A successful summer camp pilot program has led to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore being awarded a $750,000 grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The Food and Agriculture Non-formal Education grant will fund an academic year online program including a similar summer experience for high school students led by UMES and in collaboration with Jookender over the next four years.
This past summer, UMES was among five universities visited by a group of 20 students participating in Jookender’s Pre-College Traveling Camp Program, July 9-22. Funded by the New England-based nonprofit, the program aimed to help youth from diverse communities, especially Jewish and Ukrainian refugee, explore careers in STEM majors. Jookender provides other services and support to underserved groups across the country.
“The students selected were strong candidates academically with interests in technology, natural sciences and agriculture,” said Victoria Volkis, professor of chemistry and the pilot program’s liaison at UMES. “On our campus, they shadowed college students and faculty involved in an ongoing project exploring the use of biofilms to combat barnacle build up on U.S. Navy ships, experienced simple lasers in a newly created physics lab and visited UMES’ Research, Extension and Teaching Farm for hands-on agricultural activities.”
In addition to the weeklong visit at UMES, Jookender’s inaugural travel camp made stops at the University of Maryland College Park, Delaware State University, the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University. Along the way, the group also toured attractions such as NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Assateague Island National Park, Fort Delaware, Longwood Gardens, Luray Caverns and Washington, D.C.
The ensuing USDA-NIFA funded project will be directed by Volkis and is titled, “Advancing STEM in Agriculture (ASTEMA) in 1890 HBCUs, via Team Active Experiential Work of College and High School Students with Travel, award number 2023-69018-41014.
**Applications are being accepted until Oct. 20 for the 2023-24 cohort. Eligible upper classmen in high school from a targeted group (African American, Hispanic, women, first generation college students, Ukrainian refugee or children of new immigrants) can apply by emailing vvolkis@umes.edu the following: one page essay explaining their interest in STEM in agriculture and how it will help advance their career, resume and unofficial transcripts. If selected, a $1,000 stipend will be paid after completion of the academic year online program and the 3-week in-person travel camp (July 22-Aug. 9, 2024).
Gail Stephens, agricultural communications and media associate, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, UMES Extension, 410-621-3850, gcstephens@umes.edu.
Photos by Todd Dudek, agricultural communications, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, UMES Extension, tdudek@umes.edu.
Above: UMES faculty and students greet Jookender participants and leaders on opening day of their visit to campus.
Below: William Weaver, an associate professor of analytical chemistry at UMES, demonstrates simple lasers in the Sensors & Advanced Instrumentation Lab at UMES.
