[CED/CD/EAT] Fwd: 2020 USDA-NIFA Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program w/Closing Date: June 4, 2020

[Silvertooth, Jeffrey C - (silverto)]

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From: Gonzalez Jr., Roberto - OPPE, Calexico, CA <roberto.gonzalez at usda.gov>
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Subject: [EXT]2020 USDA-NIFA Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program w/Closing Date: June 4, 2020


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2020 USDA-NIFA Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program

The purpose is to increase knowledge of agriculture and improve the nutritional health of children. The primary goals are to:

1. Increase capacity for food, garden, and nutrition education within host organizations or entities and school cafeterias and in the classroom;

2. Complement and build on the efforts of the farm to school programs;

3. Complement efforts by the Department and school food authorities to implement the school lunch programs and the school breakfast program;

4. Carry out activities that advance the nutritional health of children and nutrition education in elementary schools and secondary schools; and

5. Foster higher levels of community engagement and support the expansion of national service and volunteer opportunities.



Application is limited to the following groups: colleges and universities; university research foundations; other research institutions and organizations; state agricultural experiment stations; Federal agencies; national laboratories; private organizations, foundations, or corporations; individuals; or any group consisting of two or more entities described herein.  The eligibility requirements are limited to the applicant. Project partners and collaborators need not meet the eligibility requirements.  Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the successful completion of the project.



No Match Required: There is no matching requirement.



Closing Date: June 4, 2020



Applicants should request a budget commensurate with the proposed project. No single award may exceed $225,000 for project periods for up to 2 years.



Project Summary/Abstract must show how the project goals align with the primary goals.  Project Narrative must not exceed 10 (1.5 spaced) pages of written text and up to 5 (1.5 spaced) additional pages for figures and tables.



View Grant Opportunity: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=325889



This program is intended to increase knowledge of agriculture and improve the nutritional health of children, and to bring together stakeholders from the distinct parts of the food system to increase the capacity for food, garden, and nutrition education within host organizations or entities, such as school cafeterias and classrooms, while fostering higher levels of community engagement between farms and school systems. The initiative is part of a broader effort to not only increase access to school meals for low-income children, but also to dramatically improve their quality.



The development of leadership skills, knowledge, and qualities are necessary to prepare students for agricultural and related careers in the private sector, government, and academia. Teaching applications must demonstrably incorporate a leadership development component to equip students with technical and leadership abilities upon graduation.  Specific activities may include:

1. Developing practical applications to increase understanding of leadership roles, including critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills; ethics and professionalism; and working in teams;

2. Connecting the academic classroom experiences with daily leadership roles and organizational activities;

3. Providing opportunities for mentoring and shadowing; and

4. Organizing leadership academies, workshops, trainings, etc.



- Applicants must propose a Food and Agriculture Service Implementation Project.  Food and Agriculture Service Implementation Projects are intended for eligible applicants to scale up or further develop existing farm to school initiatives and other food and agriculture experiential learning initiatives within a distinct area of communities and schools in a State or region. Applicants should also add to existing activities or include new activities such as training and technical assistance, evaluation activities, curriculum development, or incorporate farm to school strategies in trainings and professional opportunities along with working closely with agricultural producers in the local and regional areas.



Preference will be given to applicants who submit Food and Agriculture Service Implementation Projects meeting priorities that:

1. Hold a proven track record in carrying out the purposes described;

2. Work in underserved rural and urban communities;

3. Teach and engage children in experiential learning about agriculture, gardening, nutrition, cooking, and where food comes from; and

4. Facilitate a connection between elementary schools and secondary schools and agricultural producers in the local and regional area.



Food and agriculture service learning activities supported by Food and Agriculture Service Implementation grants may include, but are not limited to:

1. Expanding farm to school programs beyond lunch to bring local or regional products into the School Breakfast program;

2. Operating service projects (e.g. AmeriCorps, VISTA, Food Corps, local service corps programs, etc.) that support farm to school initiatives in schools;

3. Readying producers to participate in the school food market by providing training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and other food safety-related topics;

4. Providing technical support in the form of face-to-face trainings, consultations, webinars, etc.;

5. Developing promotional campaigns in support of farm to school initiatives;

6. Expanding strategic planning efforts to expand or coordinate efforts across multiple districts;

7. Conducting farm to school evaluation efforts;

8. Establishing new or strengthening existing community partnerships (e.g. working with personnel to identify appropriate suppliers, etc.);

9. Encouraging increased consumption of fruits and vegetables through promotional activities, taste tests, and other activities;

10.Expanding experiential or agriculture-based learning opportunities, such as the creation of school gardens, support to ag/food clubs, or increased exposure to on-farm activities; and,

11.Developing and evaluating integrated curriculum to reinforce food and nutrition-based learning throughout the school environment.



All projects must involve underserved rural and urban communities and facilitate a connection between elementary schools and secondary schools with agricultural producers in the local and regional area.



Applicants are encouraged to seek and create partnerships with public or private, nonprofit or for-profit entities, including links with academic institutions (including minority-serving colleges and universities), and/or other appropriate professionals, community-based organizations, school districts, and local and state government entities.



FOR EXAMPLE

ACCESSION NO: 1020470 SUBFILE: CRIS
PROJ NO: VT.W-2019-04303 AGENCY: NIFA VT.W
PROJ TYPE: OTHER GRANTS PROJ STATUS: NEW
CONTRACT/GRANT/AGREEMENT NO: 2019-70026-30479 PROPOSAL NO: 2019-04303
START: 01 SEP 2019 TERM: 31 AUG 2021
GRANT AMT: $182,632 GRANT YR: 2019
AWARD TOTAL: $182,632
INITIAL AWARD YEAR: 2019

INVESTIGATOR: Nelson, A.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
NORTHEAST ORGANIC FARMING ASSOCIATION OF VERMONT
14 PLEASANT ST
RICHMOND, VERMONT 054773004

EMBEDDING & SUSTAINING FARM TO SCHOOL SUCCESSES IN RURAL, LOW-INCOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: As of 2019, our estimated population is 624,263 with our largest city with 42,000. Thus, we are a very rural state with schools very spread out. VT children, even in the most rural parts of our state, are disconnected from our local food system. One in four VT teens are overweight or obese, which leads to serious health issues later in life. Farm to school (FTS) enriches the connections communities have with fresh, healthy food and local food producers by changing food purchasing and education practices at schools. It is place-based work that encompasses a wide variety of activities, from connecting children with farms, to school gardens to local food procurement, and engages diverse audiences ranging from students to businesses along the supply chain. Vermont is an early leader in FTS and has been supporting schools across the state for nearly twenty years to engage in activities related to agriculture, food, health, and nutrition. While many Vermont schools engage in some level of FTS activity, most schools - particularly in rural and isolated parts of the state - struggle to sustain and expand efforts into stable, fully realized FTS and nutrition education programs. School districts overseeing education in rural regions face many challenges: schools are often small and geography dispersed making economies of scale difficult, staff resources are limited, and there is a general lack of funding for ongoing training for key personnel. This two-year project offers a rural, district-level approach to engaging local agriculture, community resources, integrating local and whole foods into school meal programs, and scaling up FTS in underserved districts that face numerous challenges to recent consolidation of independently operated schools. Statewide partners Shelburne Farms, Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT), and Hunger Free Vermont (HFVT) will build the capacity of the community partners (Green Mountain Farm to School, Vital Communities) to successfully deliver FTS programming directly to the school districts' staff. This constellation of experienced statewide and community partners will provide "wrap-around" training and targeted technical assistance in two school districts to develop best practices for creating sustained change. Focusing at the district level, partners and schools will address all aspects of what it takes to build successful and professional school meal programs, agricultural connections with effective FTS programming. The partners will work with the districts to foster higher levels of community engagement and engage children in experiential learning about agriculture, gardening, nutrition, cooking, and where food comes from. In our twenty years of supporting schools with FTS, we have seen first-hand the power that experiential learning has on transforming student engagement, in particular when they get to meet directly with farmers. The lessons learned through the grant will be shared nationally with practitioners looking to scale up FTS in their states.

OBJECTIVES: The overarching project is for these PreK-12 grade districts to develop strong relationships with local farmers, both for procurement and for strengthening agricultural literacy and community connections; engage students in experiential learning about food and agriculture including nutrition, gardening/food production, preparation and cooking, and tasting; and expand access to school meal programs that incorporate local foods. Goal 1:Increase the capacity of schools and districts to engage children in experiential learning about food and agriculture including nutrition, gardening/food production, preparation and cooking, and tasting within the broader context of integrated Cafeteria, Classroom and Community FTS programming. Goal 2:Strengthen the relationships between schools and local farmers and producers. Goal 3:Increase school/district capacity to procure, prepare, and serve local foods Goal 4: Advance the nutritional health of children through assessment of the districts' specific needs and develop customized training plan (through the School Nutrition Leadership Academy) in order to implement successful school lunch and breakfast programs. Goal 5: Increase the number and quality of partnerships between schools and community members and organizations. Goal 6: Increase capacity of community partners to provide direct delivery of food, farm, and nutrition education as well as professional development and technical assistance to teachers, school nutrition personnel, and school and district level leaders and administrators.

APPROACH: Farm to School Institute: Managed by Shelburne Farms with NOFA-VT, for 9 years has helped school and community teams work together to create a culture of wellness, improve food access, engage students and strengthen local food systems. The Institute brings school teams together for a three-day retreat to build relationships, skills, and a collaborative FTS action plan for their schools. Then, with the support of a coach, they spend the school year putting their plans into action and strengthening their capacity to impact classrooms, cafeterias and communities long into the future. The Institute has helped 97 schools and districts in the Northeast build enduring Farm to School programs, reaching 102,000 students. Our targeted school districts will participate in the FTS Institute in 2020, which will provide a 3-day professional development training that includes assessing current programming and developing a FTS action plan for the school year that includes curriculum integration; local procurement; cooking from scratch; expanding and strengthening school nutrition programs; strengthening outreach and communications; identifying ways to engage their communities. Community partners will serve as school coaches during the Institute and throughout the school year to reinforce the professional development and training and guide the district through its action plan, address challenges, maintain momentum, help connect to resources. Additional FTS curriculum workshops will be conducted within each district, customized to the Elementary and Secondary curricular needs. School Nutrition Leadership Academy: HFVT, VT FEED and the School Nutrition Association of Vermont (SNA-VT) developed this customized training and technical assistance program for districts in the process of consolidating their food service programs. The targeted districts will receive integrated training in school meal program finances, menu planning, and marketing with training in local food procurement and tracking, providing an enduring foundation for the expansion of farm to school efforts in the cafeteria and beyond at a district-wide level. Investing in stronger more viable meal programs while developing scratch cooking and local procurement, expands participation which improves financial viability and gives programs more dollars to buy local food. This creates a cycle that continues to improve meal quality and participation, translating to more students accessing healthy local food at school. (see Prospectus in 'Other Attachments')Outreach/connections to local farmers - Partnerswill reach out to producers in the targeted regions, providing training and support to: sell to schools and other institutions, develop successful CSA's and farmers market sales, how to conduct successful farm field trips and classroom lessons. supporting food access initiatives in direct markets. The community partners for this proposal will be in the districts helping with local food procurement from the areas' small farms and farm-visits and engaging the communities. Schools and collaborating partners will work with the University of Vermont Extension to evaluate our approach to building sustainable district wide FTS programs and gain a research-based understanding of the effectiveness of district-level interventions in providing strong and lasting benefits to students. A resulting set of best practices for community service providers will be developed that can be transferred to partners working in other rural communities throughout Vermont.

ACCESSION NO: 1017481 SUBFILE: CRIS
PROJ NO: PR.W-2018-05945 AGENCY: NIFA PR.W
PROJ TYPE: OTHER GRANTS PROJ STATUS: NEW
CONTRACT/GRANT/AGREEMENT NO: 2018-70026-28940 PROPOSAL NO: 2018-05945
START: 01 SEP 2018 TERM: 31 AUG 2020 FY: 2018
GRANT AMT: $213,831 GRANT YR: 2018
AWARD TOTAL: $213,831
INITIAL AWARD YEAR: 2018

INVESTIGATOR: Morales-Agrinzoni, C. R.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
SISTEMA UNIVERSITARIO ANA G. MENDEZ, INC.
ANA G MENDEZ AVE 8
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO 00928

CATAÑO COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS AGRICULTURAL-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCE PROJECT

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Universidad Metropolitana (UMET), a Hispanic Serving Agricultural College and University (HSACU) in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is submitting this two-year regular project to implement an agriculture-based learning educational community model to increase the knowledge of agriculture and improve the nutritional health of underserved communities and local schools in the Cataño municipality. The project will affect two underserved communities in Cataño, William Fuertes and Cucharillas, and two public schools, Francisco Oller-High School and Onofre Carballeira- Middle School. The goals are: a) implement an agriculture-based learning educational community model; b) increase the community and students' knowledge in agriculture, gardening and nutrition; c) improve the teaching skills of public schools teachers from 6th to 12th grades and increase their knowledge in gardening, agriculture and nutrition; and to d) improve the nutritional health of underserved communities and local schools. To achieve this goal project intends to: 1) develop a collaborative partnership network comprised by a school district, two local community schools (middle and high school), two universities, various local community-based NGOs, an agriculture state agency, farms and agricultural NGOs initiatives, to implement an agriculture-based learning educational community model; 2) increase the capacity for food, garden, and nutrition education in the schools and the communities creating one school garden in Onofre Carballeira-middle School and one community aquaponics orchard in William Fuerte community; 3) engage 19 Cataño communities, 30 public school teachers from 6th to 12th grades from the Onofre Carballeira- Middle School and the Francisco Oller-High School, and25 students, 9th to 12th grades, from the Culinary Arts Vocational program at the Francisco Oller high school in agriculture-based learning experiences to improve their knowledge in agriculture and nutritional health, and encourage their consumption of fruits and vegetables; and 4) develop and publish an educational activity guide with curriculum resources in agriculture-based learning experiences to incorporate farm to schools strategies in trainings and professional opportunities.

OBJECTIVES: The goals of this project, which will affect communities and public schools in the Cataño municipality in Puerto Rico, are to: a) implement an agriculture-based learning educational community model; b) increase the community and students' knowledge in agriculture, gardening and nutrition; c) improve the teaching skills of public schools teachers from 6th to 12th grades and increase their knowledge in gardening, agriculture and nutrition; and to d) improve the nutritional health of underserved communities and local schools. This goals can still be accomplished with the reduced funding.

APPROACH: To effectively carry out the goals of this project, the SEA-UMET reached out to 13 entities to form a strong collaborative partnership network. The development of collaborative partnerships is one of the best practices that the SEA implement in its projects. The role of each one is key to achieve the goals.The project will be evaluated by an external evaluator using the logic model presented in the attachment section and will be measured by process indicators and outcomes indicators to determine the best practices and lessons learned. The process indicators will be: (1) number of active partners developing projects activities; (2) number of participant teachers that complete the workshops and the agriculture-based learning experience; (3) number of agriculture-based learning experience developed during the workshops as part of the teaching training (curriculum resources); (4) number of public high schools students participating in the agriculture-based learning experience on farm and lectures; (5) number of persons participating in the agriculture fair Placita Viva; (6) number of local farms and producers participating in the agriculture fair Placita Viva; (7) number of activities and participants in vegetables and fruits taste test during the agriculture fair Placita Viva; (8) number of nutrition talks and participants during the agriculture fair Placita Viva; (9) number of activities developed by teachers in schools gardens; and (10) community orchard and school garden production. The outcomes indicators will be: (1) % of participant teachers that improve their knowledge of agriculture, gardening and nutrition; (2) % of participant teachers that integrate school gardens and farms concepts in their classes; (3) number of educational activity guides with curriculum resources in agriculture-based learning experiences developed by participant teachers in the classroom; and (4) impact of agriculture-based learning experiences activities in the consumption of fruit and nutrition health in students.The evaluation methodology includes an extensive implementation and process analysis. The implementation and process analysis will use project documents, project observation, informal interviews with participants during activities, and visits to participating schools for on-site observation of project operations. During the site visits, structured interviews will be conducted with project staff and a sample of the school administrators. For the impact analysis, the following will complete the evaluation process: (1) instrument data collection will be identified or developed; (2) data collection procedures will be conducted; (3) results will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics; (4) Educational Activity Guide with curriculum resources in agriculture-based learning experiences will be developed with place-based lessons and activities conceptualized and written by the participating teachers and environmental educational non-profit organizations of the project; (5) final report on the evaluation results will be prepared; 6) results will be shared with the participating schools, partners and communities to disseminate the project outcomes and best practices.




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