 14-week student teaching internship, with peaks and valleys scattered throughout. Research should continue with the goal of identifying the reasons for the peaks and valleys in weekly self-evaluation data.

Coaching the Coach: FFA Meats Evaluation CDE Module for Beginning Agriculture Teachers

Pursuing a career in agriculture education can be challenging. Meeting the demands of the classroom, community, and FFA program at the local, state, and national level add to the complexity of running a successful program.  The 3-Circle Model of agriculture education can be overwhelming to beginning teachers while they work to provide their students with quality experiences.  To better prepare agriculture educators, the Agriculture Teacher’s Survival Guide course was developed by faculty at the University of Florida.  The purpose of this project was to provide resources to specifically prepare agriculture educators to effectively coach a team for the Florida FFA Meats Evaluation Career Development Event.  This contest requires students to identify retail cuts, yield and quality grade beef carcasses according to USDA standards, evaluate carcass and retail cuts classes, and collaborate with team members to solve a meat formulation problem.  The Meats Evaluation CDE is a widely participated in contest at the state level, but due to differences in advisor experience, only a handful of teams are considered competitive.  These materials will increase a beginning teacher’s ability to prepare students for the state contest.  The module includes a general overview of the contest, plan for classroom integration, suggested practice schedule, explanation of contest components, and tips and tricks for new teachers to most effectively prepare a team. Students who are proficient in this contest are well positioned to enter a career related to retail meat processing and sales.

If you are interested in signing up for this module, please contact tre.easterly@ufl.edu

Competencies of Fundraising Leaders: A Training for FFA Foundations

The purpose of this project was to help the fundraising arm of FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) better understand the leadership competencies necessary to be successful in each of the five stages of the fundraising cycle: identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. After determining the competencies for each stage, a five-module video recorded training representing each stage of the cycle was created. Each training module included learning outcomes, guiding questions, an overview of the fundraising cycle, specific information about the stage being covered, information about the leadership competencies necessary for the stage, a brainstorming activity to encourage viewers to think of ways to enhance their personal skills with the competencies, suggestions for methods to apply the leadership competencies as fundraising professionals, and a review.  

FFA Foundation fundraising professionals at the state and national level are responsible for raising money to directly impact the thousands of student members of this agricultural leadership organization through chapter grants, member scholarships, programs, and activities. Understanding the leadership competencies in correlation with the fundraising cycle outlined in this project can lead to more effective fundraising practices. FFA Foundation front-line fundraisers are hired to be both fundraising managers and leaders. These employees must be equipped with the technical skills of securing major gifts for the organization, but also must have a profound understanding of where the funds will go and why they are needed. To accomplish this task of being successful fundraising leaders for FFA, they should understand the leadership competencies necessary to connect with donors, raise money, and properly steward funds.  

Current Trends of the Florida Beef Cattle Industry

The state of Florida is a leading cow-calf production state in the U.S (United States Department of Agriculture, 2021). The Florida beef cattle industry is impacted by numerous internal and external factors. The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) was used to inform the study design to meet the purpose of exploring the influential internal and external factors identified through the participant interviews. In-depth interviews with ten participants were conducted and analyzed for themes using the constant comparative method. 14 emerging themes were identified through the analysis of the transcript data. Examples of the themes include consumer disconnect and misconceptions, identifying need for consumer education, influence of ranch tours, benefits of land conservation, policy concerns, and influence of COVID-19 on Florida beef industry. Findings indicated participants behavioral beliefs and social norms influenced their intention to act on consumer education, environmental awareness, and consumer satisfaction. 

Keywords: Beef, Cattle, Ranching, Florida, Education, Florida Cattlemen’s Association, Florida CattleWomen, Extension 

The History of the Agricultural Education and Communication Department in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Florida

The purpose of this historical research study was to describe the origins and major events of the Agricultural Education and Communication (AEC) department at the University of Florida (UF). The AEC department at UF connects people from various backgrounds and interests with the unique field of agriculture through education, communication, extension, and leadership development. From the start of the program to the significant milestones that have been reached today, a vast history of triumphs and victories exists to tell a story. To gain a glimpse of this history, a qualitative historical analysis of the AEC Department was conducted through interviews and in-depth content analysis from the UF archives and scholarly database to recount significant events that occurred from the inception of the program. From the first course offered in 1909 to prepare students to teach agriculture in the School of Pedagogy to the national recognition of AEC over 100 years later in 2010, numerous remarkable events led the department to where it is today. Through this historical analysis, an accurate timeline of the AEC department was recorded to ensure the department is accessible for students to learn and develop now and in the future at UF. 

Resources: AEC Historical Timeline

Assessing the Preparedness of Alternatively Certified Agricultural Education Teachers in Georgia

The purpose of this study was to identify the areas that alternatively certified agricultural education teachers have adequate preparation and areas where they need more support. The methodology used an explanatory mixed methods approach, utilizing a survey that guided questions for the interview. Respondents of the survey were asked if they would be willing to participate in a follow-up interview. Teacher human capital was used as the framework of this study. The framework of the Carnegie Foundation includes four subsystems including acquire, develop, sustain, and evaluate. The develop subsystem is the focus of this study. The sample population included fifteen alternatively certified teachers in Georgia. The three emerging themes that were identified were the need for mentors with experience in agriculture education, quality professional development, and more resources specific to the duties of leading an FFA program. Recommendations include providing alternatively certified teachers with resources when they begin their career. Suggested resources include a general informational handbook, online trainings for basic FFA topics, Georgia FFA to improve provided curriculum, and make supplemented materials made available only to teachers to help keep students from accessing materials that contain answers to assignments.  

Keywords: School based agricultural education, professional development, mentor, teacher human capital theory 

Preservice Teachers' Perceptions of Important Elements

The student teaching experience isone of the most impactfulcomponentsof any teacher preparatory program. Student teaching is designed to provide college students who are preparing to be educators with experience in an actual classroom while supervised by a certified teacher. The purpose of this study was to determine preservice teachers’ perceptions of important elements of the student teaching experience both before and after the student teaching experience. The preservice teachers perceived the most important element of the student teaching experience was the cooperating teacher/student teacher relationship. Additionally, there was a negative change in the perceived level of importance forall studentsto have an SAE requirement, with accurate record books and diversity within the students’ SAEs from much importance to medium importance. When placing preservice teachers for the student teaching internship, teacher educators might consider placing a higher emphasis on the cooperating teacher/student teacher relationships. Secondly, when placing preservice teachers for the student teaching internship, teacher educators could choose internship sites that emphasize SAE programs and have diverse facilities. Finally, we recommend future research could be conducted to further explore the role of the cooperating teacher and the important aspects of the cooperating teacher/student teacher relationship.Keywords: student teaching experience; preservice teachers; internship; cooperating teacher; perceptions

Increasing Agriculture and Farming Awareness with African American Youth

The purpose of this project is to uncover the historical experiences related to African Americans in relation to agriculture in America. To understand why there is a lack of African Americans in various agriculture related professions and farming.  Literature covering the past historical and current events of Blacks in relation to agriculture were reviewed to explain the influence of African American perceptions of agriculture. This was reviewed to explain the impact this made on African American youth perceptions and interest to pursue future careers in agriculture. The Social Cognitive Career Theory is used in this project to explain the career interest and development process of an individual learner in black youth. This project acknowledges African Americans' negative assumptions about agriculture despite the knowledge of their impact and contribution to agriculture in America. In addition to providing a manual to help guide agriculture professionals and educators on how to deter the negative perceptions that youth have on agriculture.  A review of previous studies was collected to have a better understanding on how organizations can engage with African American youth with agriculture.  America is striving to supply a workforce that will be able to sustain an increase in agriculture production. As well as increasing our competitiveness in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).  As a result, organizations and institutions are aiming to recruit more students within the colleges of agriculture and related sciences. However, professionals must have a better understanding of the racial gaps in agriculture and STEM related fields to understand why there is underrepresentation in the workforce. 

Resources: Agriculture Recruitment Guide

Examining Career and Technical Education Administrators' Support of School-Based Agricultural Education Programs

Career Technical Education (CTE) programs require unique support compared to core curriculum classrooms as CTE programs have additional complexities such as facilities, student organizations, and Perkins Act funding. CTE administrators must remain aware ofchanges in education and business, industry, and labor market trends related to the programs they oversee. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how the leadership and technical practices of exemplar CTE administrators support School-based Agricultural Education (SBAE) programs in Florida. This study employed a qualitative exemplar case study design which explored a population of three CTE administrators on the district level in Florida who oversee agricultural education programs and directly contact SBAE teachers. An expert panel identified these administrators, and interviews were conducted. Deductive and inductive coding was utilized as part of thematic analysis. Several themes connected tothe conceptual framework emerged relating to leadership practices, program culture, and program effectiveness. Those interviewed indicated being servant leaders, havinga passion for helping teachers help students want their students to be prepared for the workforce, and doingwhat they can to create opportunities for their students. They support SBAE teachers and programs by being proactive in support, listening to their teachers’ needs, and focusing on the students' career preparation. We suggest furthering the research by interviewing SBAE teachers to understand their perspective on how they feel supported or want to be supported by their CTE administrator(s), asking the nominating panel why they nominated the interview CTE administrators and exploring a diverse population of CTE administrators.

Guest Speaker in Agricultural Education Module

One way to increase interest in any subject area is to expose students to outside sources of information. An excellent way to do this is to take students on a field trip where they can experience the area of focus firsthand. Although this is a great avenue of knowledge, implementing a field trip is not always a feasible option. The most prevalent limiting factors of a club or class disallowing a field trip to come to fruition are time and money. Busy schedules, extracurricular activities, and stringent curriculum standards make time away from the school campus more difficult to achieve. Likewise, rising fuel cost among other components creates a financial difficulty for schools taking trips. Due to these constraints, the option of having a special guest come to your school to speak to the students or demonstrate something becomes more prudent. The Guest Speaker in Agricultural Education module includes two sections of information to assist beginning teachers as well as provide seasoned teachers guidance they may have not otherwise considered while planning for guest speakers. In the first presentation, the benefits and importance of guest speakers in the classroom is discussed. The second presentation comprehensively outlines the procedures required to effectively prepare for a guest speaker. After completing the Guest Speaker in Agricultural Education module, teachers should feel more competent and confident about providing a way for students to facilitate their learning experience through a guest speaker.

Resources: Guest Checklist

Engagement Information

The Value of Industry Certifications as Perceived by the Students Who Earned Them

Industry certifications are credentials offered to students who complete secondary career and technical programs. Industry certifications help to address Florida’s need for a qualified workforce. This qualitative study examines the perceived value of industry certification from the student’s perspective. Other researchers have examined industry certifications in the past, but little is known of perceived value by the student. Wilcox (2006) asserted that industry certifications can serve as an assessment tool for teachers and prospective employers. Pollinard (2018) found that students were more likely to earn an industry certification if they had strong backgrounds in supervised agricultural experiences. Student perceived value is examined using Azjen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (1991). It was discovered that students see value in the knowledge attached to an industry certification and utilize industry certifications as resume builders. However, students need to have the value more clearly explained by the teacher in the program where they earn certification. Interviews were conducted with students who held various industry certifications earned through their respective career and technical education courses. Interviews were analyzed using a constant comparative analysis to identify themes. Based on the research, it is recommended that teachers at the local level do a better job explaining the value of these certifications. Activities such as mock interviews could help students better understand how to market the certification. It is also clear that industry certifications need to be better understood by industry. Students were aware that earning the certification meant additional funding for their school, and identified leaving a positive legacy was a key component of perceived value. Care should be taken to make sure that industry certifications being offered to students are testing competencies related to the field of work and that those competencies are readily transferrable to the workforce.   

Hurricane Michael: A case study on the aftermath of two tragic events on a high school in the Florida Panhandle

The purpose of this case study is for students to get a better understanding of the impacts a catastrophic hurricane can have on secondary agriculture education programs. The case study critically analyzes the lived experiences of the students and teachers through several leadership lens. The specific lens that are used in the case are the Four Frames of Leadership (Bolman & Deal, 2013). This theory is broken down into four leadership frames: structural, symbolic, human resource, and political. The world in which we live is complex and diverse, which makes looking at any situation through one lens incomplete. To get a holistic picture of what is truly happening it is important to look at each situation through multiple viewpoints (2013) which is what this case study aims to do with each of the specific catastrophes to impact this school. Each lens gives a more in depth look at how leadership was impacted and how it changed due to the two catastrophic events that impacted the school. This project additionally provides additional questions and assignments that aid the reader in comprehending and applying principles that the case highlights from the experiences of the participants of the study. 

Do leadership roles in student organizations impact student satisfaction with their higher education experience

Although there has been a focus on the impacts of cocurricular involvement on student outcomes at the collegiate level, research has yet to investigate the impacts that leadership roles within these organizations have on the satisfaction of the students with their entire educational experience. In this philosophical piece, I seek to establish a need for further research and guidelines for future studies to follow in order to accurately asses the impact that leadership roles have on student satisfaction within a university. This is done through a comprehensive literature review that provides a detailed account of previous research in the impacts of cocurricular involvement. The areas of interest outlined in the literature review were Leadership Identity Development, cognitive benefits, connectedness and sense of belonging, Academic impacts, and student satisfaction. This paper utilizes Astin’s theory of Student Involvement and the Social Change Model to set clear definitions for involvement and provide parameters for data collection. A conceptual model was provided that utilized the five contributing components of participation level, academic experience, home life, social life, and career goals to describe the student experience. 

TDigital Game-Based Learning in Extension: A Review of a Financial Learning Game Design

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Extension professionals were required to embrace digital technology as programming moved online (Fawcett et al., 2021; Israel et al., 2021).  Prior to the pandemic, research indicated that agents faced barriers to using instructional and communications technologies (ICTs) for delivering online education.  Barriers included technology access and skills, and lack of training and time to create educational materials (Beattie, 2021; Benge, 2011; Benge et al., 2021).  Digital game-based learning (DGBL) is one type of instructional technology that has been shown to be effective at engaging learners and achieving learning outcomes, but has not been widely utilized by Extension educators (Bunch et al., 2014; Bunch et al., 2015; Greipl et al., 2020; Hamari et al., 2014; Kapp, 2012; Landers et. al., 2019; Michael & Chen, 2005; O’Neill, 2008).  With the rapid growth in online Extension education, DGBL is an instructional method that needs to be in the Extension toolkit.  Some Extension faculty are leading the way to utilizing this new method of fulfilling the Extension mission to provide experiential learning to help people solve problems.  Further, there is evidence that when Extension educators receive professional development and support needed to incorporate DGBL, they report improved confidence and high likeliness to use DGBL  (Beattie, 2021; Benge et al., 2011; Benge et al., 2021; Bunch et al., 2014; Bunch et al., 2015; Erickson and Hansen, 2016; Erickson et al., 2019).    

 This project is a panel review of a digital financial education game by ten Extension faculty members.  Panelists were asked to consider if the game design met learning objectives, the appropriate audience and learning context, and if they would include the game in their programming. The main findings of the review are that the Extension financial educators agreed that the digital game achieved the learning objectives and that they would incorporate the game into their programming.  The majority of panelists agreed that Extension educators should receive professional development training in the use of DGBL. 

Animal Presence in the Classroom: Implementing a Dog Daycare in a School-Based Agricultural Education Program

Animals can bring excitement to the everyday lives of students. Animals can also affect student emotional health, mental strength and physical involvement. The purpose of this project was to provide agriculture educators with a professional development module that explains a step-by-step process for creating and implementing a successful hands-on dog daycare experience for their classroom. The module was designed to help teachers establish the supporting documents necessary to present the idea of starting a program at their school. An Electronic Data Information Source (EDIS) publication was also written to be a supporting document for this project. The EDIS publication shows the benefits and challenges of having an animal in the classroom, as well as the safety precautions that are suggested when working with animals. The resources provided in the workshop include: a program overview, cover letter to administration, letter of support, client information form, medical release document, group assignment chart and rubric outlines. By completing the module, the educator will be able to tailor the information to generate a program overview specific to their school’s situation.  

A Screening Tool to Determine Potential Master Gardener Volunteer Tenureship

Master Gardener Volunteers serve as a valued resource to carry out the mission and vision of the UF/IFAS Extension service. Due to increased program interest, limited training resources, and capacity limitations, it is critical for coordinators to discerningly choose participants for their volunteer program. After the initial training, the retention of active volunteers is one of the ongoing challenges of volunteer organizations, including the Florida MG Volunteer program. Lack of retention and short tenureship are due to multiple factors. Understanding what motivates volunteers to “effectively recruit, educate, and retain them” (Strong & Harder, 2011) can help Extension agents gain insight to address this challenge. 

The purpose of this project was three-fold: (1) Increase awareness about expectations for participating in the St. Lucie County Master Gardener Volunteer program (2) Obtain information about the volunteer motivations of participants who have expressed interest in the St. Lucie County Master Gardener Volunteer program, and (3) Determine the utility of survey questions for indicating likelihood of volunteer commitment of selected participants in the St. Lucie County Master Gardener Volunteer program. Included in this publication is the presentation of the results of a pilot test, with survey, to accomplish these objectives. An informational video and Qualtrics survey was created and reviewed by panel of Extension agents/MG volunteer coordinators, St. Lucie County MG Volunteers, and IRB. A pilot test of the video and survey was performed on an interest list of community participants (n=55), with a response rate of 22% (n=12).  The respondent group was scored against an ideal rubric with mean, median, and standard deviation of 83.8%, 82.1%, and 3.9 respectively. Objectives (1) and (2) were accomplished, further work and larger sample size will be required to completely evaluate the accomplishment of objective (3). 

Toxic Leadership Case Studies for Leadership Development Programs

Toxic leadership is a phrase that has been interchangeably used in academia with destructive leadership and bad leadership. A toxic culture roots from toxic leadership. There is literature on ethics and morals for leaders, many studies evaluating Hitler’s leadership traits, and even frames such as the toxic triangle to identify contributors to toxic culture -- however, there is a lack on the focus of followership when it comes to toxic leadership. Through observing a leader’s behavior, one can distinguish is a leader is intentionally or unintentionally being toxic. Marino (2020), addresses the questions “why do followers have such a hard time carrying out their end of the bargain when leaders have relinquished theirs? There are three main hindrances for followers who are wanting to do the right thing. These include: toxic systems, conscious and unconscious needs and fears, and beliefs held about what followership means.” Through these case studies, students will identify and describe the behavior of toxic leaders as well as the early indicators of a toxic leader. Additionally, applying the Toxic Triangle to real-life scenarios will be essential to better understand why followers submit to toxic leadership for as long as they do. All in all, students can synthesis leadership potential and potential for toxic leadership in their workplace. Case studies and dialogue, we can better understand why followers experience hindrance from leaving that environment.

The Benefits of Extension Program Area Specialization: A Look at Client Satisfaction and Outcomes

UF/IFAS Extension strives to meet the needs and expectations of the diverse and modern clientele it serves and does this in part through the specialization of program areas. The quality of services and additional outcomes provided by the UF/IFAS Extension service has been measured every year since 1997 using the Client Experience Survey and previous studies using this survey have focused on Extension at the state level. While Extension continues to exceed its 92% satisfaction performance standard, this project sought to examine the same benchmarks across six of the largest program areas: 4-H Youth Development, Community Resource Development, Family & Consumer Sciences, Agriculture, Horticulture, and Natural Resources. This study utilizes 5,441 responses from the 2016 through 2020 surveys and focused on three main areas of response relating to satisfaction, outcomes, and benefits. Initial analysis explored potential relationships with both program area and type of contact with Extension (office visit, planned program, phone, or email). Additional analyses elaborated on those relationships with client demographics. This study found the specialization of program area to influence how clients perceive various benefits related to their Extension experience. The strongest associations existed between Agriculture and clients’ perception of an increased income as well as both 4-H Youth Development and Natural Resources on the development of leadership or volunteer skills. The relationships between all five perceived benefits and program area as outlined in this study can be used by Extension professionals to better understand current gaps in client perception and to better focus its communication.

Overcoming Challenges

 Agriculture teachers have faced many challenges including time management, stress, and managing a work/life balance. The purpose of this project was to provide a professional development workshop for agriculture teachers to help them overcome these job-related challenges. This workshop was designed to help teachers identify their greatest challenges and create a plan of action to overcome them. In addition, it provided teachers with the opportunity to reflect on motivation, challenges that were experienced in their role as an agricultural educator, and the opportunity to collaborate with their peers. Workshop participants were categorized into groups by career stage to identify common challenges as well as solutions for those with similar work experience. A whole group discussion allowed teachers of all career stages to provide personal anecdotes and provide solutions that worked for them as well as resources that were helpful in overcoming specific challenges. The workshop activities were focused on the identification of their most prominent challenge and implementing a strategy to minimize this obstacle. Skills developed by teachers to minimize their greatest challenges helped prepare new and current teachers for success and increased job satisfaction. The resources needed for this workshop included: the Overcoming Challenges workshop outline, Overcoming Challenges PowerPoint presentation, the Overcoming Challenges Notes Packet, as well as flip chart paper, markers/writing utensils, and sticky notes. 

Including Individuals with Special Needs in the Garden

There are limited resources available on how to properly includes participants with special needs in a garden setting. This is necessary for extension agents, teachers, volunteer leaders, and parents to safely and adequately create successful programs, lessons or activities in a garden setting for individuals with special needs. EDIS documents are Electronic Data Information Source sheets provided by UF IFAS that cover a wide range of topics. This EDIS document series includes an introduction document, one covering safety and accessibility, and a document with instruction styles and program examples. Preparing for these documents involved expertise from working with students with special needs in a garden setting, advice from Special Education teachers, and compiling a description of an accessible garden similar to one in Gainesville, FL. The introduction document provides information on the different types of disabilities, introduces the topic to the reader and shows the outline and summary of the future documents. The Accessibility and Safety document includes how to design an accessible garden, practice safety with tools and equipment, and implement extra safety measures that need to be put in place for participants with special needs. These tips will be helpful to an Extension agent, teacher, or parent who would like to create a garden or teaching area in a way that is accessible and safe for everyone. The last document is about conducting educational programs for participants with special needs. It includes two sections: instruction style and potential programs. The instruction style section has advice from Special Education teachers that have taught in garden settings. The potential programs section goes into detail about two programs/activities that have been successful when working with participants with special needs in a garden setting. In conclusion, these documents will provide information for readers to create an accessible and safe environment with appropriate and fun activities for the participants.

Properly Preparing for a Substitute as an Agricultural Educator

Substitutes are implemented within an agricultural education classroom multiple times a year. Whether it is for an FFA event, meeting, or illness, being absent can be quite stressful for the educator, especially if they are not prepared. While the average teacher misses only eight days of school a year, the past two years have drastically shown the importance of being prepared for a substitute due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this project is to help new agricultural educators properly prepare for absences from their classrooms. This project is an addition to a survival guide that is being developed for new agricultural educators and this portion will focus on being properly prepared for a substitute. The module will show new educators the importance of being prepared for their absence in the classroom, as well as, providing guidance in preparing for that absence. 

Resources: How to Properly Prepare for a Substitute

Importance of Preparing for a Substitute

Sub-Folder Check List

Floral Design Demonstration Tutorials

Floral Design is a topic that can be incorporated into a variety of agriculture education courses, to include Introduction to Agriculture, Horticulture, or even a full Floral Design course. This module includes ten demonstrations that begin with introductory skills and build up to larger projects. The ten demonstrations are broken down into three different levels of difficulty. Level one topics include Proper Use of Floral Wire, Floral Wiring Techniques, and Bow Making. Level two topics cover Boutonniere Assembly, Wrist Corsage Assembly, and Standard Bud Vase Arrangements. Level three topics include four topics: Milkshake Arrangement, Mound Arrangement, A-dog-able Arrangement, and Presentation Bouquets. While the tutorials are designed to build on each other, they also can each stand alone for individual projects. The projects created in each module were selected carefully, as each covers a topic that may serve a purpose outside of the agriculture classroom to a full agriculture classroom. Whether it be using the Presentation Bouquet tutorial to create bouquets for the school Homecoming Court or using the Mound Arrangement tutorial to create centerpieces for your Annual Chapter Banquet, each project has a purpose. Each tutorial includes a complete material list and presentations showing step-by-step directions complete with pictures. At the end of each presentation a class material list for 20 students can be found convenience. 

Resources: Floral Design Demonstration Tutorial Assignment

Promoting Emerging Learning Techniques In An Online Science Communication and Education Community of Practice

This non-thesis project focuses on creating Streaming Science-branded instructional guides and videos for emerging educational techniques of Adobe Spark Pages and Podcasts. The products developed for this project fed into the larger goal of creating a healthy community of science educators. This community exists in the Google Suite's Google Classroom application. By utilizing this resource, Streaming Science is creating a "community of Practice" for science educators, communicators, and Extension educators, with resources focused on employing emerging instructional techniques and technologies. The assets of this project cover topics of engaging students, planning, equipment, recording and editing, growing audiences, storytelling, and photography. These completed project materials serve a clear purpose to aid in Streaming Science's mission to introduce science topics to the public through technology and emerging communications techniques. Streaming Science receives frequent inquiries from grade school educators, university staff, adult learners, and extension personnel about building Adobe Spark Pages and podcasts. Although Streaming Science has simple guides to address these topics, the project assets provide comprehensive resources. Ultimately, this makes fielding inquiries less time consuming, while providing greater value for the Streaming Science audience. Although the non-thesis project is an academic exercise, the execution of the project resembled a real-world scenario of providing media assets for a client, which is often required in a marketing and communications career. 

Resources: Project Guide Links

Podcast Startup Guide

Comprehensive Study Guide for the National FFA Forestry Career Development Event

Agriculture teachers are continually faced with a seemingly never-ending to-do list. For both new and seasoned teachers alike, training students to competitively participate in a Career Development Event (CDE) is an overwhelming task. In order to generate quality study materials, tens of hours of preparation is needed. Consider that students are going to want to participate in more than just one CDE, and the amount of time needed to adequately prepare becomes more daunting. While various study materials are available online, many times, these are outdated and only include low-resolution images. Generally speaking, quality study materials are not as freely shared as to not give another school a one-up over another team. The overarching mission of this project is to provide a one-stop shop product for Agriculture teachers nationwide that they can download to gain instant access to high quality study materials that will make their respective teams competitive in the Forestry CDE. All materials in this guide are directly aligned with the National FFA Forestry CDE guidelines. Self-graded tests are included so that teachers can instantly see where their teams need additional practice. 

Resources: References for the Final Project

The Agricultural Educator's Guide: To Effective Online Learning

During the 2020 worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. agricultural educators faced the challenge of transitioning their traditional hands-on classroom environment to that of a virtual one. Agricultural educators are currently facing challenges that involve keeping student engagement, creating lessons for virtual learners, understanding how to use online platforms, keeping virtual FFA members engaged, and providing guidance to the enrichment of student Supervised Agricultural Experiences. 

The purpose of this guide is to provide agricultural educators with a basis in which they can begin planning for online instruction, FFA activities, and student Supervised Agricultural Experiences. This guide is based on the three circle model of agricultural education in which each component of the model is connected and equally crucial to the total secondary agricultural program. This guide aims to discuss each part of the three circle model in detail and provide agricultural educators tips and resources for how to effectively integrate each part of the three circle model of agricultural education into virtual learning. 

Resources: The Agricultural Educator's Guide: To Effective Online Learning