This project was was funded by the USDA-NIFA-NEXTGEN grant (award # 2023-70440-40156) in 2023. It brings together more than 32 internal and external partners, including four USDA agencies and three Mexico-based universities, to cultivate a diverse and dynamic workforce ready to tackle the challenges and opportunities within the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH) sectors. We aim to support 240 undergraduate, 18 Masters, and 7 Doctoral students to participate in high-impact experiential learning projects and outreach and engagement projects, including team-taught courses, field schools, internships, symposia, and action-oriented research that bridge the practices and knowledge of Historically Excluded Communities (HECs) with new strategies for regenerative agriculture addressing climate change, environmental degradation, food insecurity and poverty. Our programs are tailored to empower undergraduate and graduate students, especially those from Indigenous, immigrant, and Mexican-origin HEC along the US-Mexico border, equipping them with the skills necessary to excel in everything from entry-level positions to leadership roles within the USDA FANH workforce.
