Keystone Grants
Projects receiving mini-grants are funded for a 12-month period in amounts up to $7,500. To be eligible, projects were required to be collaborations between two or more Keystone 21 partner organizations, or between a Keystone 21 participant and an outside agency or organization.
"Puerto Rican Food Systems and Society," a project to develop an undergraduate course on Puerto Rican food systems, as well as related outreach initiatives aimed at the Berks County Puerto Rican community. Collaborators: Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley College, Penn State Cooperative Extension in Berks County, Hispanic Center of Reading and Berks County.
"The Integration of Food Systems Education into Elementary Science Units." As part of this project, an agriscience resource specialist will seek ways to integrate food and agriculture concepts into the teaching of existing science units. Collaborators: Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences and the State College Area School District.
"CONVERSION 2000: A Waste Management, Education, and Research Project," which aims to reduce the waste stream and educate students and others by setting up a composting program for food and lawn waste at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. Collaborators: Cheyney University and the Rodale Institute.
"Preserving Crop Biodiversity and Seed Saving: Linking Our Food System Past with the Future." This grant will provide support for a conference and related education and outreach materials. Collaborators: Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture, Landis Valley Heirloom Seed Project, Fox Hollow Seed Company.
"Learn Today...Lead Tomorrow: A Double-Barreled Approach to Leadership Education." Funding will assist in the development of a training workshop for student leaders as part of a new College of Agricultural Sciences leadership course. Collaborators: Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pioneer International.
"Developing a Distance Education Program for Adult Learners Through Collaboration with Feed Industry." Participants will develop a multimedia workshop on dairy calf nutrition and feeding management for dairy producers. Collaborators: Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Agway Agricultural Products.
"Mifflin County Youth Gardening Project: Working Together to Provide for the Community," a program that will enable youth probation and parole participants to satisfy community service requirements through 4-H gardening and plant science activities. Collaborators: Penn State Cooperative Extension in Mifflin County, Mifflin County Probation and Parole, Juniata-Mifflin Vocational Technical School.
"BREAD: A Universitywide Freshman Seminar Relating to the Food System." Funding will be used to plan and develop an undergraduate course on the topic of bread in society, which would help satisfy Penn State's general education requirements. Collaborators: Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State Science, Technology and Society program, Penn State Schreyer Institute for Innovation in Learning, Gaffron's Sunrise Bakery, Penn State Vice Provost's office.
"Food Systems Educational Experiences for Elementary-aged Children," a project that will utilize 4-H teen volunteers to provide dairy and bee-related educational information to second- and third-graders. Collaborators: Penn State Cooperative Extension in Perry, Juniata and Mifflin counties; Greenwood, Indian Valley, Juniata, Lewistown, Newport, Susquenita and West Perry School Districts; Perry and Mifflin County Farm Bureaus; Perry County Dairy Promotion Program; Fisher Bee Products.
"A Mid-Atlantic, New England and Keystone 21 Joint Initiative," which is aimed at fostering regional communication and collaboration among land grant universities in the Northeast to enhance food systems education. Collaborators: Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Cornell University.
"The Food System Educator's Guidebook: Enhancing Food System Awareness Among Youth," consists of the development of a guidebook to help educators in schools and in the community enhance youth awareness about the food system, and two in-service workshops to introduce this guidebook to potential users. Collaborators: Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State Fayette Campus, Pittsburgh Regional Center for Science Teachers.
"Sustainable Community Development Through Environmentally and Economically Sound Sustainable Food Systems." Funding will be used to develop a Keystone Grant that will increase community support for environmentally and economically sound sustainable food systems; expand understanding of community and food system interdependencies that promote sustainability; create, enrich and maintain a network of diverse public and private audiences to engage community resources in support of sustainable food systems. Collaborators: Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Pennsylvania Rural Development Council, Pennsylvania Food Industry Council.
"A Planning Grant to Collaboratively Develop a Comprehensive Series of Interdisciplinary, Learner-Centered Food Systems-Oriented Curricula and Career Awareness Programs for Students of York, County, Pennsylvania," will identify local resources, and the full complement of collaborative partners needed to construct a unique, high-quality education program about the evolution of the food industry in York, Pennsylvania. Collaborators: Penn State York Campus, Agricultural and Industrial Museum of York County.
"Agriculture in the Classroom Program for Reading School District Elementary Students," will expand the 4-H Embryology and 4-H Meet the Plants projects in the Reading School District. In-services and comprehensive notebooks will be provided to teachers in the school district. The Berks County Cooperative Extension office and Berks County Volunteer Master Gardener will conduct classroom demonstrations. Collaborators: Berks County Cooperative Extension & Reading School District.
"Agroecosystem Science and Policy Course Development," will allow agronomy and political science professors at The Pennsylvania State University, and food system researchers at Rodale Institute Research Center to: 1) examine food production science and policy; and 2) develop a general studies course that will address the science, technologies, and policies that are currently employed, or potentially could be used to manage resources for food production systems. Collaborators: COAS, Political Science Department, & US Regenerative Agriculture Resource Center.
"The Planning and Development of a Collaborative Course - "Advanced Horticultural Crop Production and Marketing." The vision is to foster a dynamic partnership between private industry and other educational institutions to develop a "very intensive" collaborate undergraduate upper level course covering all phases of production and marketing of horticulture crops. The framework and detailed plan for the course and its operation would be used as a foundation to apply for a Keystone Grant to implement the course. Collaborators: COAS, Delaware Valley College, Rodale Institute Experimental Farm, PSU Cooperative Extension Bucks County, University of Delaware, Cumberland County College, & University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
Cool Facts About Food Safety: A Food Safety Education Campaign for Pennsylvania Elementary Students, is an education food safety campaign for elementary school students. A skit entitled "The Adventures of Patty Melt and Friends" will emphasize the 4 C's of food safety (Cool it; Clean it; Cook it; and don't Cross it). A rap song, an introductory video and food activity sheet will help reinforce the skit's messages. Teachers will receive a comprehensive elementary teacher's guide to teaching about food safety. Follow-up activities/materials will be posted on a special "Patty Melt" website. Collaborators: PA Beef Council, Allegheny County Health Department.
Why We Eat What We Eat? The Science and Culture of Food, is a course development initiative. The objectives for the three credit first year seminar are: to encourage multidimensional "food literacy" with emphasis on how biology and culture interact to affect food choices, nutrition and health, food economics and politics; to encourage students to appreciate ethnic and regional cuisines, and thus value the significance and need for alternative food systems; and to enhance the ability to formulate novel solutions to the food system problems by in incorporating sound biological, historical and cultural perspectives. After being taught at University Park in Fall 1999, a similar course will be establish at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania with the faculty in Hotel and Restaurant Management and biology/chemistry. Collaborators: COAS, School of Hotel Restaurant & Recreation Management.
Agricultural Career Exploration, will enhance knowledge and create awareness of food systems, agriculture and their unbreakable relationship among school student, teachers and guidance counselors through experiential learning. An educational package focusing on six broad field in agriculture and the food system will be developed. It will be augmented with career development exercises and presentations from industry representatives. A second phase will include an agricultural and food system study tour. The project will also include the investigation into the potential production of an educational series of videos, lesson plans, CD-ROM, and web page. Collaborators: COAS, Media Solutions-WPSX.
Integration of environmental and food system education through an innovative collaboration between Muhlberg College and The Rodale Institute. This Mini-grant will explore innovative ideas and approaches to develop new food system education programs that could serve as a model to other colleges and universities. The goal is to establish a relationship that will enrich an interdisciplinary environmental program by creating internship opportunities for Muhlenberg students at the Rodale Institute's Regenerative Agriculture Research Centers, establishing a formal means of bringing experts from the Rodale Institute into the classroom at Muhlenberg, and developing an intensive course on agriculture and the environment for Muhlenberg students and the Lehigh Valley community. Collaborators: Muhlenberg College, Rodale Institute.
Pennsylvania Beef Quality and Safety Initiative. The Pennsylvania Beef Council has developed an educational exhibit comprised of three interactive displays intended to familiarize cattlemen and dairymen with the main elements of the National Beef Quality Audits of 1992, 1994 and 1995. The three displays and presentations are: 1. Proper management enhances beef quality and product value, 2. Targeted breeding equals customer satisfaction, and 3. Responsible culling improves herd productivity and efficiency. At each educational presentation of the displays, the participants are divided into three groups and rotate "county fair" fashion to each display. After all presentations all groups return to the initial location for a meeting evaluation followed by refreshments. Collaborators: Pennsylvania Beef Council, Inc., & COAS
Starting a Multi-state Effort in Biotechnology Educational Outreach: Team formation and needs assessment as a first step in developing extension agent educational leadership. This mini-grant project will begin an innovative, proactive tri-state process to develop leadership skills in biotechnology education and outreach among interdisciplinary teams of extension agents within Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland by conducting an educational needs assessment. The goals of this project are to a) organize a three state project advisory group, b) establish biotechnology educational outreach goals and objectives that address the issues arising from applications of genetic engineering in the food system, c) based on these objectives, outline a focus group script to asses training and educational needs of extension agents, d) conduct focus groups with self-selected interdisciplinary teams of extension agents, e) analyze focus group date, f) based on data outline a three year plan to accomplish team training, team outreach, and target audience contacts. Collaborators: COAS, PS Berks-Lehigh Valley College, Life Science Institute of State College PA, PA Biotechnology Institute, PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Cooperative Extension of MD, NJ and PA.
Ag Learning Center. Youth age 6-16 years old from the collaborating organizations will build their self-esteem and awareness of agriculture by caring for animals at the 4-H Ag Learning Center in Franklin County. The youth will "adopt" an animal and learn about feeding, signs of sickness, animal handling, etc. Some of the older youth will also be trained to teach the ag awareness lessons, which focus on a wide scope of agriculture related issues and areas. Through this approach, these youth will learn leadership and communication skills. In addition, the 4-H summer assistant, volunteers and extension agents will teach lessons on agriculture to approximately 300 youth in Chambersburg. These youth will be able to participate in three to six hands-on lessons at the Ag Learning Center. Collaborators: Franklin Cooperative Extension, LodgeQuest, Chambersburg Community Improvement Association
"The Allentown Food Enterprise and Education Project." Focusing on economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in downtown Allentown, organizers will work with regional food producers, processors and vendors to produce and sell fresh and nutritious foods to area residents. Food-related enterprises will be encouraged as a vehicle for urban community development and consumer education.
The educational component of the project includes the development of community-based learning programs to promote the growing and eating of healthy fresh food as a key element to better living. Local producers will receive technical assistance in growing and marketing fresh and organic food, and food merchants will receive guidance in establishing educational programs - aimed especially at women and children - showing the link between proper nutrition and health.
Organizers expect to obtain support and participation from a
cross-section
of the community, including food shop retailers, restaurateurs, the
Allentown Economic Development Corporation, neighborhood residents and
the
general business community.
Collaborators: The Community Action Development Corporation of the Lehigh
Valley, Rodale Institute.
"Expanding the Dialogue About the Food System: Using a Media Forum to Enhance Communications Among Food System Stakeholders," As part of this project, a media forum will be held in Philadelphia in the fall of 1998, bringing together newspaper reporters and editors, radio and television news staff, food industry professionals, agricultural producers, consumers and others. Perceptions and issues related to the food system, food safety, diet and nutrition, and media coverage of these topics will be discussed. The forum will serve as a model for similar events planned for several other regions of Pennsylvania. Supporting video and printed educational materials will be produced as a guide to forum organizers.
Spin-offs of the forum could include the creation of continuing and
professional education and outreach programs for dietitians, journalists,
radio and television producers, K-12 teachers, cooperative extension
agents, scientists, farm organizations and others; college credit courses
in agricultural journalism; an annual "Foods and the Media" conference;
creation of a rapid-response team of scientists able to speak accurately
and articulately to the media about complex food system issues; and other
initiatives.
Collaborators: Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State
College of Health and Human Development, Cheyney University of
Pennsylvania.
"Food systems Educational Experiences for Elementary-aged Children." This project will provide learner centered educational experiences for every first, second, third, forth, fifth and sixth grade student enrolled in the collaborating school districts (8,900 students). Depending on the grade level, students will work through lessons involving milk and the dairy industry, bees and bee products, corn and corn products, sheep and wool, transportation, economics and jobs of the food production and processing industry, and learn how climate and soils affect food production patterns in the state, nation and world.
These lessons will be delivered by teen volunteers from the 4-H club
program and the FFA programs in the collaborating counties, thus
providing
an opportunity for leadership skills development to the teens. The teens
will be trained by Extension Agents to deliver the lesson of their choice
and will receive additional information about the food system that is
appropriate for their level. The net result is that while this is
primarily an elementary-aged food system educational project, educational
about the food system is also occurring on a higher level.
Collaborators: Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Cooperative
Extension, public school districts in Perry, Juniata, and Mifflin
Counties,
Perry County Dairy Promotion Program, the Farm Bureau committees of
Mifflin, Juniata, and Perry Counties, and Fisher Bee Products of
Lewistown.
"Internationalizing the Mind of Food System Professionals for the 21st Century.", The overarching goal of this project is to help develop students and faculty enhance their ability to solve problems and function effectively in an international setting. This project will develop a model and collaborative plan to establish a new international undergraduate minor degree program at Penn State and an independent international degree. International courses that students from Penn State, Moscow State Agroengineering University, and other institutions can take via the World Campus will be developed. In addition, it will create international professional development opportunities for faculty.
As part of the project, undergraduate students at Penn State will take 15 credits of international agriculture courses at MSAU with MSAU students. These courses will be taught by U.S.-based faculty and MSAU faculty. One of the classes will be a one-credit seminar taught by Rodale faculty.
It is anticipated that participating students and faculty will have a
greater understanding of the international dimensions of the food system.
It will also provide more students and faculty the opportunity to
participate in international activities, learn about other cultures, and
have a greater sensitivity to cross-cultural ideas and people.
Collaborators: Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Moscow State
Agroengineering University, and the Rodale Institute.
"The Environmental Quality Initiative: A Collaborative Project of the Pennsylvania State University, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Rodale Institution, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, and the US Environmental Protection Agency." The Environmental Quality Initiative (EQI) is a long-term, non-regulatory economic incentive program for farmers who have implemented or wish to implement complete systems of management practices which help to reduce or eliminate agricultural pollution. The EQI will link environmentally minded consumers directly with dairy farmers who share their concerns for environmental quality protection. A special EQI mark on the packaging of dairy products will alert consumers that a portion of their purchase price (5 cents per half gallon) will be deposited into a stewardship fund. The fund supports environmentally sound farming in two ways. Farmers who are effectively protecting the environment, according to standardized Environmental Farmstead Evaluation, earn an EQI premium on their milk checks. In addition to promoting good environmental management through the EQI premium incentive, the EQI provides cost-share funding to assist farmers in making management changes that enhance natural resources.
The Environmental Quality Initiative provides an opportunity to harness the commercial, consumer based market to work for natural resources conservation and agricultural pollution prevention. The EQI offers consumers a direct role in creating a sustainable food system. By providing dairy producers with the opportunity to use consumer dollars for resource stewardship, we can overcome traditional constraints and give farmers a practical and effective way to both protect and enhance the environment and remain economically viable.
This project contains several components, they are: the development and
delivery of an education program for participating dairy producers; the
demonstration of best management practice technology to participating
farmers; the development and delivery of a comprehensive consumer
education
program; the direct involvement of students in the assessment and
evaluation of EQI success and impact; and the direct involvement of the
University as a strategic advisor/board director for a new emerging
organization.
Collaborators: COAS, Penn State Communications College, Dairy Network
Partnership, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Rodale Institution, Pennsylvania
Association for Sustainable Agriculture.
"Mifflin County Youth Gardening Project: We've Got a Good Thing Growing." The program is an expansion of a previously funded Keystone 21 mini-grant. Juveniles who are assigned to community service as part of their probation/parole arrangement will have the opportunity to work with 4-H youth and volunteers enrolled in gardening/plant science projects to design, maintain, and harvest a garden. The food raised by the youth will be donated to the Shelter Services, or other non-profit organizations with a demand for fresh produce. Flowers and decorative plants raised will be donated to area nursing homes and used for beautification products.
Produce raised in excess of demand will be sold and used to teach entrepreneural and financial skills. Moneys earned from the sale of excess produce will be used in two ways. First start-up costs for the next year's program will be determined and will receive first priority of profit spending. Second, youth will receive a stipend based on the number of hours spent working on the gardening project.
This project uses a learner-centered approach to educate participants about agriculture, problem solving, business and financial skills, and career options. This approach improves critical thinking ability and enhances interpersonal skills of all who are involved in the project. Participants will be expected to work as a team with facilitators, 4-H volunteers and members to provide community service as well as earn an income from their "business."
Collaborators: COAS, Mifflin County Probation & Parole, Juniata-Mifflin Vocational Technical School.
"A 2 yr. Proposal to Collaboratively Develop a Comprehensive Series of Interdisciplinary, Learner-Centered Food Systems-Oriented Curricula and Career Awareness Programs for Students of York County, PA: Celebrating 250 Years of Agricultural Growth." In this project a comprehensive series of food systems-oriented educational units and career awareness modules that will be integrated into the curricula of York County's participating schools districts. These modules will be developed by educators, representatives of community-based organizations, and members of the county's agricultural-businesses and food systems-related businesses. The modules will be designed to be relevant to both urban and rurally-located districts, from elementary through secondary years. A post-secondary component is also part of this project. The contents of many of these programs (modules) will be adaptable for use by community-based organizations (i.e. 4-H Clubs, etc.).
The food systems-related centerpiece for the curricula and accompanying activities is a fully operational c. 1840 grist mill housed within the county's Agricultural and Industrial Museum (AIM). The program's principal theme is building an inter-disciplinary awareness of change over time regarding York County's agricultural heritage and its food systems-related business concerns. This theme will be developed through a series of age-appropriate, progressively sophisticated learner-centered experiences that will occur at the Agricultural and Industrial Museum's mill, in the classroom, and in other facilities within the community at large. Curricula will also be adapted for Special Education students and Advanced Placement students.
Other products of this project are envisioned to include: an enhanced
food
systems-oriented interpretive exhibit housed at the Agricultural and
Industrial Museum; a system of pedagogical programs that introduces these
new programs and resources to the county's educators; and a network of
collaborative partners committed to the on-going success of these food
systems-related programs.
Collaborators: Agricultral & Industrial Museum of York County, Penn
State
University York Campus, Eastern York School District, Bradley Lifting,
Hoke;s Mill, Farm & Natural Land Trust, York City School District,
Northern
York County School District, York County Cooperative Extension, & D.F.
Stauffer Biscuit Company.