Hartnell University won a $9.5 million federal grant, part of a $262.5 million investment by the USDA to fund higher education for low-income and disadvantaged communities. The project aims to promote high-skilled agriculture-related careers for Latino students.
Titled “Learning Leadership at Hartnell University: A Career Path That Supports Greenery in America,” the project is a partnership with Imperial Valley College, California State University-Monterey Bay, and the University of Arizona, Yuma. is. Partner institutions are interconnected through deep educational, economic, agribusiness and cultural ties. The Salinas Valley and Imperial Valley Yuma regions have reciprocal farming seasons, providing a year-round supply of leafy greens and freshly cut vegetables to the United States and abroad.
The project features extensive outreach and engagement by high school students. Students receive their first two years of instruction through one of our partner community colleges, after which they can transfer to one of our four-year colleges for a degree. The program is designed to facilitate multiple on/off ramps for students to acquire the necessary skills, earn a certificate or degree, and transition to a four-year program.
“This is the largest grant in the history of the university,” said Michelle Peregrine, director of grant development and innovation at Hartnell University, in a prepared statement.
The four institutions will focus on building and retaining the future food and agricultural science workforce. The grant project expands existing student support and career development programs for students pursuing his four Agriculture Degree/Transfer Courses in Agribusiness Management, Agricultural Food Safety, Agricultural Plant Science, and Industrial Automation/Mechatronics.
grants help students
Hartnell grants will enroll more than 850 eligible students over the five years of the grant, increasing qualification rates by 10%, including certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degrees. More than half of the grant will be donated directly to students as internship scholarships and scholarships.
Hartnell University and three funding partners are accredited Hispanic service institutions located in two of the nation’s most productive agricultural regions: the 1,000-square-mile Salinas Valley, the 500-square-mile Imperial Valley, and the 280-square-mile Imperial Valley (HSI). Mile Yuma County Agricultural Area.
“This NEXTGEN grant puts us in a strategic position to shape future generations of farmers and scientists in the Salinas Valley and Imperial/Yuma region,” said Hartnell University Dean of Academic Affairs. said Clint Cowden of . “Our goal is not just to improve agricultural productivity, but also to make our country’s year-round supply of leafy greens safer.”
The Salinas and Imperial Valleys are two of California’s top 10 agricultural producing counties and lead the nation in agricultural production. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Monterey County (which includes the Salinas Valley) ranks fourth with $4.4 billion in agricultural production, while Imperial County (which includes the Imperial Valley) ranks ninth with $2.1 billion.
This USDA subsidy program, funded by President Biden’s Inflation Control Act, aims to reduce the cost of homes in the United States and expand market access to producers of all backgrounds and communities. , to build a clean energy economy and strengthen America’s supply chains.
