ON COMMON GROUND: EXPANDING AGRICULTURAL LITERACY WITH CITIZEN SCIENCE

The first objective is to create an innovative curriculum that will explore the relationship between agricultural systems and environmental health culminating in a citizen science based project. The curriculum will be designed to be adaptable to meet individual classroom needs and will be created in collaboration with an advisory board of secondary school teachers, farmers, Vermont Agriculture Teachers Association (VATA) members, Vermont Agency of Agriculture staff, and University of Vermont (UVM).The second objective is to develop a set of innovative tools that will help to deliver and reinforce the curriculum as well as provide self-sustaining components of the program. Existing virtual reality software previously developed by UVM Extension that allows users to identify farm risks will be expanded with simulations that explore the impacts of climate change and agricultural practices on different cropping systems. At least one 360° video will be created allowing teachers and students to experience different types of productions systems including a livestock farm, vegetable operation, and a hydroponic facility. An interactive online platform, AgConnect, will be developed to facilitate the scientific process and connect students to a "sister-school" to compare results and share experiences. These tools as well as the curriculum will be hosted in a web-based repository. The repository of resources, forum to exchange ideas, and newly gained social capital will help the curriculum be self-sustaining.The third objective is to deliver the curriculum to at least 40 secondary educators using hands-on field based and virtual reality (VR) experiential learning activities during an immersive three-day workshop.The final training will deliver a multi-faceted and innovative curriculum focused on AFRI priority 5, agriculture systems and technology, but other priorities will be integrated into the curriculum including plant health and production and plant products.