TAMUK will use $975,314 grant to support “GO START NOW” USDA Program
U.S Department of Agriculture
WASHINGTON (News Release) – The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Jewel Bronaugh, along with USDA leadership, met today with representatives from Hispanic-serving Institutions to launch the first in a series of virtual roundtable engagement sessions with Minority-serving Institutions and Land-grant Universities serving underrepresented students.
USDA leaders emphasized their commitment to advancing investments in innovative research and partnerships with academic institutions critical to building an agricultural workforce and research infrastructure that meet the needs of the diverse populations we serve.
Texas A&M (Kingsville) will use its $975,314 grant to support its “GO START NOW” (Getting Occupational Student Training in Agricultural Research Through Novel Workshops) project. Through this project students are exposed experiential based learning and partnerships with USDA researchers. Project activities will improve the food and agricultural-science education by exposing students to novel experiences unavailable within the traditional classroom. Many of the students in this program are first generation college students.
“We recognize and value the multifaceted contributions of our nation’s Hispanic-serving Institutions, which educate more than 3.2 million students every year across the country. USDA has the great privilege of partnering with Hispanic-serving Institutions, and Minority-serving Institutions as a whole, to advance scientific research, develop future agricultural leaders and, we hope, cultivate the next generation of USDA employees,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
As part of this virtual roundtable engagement session today, USDA announced an investment of $12 million to Hispanic-serving Institutions of higher education to strengthen their ability to attract, retain and graduate underrepresented students pursuing careers in agriculture, natural resources and human sciences.
USDA awarded this funding through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Hispanic-serving Institutions Education Grants Program that enhances student learning experiences and opportunities across the agriculture sector.
The announcement includes investments in institutions located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Puerto Rico and Texas.
View the full list of funded Hispanic-serving Institutions Education Grants projects on the NIFA website: https://go.usa.gov/xFkbA.