Progress 09/01/05 to 12/31/06

Outputs
The primary focus of the initial year of funding for the Equity in Education grant was to develop curriculum for the new Tohono O'odham Agriculture and Natural Resources (TOANR) program at Tohono O'odham Community College (TOCC). The following courses were developed in the first year of project funding. All of the courses have been approved by TOCC's curriculum committee. ANR 186 'Hydrology for Rangeland Conservation' Class was taught in the fall of 2006. ANR 128 'Plant Ecology of the Sonoran Region' class was developed and was taught in the spring of 2007. ANR 130 'Plant Science' class was developed and was taught in the spring of 2007. ANR 122 'Tohono O'odham Natural Resources' class continued to be refined, and was taught in the fall of 2006. ANR 111 'Crop Production for Farm and Garden' class continued to be refined, and was taught in the fall of 2006. The following courses were still under development. ANR 190 'Wildlife Conservation' and ANR 210 'Range Planning and Conservation'. A sustainable energy curriculum also began development under the supervision of the co-PI, Dr. Josef Marlow. Dr. Marlow has since left TOCC and development of the sustainable energy curriculum has been put on hold. Environmental education and service learning were an important aspect of place-based curriculum development. Several of the abovementioned courses incorporated service learning in their learning outcomes. Service learning is inherently place-based, since it allows students to do community service within the TOCC service community. PRODUCTS: Consultants were identified, hired and did initial development of two courses as part of the Tohono O'odham Agriculture and Natural Resources (TOANR) degree program, 'Hydrology for Range Conservation' and 'Wildlife Conservation'. A teaching science lab with internet and computer teaching capabilities was built and installed. The lab is being used to teach science classes necessary for the TOANR degree program. GEO 101IN, 'Introduction to Weather & Climate' was successfully developed and taught. This is an elective course within the TOANR program. OUTCOMES: The service learning component was expanded to give students the choice to do a service learning project in a school, government agency, or community. The following are examples of how students have engaged in service learning as part of their classroom activities. Activities are developed and implemented by students as part of their class. ANR 111 - Crop Production for Farm & Garden; students assisted elders to create a garden and coordinated short educational sessions about gardening at the elderly program. Students assisted K-6 classes start a garden and developed gardening curriculum at Santa Rosa Boarding School. ANR 122 - Tohono O'odham Natural Resources & Conservation; students wrote and implemented a trash clean-up and conservation management plan for their local community. ANR 128 - Plant Ecology of the Sonoran Desert; Students presented to cattle ranchers' association about buffle grass, an invasive species, taught environmental education at a primary school, developed activities about mistletoe eradication, and developed water education to family members. BIO 105 - Environmental Biology; students developed an educational module about water quality for 5th graders, environmental ethics for incarcerated adults. Impacts from first year activities include increased course offerings for students at TOCC, student initiated community service and environmental education in diverse community forums, and increased awareness within the Tohono O'odham community about the existence of the TOANR program and its activities. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: In order to increase recruitment efforts, the TOANR program increased its visibility through several public events sponsored by the Agriculture Extension program. This includes a series of junior rodeos and participation in the Tohono O'odham Nation Rodeo Parade. Informational materials about the TOANR program were made available at all general TOCC promotional, recruitment, and community events. Public service announcements were made to advertise upcoming TOANR courses. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Future initiatives include: Development of additional classes for the TOANR program, increase student recruitment and enrollment in the TOANR program, especially with youth to familiarize them with the idea that a college education is a possibility and is accessible locally; Develop a student support network in the form of internships, advising, experiential learning, and community involvement; Integrated instructor development with opportunities for all people involved with instruction (full-time and adjunct faculty, and Tohono O'odham guest speakers/Native science and culture experts, students) to discuss overall program curriculum and development; Provide innovative instruction delivery systems such as experiential education, service-learning, and distance education Develop place-based curriculum to develop all the necessary required courses for an A.A.S. and A.S. degree in TOANR; Community outreach with students and faculty in order to increase the visibility of the TOANR in the schools, during extension activities, and participation in community events all serve to increase awareness of TOCC and the TOANR program within the community.

Impacts
Course offerings during this reporting period increased 50%, with a 150% increase by the end of spring 2007. 100% of students enrolled in ANR 111 'Crop Production for Farm and Garden' started gardens as part of or as a result of their participation in ANR 111.

Publications

• No publications reported this period