[CED/CD/EAT] Fwd: 2021 USDA-NIFA Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program (SPECA)

Thu Mar 26 19:26:08 MST 2020

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From: Gonzalez Jr., Roberto - OPPE, Calexico, CA <roberto.gonzalez at usda.gov>
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2020 6:28:16 PM
To: Ogden, Kimberly L - (ogden) <ogden at arizona.edu>; Burgess, Shane C - (shaneburgess) <sburgess at cals.arizona.edu>; Hunt, James E - (jeh) <JHunt at ag.arizona.edu>; Pawar, Sangita C - (sangita) <sangita at arizona.edu>; Mester, John Clark - (jmester) <jmester at arizona.edu>; Patten, Kim J - (kjpatten) <kjpatten at arizona.edu>; Coffey, Courtney - (ccoffey) <ccoffey at arizona.edu>; Silvertooth, Jeffrey C - (silverto) <Silver at ag.arizona.edu>
Subject: [EXT]2021 USDA-NIFA Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program (SPECA)

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A SPECA-funded project must focus on any of the K-14 grade levels, to identify and address challenges facing the food, agricultural, natural resources and human (FANH) sciences education, the talent pipeline for the workforce begins well before college admission and a focus on secondary programs holds tremendous potential to increase not only the number, but the diversity of students entering baccalaureate programs.

Accordingly, SPECA-funded project activities shall support the creation, adaptation, and adoption of learning materials and teaching strategies to operationalize what we know about how students learn.  SPECA-funded projects shall also focus on imparting both technical knowledge as well as ‘soft’ skills such as communication, team work, and problem solving, as these are abilities expected by employers.

The purpose of the SPECA program is to award grants to:

1. Enhance the quality of K-14 instruction in order to help meet current and future national food, agricultural, natural resources, and human (FANH) sciences workplace needs;

2. Increase the number and diversity of students who will pursue and complete a 2 or 4-year degree in the food, agricultural, natural resources and human (FANH) sciences.

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. SPECA 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 experience with daily leadership roles and organizational activities;

3. Providing opportunities for mentoring and shadowing; and

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

The SPECA Program supports social and behavioral science disciplines. SPECA projects that integrate social and biological sciences to provide experiential learning opportunities for students in applied research and related community development programs are encouraged. Incorporation of social and behavioral sciences is important for addressing many of the challenges facing agriculture and rural communities, such as increasing demand for food production in the face of limited natural resources; improving health and reducing obesity by engaging in heathy lifestyles and consuming heathy diets; and alleviating poverty by fostering economic opportunity.

Eligibility Requirements: Applications may only be submitted by: (1) public secondary schools, (2) public or private nonprofit junior and community colleges, (3) institutions of higher education, or (4) nonprofit organizations.

Cost Sharing or Matching: No Match Required -SPECA has NO matching requirement. USDA-NIFA will not factor matching resources into the review process as an evaluation criterion.

View RFA: https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/rfa/rfa-20191206-SPECA.pdf

Application Deadline: February 04, 2021

Grant Duration: 24-36 months

Maximum Award Amount: Regular Grant: $50,000 | Collaborative Type 1 Grant: $150,000 | Collaborative Type 2 Grant: $300,000

When preparing a SPECA-funded project, the rationale for choosing a particular Educational Need Area must be explained in the context of how the project can contribute to the development of a cadre of students who will either pursue higher degrees in the food, agricultural, natural resources and human (FANH) sciences or be prepared to enter the workforce.

Educational Need Areas for the SPECA program are:

1. Curriculum Development, Instructional Delivery Systems, and Expanding Student Career Opportunities. To promote new and improved curricula and materials to increase the quality of, and continuously renew, the Nation's K-14 academic programs in the food, agricultural, natural resources and human (FANH) sciences. Projects shall stimulate the development and facilitate the use of exemplary education models and materials that incorporate the most recent advances in subject matter research, research on teaching and learning theory, and instructional technology.

Examples of eligible projects in this Need Area may include, but are not limited to, the following strategies:

a. The development of innovative course content, including innovative ways to integrate scientific research experiences into K-14 curricula;

b. The use of new approaches to the study of traditional subjects or the introduction of new food, agricultural, natural resources and human (FANH) sciences subjects;

c. Hands-on learning experiences and methods to extend learning beyond the classroom and provide students with opportunities to solve complex problems in the context of real-world situations;

d. Opportunities for students to complete apprenticeships, internships, career mentoring experiences, or other participatory learning experiences. Targeted summer programs providing a bridge to 4-year food, agricultural, natural resources and human (FANH) sciences degrees for underrepresented high school students are encouraged; and

e. Creating career placement or higher education academic counseling activities to encourage graduates to pursue postsecondary food, agricultural, natural resources and human (FANH) sciences degrees.

2. Faculty Preparation and Enhancement for Teaching. To advance faculty development in the areas of teaching competency, subject matter expertise, pedagogy, responsiveness to changes in student demographic composition and learning styles, and student recruitment and advising skills. Training of targeted faculty recipients must be relevant to the identified educational needs of the students, who will be the beneficiaries of such faculty development.

Examples of eligible projects in this Need Area may include, but not limited to, the following strategies:

a. Engaging graduate students enrolled in agricultural education degree program (and/or existing faculty in agricultural education) to more effectively interact with K-14 food, agricultural, natural resources and human (FANH) sciences;

b. Creating assessments that document student learning outcomes or that identify conceptual areas or skills particularly challenging to students, followed by appropriate changes in instructional approaches to effectively address these issues; and

c. Exploring web-based approaches for faculty professional development.

3. Facilitating Interaction with other Academic Institutions. To promote K14 focused activities that form linkages between secondary, 2-year postsecondary, and baccalaureate degree-granting institutions to maximize the use of resources supporting outstanding education in the food, agricultural, natural resources and human (FANH) sciences. Activities should focus on ensuring completion of secondary degrees, enrollment into postsecondary programs and/or transfer to a 4-year institution. Partnerships, collaborative arrangements, and shared resources between institutions (including course credit sharing arrangements) are encouraged. Examples of projects strategies include:

a. Development and use of articulation agreements, 2+2 or 2+2+2 arrangements (policies and programs designed to foster credit transfer between high schools, community colleges, and four-year institutions), advanced placement credit transfer, or the sharing of faculty and facilities;

b. A project that focuses on developing and implementing comprehensive, multi institutional practices proven to recruit and retain K-14 level students with a focus on cultivating those students to pursue a postsecondary food, agricultural, natural resources and human (FANH) sciences degree; and

c. A project that will result in establishing and implementing programs or procedures (faculty sharing, articulation agreements, electronic exchange of coursework, etc.) to disseminate curricula, instructional methods, or training practices to faculty across the state or region.

The following describes the types of projects or grants that are eligible for funding:

1. Project Types. Applicants must propose one of three types of projects: Regular, Collaborative Type 1, or Collaborative Type II.

a. Regular Project

i. Applicants may request up to $50,000 (total, not per year) for a Regular Grant.

ii. Applicant executes the project without the requirement of sharing grant funds with other project partners.

b. Collaborative Grant Type 1 (CG1) (Applicant + One or more Partners)

i. Applicants may request up to $150,000 (total, not per year) for a Collaborative Grant Type 1 (CG1) project.

ii. Applicant executes the project with assistance from at least one additional partner. The partners must share grant funds.

c. Collaborative Grant Type 2 (CG2) (Applicant + Two or more Partners)

i. Applicants may request up to $300,000 (total, not per year) for a Collaborative Grant Type 2 (CG2) project.

ii. Applicant executes the project with assistance from at least two additional partners. The additional partners must share grant funds.

iii. A CG2 project differs from a CG1 in project scope and impact. CG2 projects must support a multi-partner approach to solving a major state or regional challenge in food, agricultural, natural resources and human (FANH) sciences education at K-14 grade levels. CG2 projects are characterized by multiple partners (each providing a specific expertise) organized and led by a strong applicant with documented project management knowledge and skills to organize and carry out the initiative.

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